Skeptical Faith

Google Image On social media, and in person, many people seem to dislike the phrase, “You’re in our thoughts and prayers,” used when someone discloses a tragedy such as a death in the family. I don’t think all who object to this phrase are against thoughts and prayers as such. They are against clichés that may not have a lot of thought behind them – not insincere, exactly, but maybe lacking in genuineness. When I was in graduate school studying journalism, professors emphasized the importance of avoiding clichés in writing, for the reason mentioned above, but also because writing that uses a lot of clichés is uninteresting. Rote Prayers Religious people use a lot of “clichés” when they pray, and that’s especially true of people of my own faith. Catholicism has a lot of rote prayers, ones we recite over and over, starting with the sign of the cross and the words that go with it. We often make the sign of the cross sloppily and recite the words, “In the name of the Father and of ...

Google Image I’ve mentioned several times in these blogs that I had a sort of awakening in my early 30s about my image of God. A homily by a young priest declared that many Christians “don’t know who their father is.” It was a revelation to know that in the gospels, Jesus incessantly talks about his “father.” In the gospels, he uses the term “Abba” - the loving way in which a child of that culture referred to a loving father - 170 times. And the prayers at the Catholic mass make no sense unless you understand that they are, with some exceptions, directed to God the Father. So, my spirituality has since revolved around learning to know my Father better. Most of my prayers are directed to the Father, including the Centering Prayer I’ve been doing or several years. Another Awakening? But I’ve had another recent awakening, which leads me to believe that I need to adjust my idea of God, thanks to listening to podcasts of interviews with Elizabeth Johnson. Johnson, according to Wikiped...

Google Image Five years ago, I wrote a blog called “What’s So Great about Being Poor?” “Nothing,” I wrote, “ unless being among God’s favorites counts for nothing.” It’s true that poverty, in itself, is no great asset. Many people and organizations are trying to eliminate poverty. It would be wonderful if there were no more poor people. But Jesus, the realist, said it best: “The poor you will always have with you.” So, what should the attitude of people searching for God – especially in the Christian tradition - be toward the poor? Some may interpret Jesus’ words to mean there will always be poor people so don’t bother with them. Commit to a Religion And the question in the previous paragraph is significant. The commonly understood path toward God is to commit to a religion and follow its precepts – go to church, pray, and follow the teachings of the church. All of that is important. But because of a better reading and understanding of the Bible, many are beginning to see tha...

Google Image I’ve often written about my personal connection to Ireland, undoubtedly because all of my great grandparents were Irish immigrants and I’ve always been interested in them and their homeland. In fact, I find immigration itself fascinating. It requires people to tear themselves from their families, culture, food and often faith, to plant themselves in foreign soil. My beloved wife, Amparo, is an immigrant from Colombia, and that adds to my interest. So, I was understandably attentive to an article in a recent issue of America magazine (I hope none of you are asking, “What’s a magazine?”) entitled, “We All Belong to Each Other: Rethinking Immigration and Irish Identity.” Devastating Famines, Chronic Poverty As you may know, Ireland was for several hundred years an exporter of its people. Because of devastating famines and chronic poverty, its citizens scattered to all parts of the globe, but principally to England, the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., at least, the Irish w...