Science, faith and love

Luke 13:31-35

          The Internet has been awash lately with the machinations within the Roman Catholic church. There appears to be at least some who are willing to tackle the tough questions (tough for the church, pretty easy for most everyone else). The Pope is being what he should be and what you would expect of a true vicar of Christ.  He seems less concerned with the rules and rubrics and more concerned with love , compassion and understanding. He may have to drag some of the Cardinals and Bishops kicking and screaming (and whining ) into the modern era. Some will never relent in their stubbornness.

          There was a Clergyman who not too long ago who presided over and blessed the marriage of his gay son. The preacher was brought up on charges within his church and convicted (it that's the correct word). That conviction as I understand it has recently been removed.

           They say that the Roman Church moves at a snails pace where centuries not days, weeks months or years are the unit of measurement. The Pope was in the news yesterday for confirming the acceptance of the Big Bang theory as well as evolution and that neither diminishes or denies the existence of God. He stated what I have always held, that such theories only make God even more magnificent. The Biblical story is absolutely correct in that it explains that God created the world. The fact that it may have been a Big Bang so to speak does not deny the fact that God was behind the Big Bang itself. God becomes even more awesome, more of a mystery than we can comprehend. 

            These battles of science and faith seems terminal in many ways. In my mind it seems so unnecessary. Science actually enriches faith. False logic, ignorance and tradition (often used in faith arguments) seem to doom formal religion. That will be sad for humanity because we do have a ingrained desire and need to search for our creator. It seems horribly sad that rules and rubrics destroy the very thing that is supposed to support and promote our natural call to our creator.

         What lies in the wings of such confusion and fights for power? All of humanity and especially the ones marginalized for one reason or another. Look throughout history for the labels of those who have been denied and marginalized by formal religions, especially the Roman church. Native Americans, African Americans, women, divorced and members of the LGBTQ community. They have suffered and continue to suffer.

         What we need is to embrace science, scholarly scriptural study and especially the love and faith that is exhibited in the Holy Spirit.

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’