On a recent beautiful March day, we took our soon to be four year-old daughter to one of North America's great Church's: St. Joseph's Oratory.
As we drove up the magnificent Church, I could not but help think about the contradiction of our times. With Anti-religious rhetoric reaching feverish pitch at times, am I not, as a progressive secularist, supposed to avoid such "ritualistic nonsense?" No. I differentiate between faith and organized religion. I refuse to attack and impugn religion as a whole.
It was interesting to watch my girl try with all her might to understand the significance of why people pray and why they look for guidance in the Lord. I too observed quietly.
We prayed to St. Joseph and did our best to tread the line between "faith and reason" for her.* Then it became clear to me while staring at Brother Andre's heart. When you come into a place like St. Joseph's - or any place of faith - you have to suspend all logic but for few precious minutes. It makes little sense to sit there and "hmpf" your way through demanding "proof" of all what we were taught about Jesus and the Bible.
I write this admitting I too asked questions wrapped in logic in elementary school. The Bible seemed more disjointed than following a Bat-Man comic series.
Was Descartes any less "logical" because he believed in faith - Catholic faith to boot? Like Voltaire, Descartes is often mistakenly believed to be an atheist.
When we told her it was time to go she took my hand and said, "I'm so happy, daddy."
I looked to my left and there was Jesus winking with delight.
*If St. Thomas of Aquinas struggled with this, there was no hope for me.
I'm a believer although organized religions have put me off for a rather long time. However there are places like St-Joseph Oratory or Notre-Dame Basilica where I worshiped from 11 to 24, that still make a very strong spiritual impression on me, where I sense God despite all logic...and what, may I ask would logic and reason have to do here: it is pure emotion and why not? I feel the same thing in the forest or out on lake.
ReplyDeleteBetter than the previous post, eh?
ReplyDeleteI am an agnostic, so not an atheist. I do not exclude anything. Spiritual sentiment is beyond reason and so it should be. I can feel it in many places, even just now sitting on my armchair or especially in the night, before going to bed. Problem though being - with some organized religions - that some people believe in absolute truths seen as undeniable, hence considered by them to be enforced also on those who don’t believe in them. What I mean is that I dislike the political use of religion, not religion in itself. It is due to living so close to the Pope, I guess.
ReplyDeleteHeh. Yes, you get to see his warts and all.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the recent thing about condoms in Africa and calling him a murderer is unfair.
Murder may be a bit strong, let's say it's involuntary manslaughter.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure it's even that.
ReplyDeleteSomeone said that he was right to say not to use condoms in Africa because condoms are not so effective there. Ok, maybe they aren't, but c'mon, such conservatism, I wonder where it will bring the Church.
ReplyDeleteDo you know that people in Europe are escaping from Christianity more and more? That weird beliefs are expanding? There is a great void in Europe (maybe not so much in North America) because all different varieties of Christianity are failing to meet people’s needs.
Just as an example, they have found huge underground neo-pagan temples north of Turin (Torino), called the Temples of Damanhur, dug into the rock by a 57-year-old former insurance broker from northern Italy. We have to say that Italians tend to do things with some style, without a doubt. Have a look here:
http://bit.ly/WH32y
PS
ReplyDeleteIt's been called the Eighth Wonder of the World, by the way.
Not that I am a fan of neo-paganism, although, you know, I feel that people should be set free in these private matters. What seems clear is that many people nowadays tend to channel their spiritual energy in all possible directions.
Mi sembra che il Concilio vaticano II era stata una apertura al moderno, e che i due ultimi papi abbiano fatto marcia indietro. Ma non sono un esperto di religione, per cui รจ meglio che stia zitto.
I'm well aware of people leaving the Church and it's happening here too but more in Canada than in the States.
ReplyDelete"What seems clear is that many people nowadays tend to channel their spiritual energy in all possible directions."
Absolutely. I wrote about this in the past. People pick and choose what they like from all religions and try and develop a private spiritual outlook mixed in with all sorts of new age stuff. I contend it's all superficial.
Will check the link later. Sounds exciting.
Religion and religiosity is not to be taken for spirituality, that is a different concept. Unfortunately "religions" tend to develop rituals and conformisms totally foreign to spirituality, an inner feeling of being united with something superior and being part of it that has nothing to do with locus or time.
ReplyDeleteI can agree Paul, to a certain extent. I'm now drinking red wine a bit and eating 'Tartine al tartufo'. And blasting Boston (a band).
ReplyDeleteSalus!!
Four years old is such a critical age. I encounter parents all the time who feel lost trying to answer the questions of faith that kids manage to come up with.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, in our area, there's a couple of options to be found in those mid-week kids club type things that some churches put on. It's free, it's wholesome, it answers some of their questions, and there are a lot worse things for kids to do on a Wednesday night.
Plus the parents get a couple of hours to themselves. For us, it was Chinese food.
Four years old is indeed a critical age. We're even beginning to teach her to cook - or at least be part of the process.
ReplyDeleteYes, Paul, Church can still play an important role in our society.
I'm sure Chinese restaurants will support this!