Turlough Quinn (November 11) is correct in his conviction that a simple, strong, active faith in core Catholic doctrine and dogma is enough for salvation. However, in this age of rapidly developing scientific knowledge and ensuing technology there is a growing need for sincere and humble dialogue among all Christians in order to stem the tide of materialism and atheism.
The main dispute between Catholics and Protestants is the Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, since Luther began the Reformation some 500 years ago. As a scientist who sieves in the freedom of necessity to have novel ideas about nature, I came to respect many aspects of the Reformation because the freedom which it exposes was also the reason for the great developments in science in non-Catholic countries in Europe.
Catholic authorities do not encourage novel thinking about doctrine or dogma, especially by lay people. However, since the time of Newman there is a growing consensus that while scripture and doctrine do not change our understanding should develop from age to age.
A fundamental item in the interpretation of Genesis and the doctrine of original sin.
Another is that aspects of St Thomas Aquinas’ metaphysical explanation of transubstantiation need development in the light of modern scriptural scholarship and scientific knowledge as advocated recently by priests in the faith movement.
Since I greatly admire Darwin and his scientific achievements I spent a lot of effort over the past 40 years trying to reconcile original sin with evolution (I am now 81). It dawned on me that there is a need to think simultaneously about transcendental or metaphysical realities and space-time realities, the domain of science. My conclusion is that original sin is a transcendental rebellion by creation in its beginning in paradise, aeviternity ie, eternity where change is possible, against God’s will for its being. The Garden of Eden is then a transcendental state of being not an historical finite place on earth, in space-time.
Many of the angels following Lucifer also created in aeviternity rebelled against the divine will for their being. After the rebellion creation is exiled out of Eden into space-time. The whole rebelled except the idea of the Word becoming incarnate and the idea of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Evolution is then the story of the ascent of life over billions of years. Fallen matter-energy is all that is first present at the big bang and although it is good it is blemished throughout by natural evil due to original sin, and so are our personal souls and bodies which finally emerge. The bodies are also universal because they dynamically share matter-energy with the whole cosmos. We are made of star dust.
This novel thought about matter-energy being blemished by original sin sheds new light on the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
The sacrifice of Jesus on Good Friday at transcendental level embraces all space-time, so it is not replaced at mass but is re-presented. At the Last Supper it is pre-presented.
J ROONEY
Belfast BT9
Christians won’t allow revealed truth to be distorted
Danny Treacy (November 24) refers to views expressed by the Rev John Gray on the Catholic faith and my challenging of those offensive opinions.
The problem, essentially, arises from a fundamentalist approach to the Scriptures which does a grave disservice to the Word of God. Mr Treacy, of course, is also a fundamentalist and literalist – albeit of an atheistic hue.
Quite simply, contrary to Mr Treacy’s simplistic understanding, God did not create or write a book. God makes Himself known to human beings by His Word who is a person, Our Lord Jesus Christ, truly God and truly human.
The revelation of God to human beings is in both written and oral form – Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition – both of them breathed forth by the Holy Spirit.
Fundamentalists, whether Christian, atheist, Muslim, or whatever, do violence to Truth with their unyielding rigidity and narrowness of interpretation.
To put it very simply: God our Creator is Love and God loves those whom He has created. The entire purpose of Divine revelation, in Scripture and Tradition, is to proclaim His infinite love and mercy for all without exception.
This knowledge that we are infinitely loved, by the God of compassion and kindness, is the correct lens through which we view the reality of ourselves in relation to God.
It is, of course, imperfect for, at present, we are seeing only a reflection in a mirror; but the time will come when we shall see face to face and know God fully (I Cor 13:12).
The majority of Christians, Catholic and Protestant, bear witness to this reality of God’s infinite love and will not allow revealed truth to be distorted, by fundamentalists, whether atheist or religious.
Fr PATRICK McCAFFERTY
Belfast BT12
President’s intervention disappoints
In the regime presided over by Fidel Castro only one political party was tolerated – the Communist Party. Freedom of expression and of speech was, in effect, non-existent. Persons who were not members of the Communist Party found themselves under surveillance by the secret police. Journalists and writers were subject to arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.
The situation has not substantially changed under Fidel Castro’s successor.
President Michael D Higgins has on occasion rightly and forcibly condemned the abuse of human rights by autocratic regimes of the right but the abuse of these same rights by regimes of the left are to be equally deplored.
Hence the well-nigh universal disappointment at the president’s intervention on the death of the Cuban dictator.
J ANTHONY GAUGHAN
Blackrock, Co Dublin
Selective criticism
Sammy Wilson, as per usual, is quite selective in calling Fidel Castro a terrorist.
If Mr Wilson is looking for people to call terrorists, maybe he could have a wee glance around his very own beloved Ulster backyard. Is this not the very same Sammy Wilson who bows and scrapes at any mention of Edward Carson or James Craig? These two gentlemen were gun runners who smuggled 25,000 rifles and 3,000,00 rounds of ammunition into Ireland in 1914 from the German Empire.
I have no doubt he would never want it to be said that he was selective in adoring some terrorists while blasting others. Over to you Sammy.
ADAM DOYLE
Fort McMurray, Canada
Enough is enough
The joke of the year is the fact that the rich Conservative government is demanding that the taxpayers pay for the refurbishing of Buckingham Palace, which in itself is only a millionaire’s hotel. This palace is owned by the British queen who has millions of pounds worth of property worldwide and is the beneficiary of millions of pounds in royalties from her commonwealth countries.
So is it fair to take the working-class money? Let her pay the bill herself. She can well afford it.
JOHN MATTHEWS
Lurgan, Co Armagh
Abject failure
Anyone who believes Mr Obama was a good US president, and gallant leader of the American-coined phrase “free world”, is not to see his long tenure for what it was – an abject failure on every front.
For instance, he has been at war for every day of his administration and failed to close Guantanamo Bay. This is not the measure of a successful, peaceful man, but of someone who consistently carries the label of dangerous.
ROBERT SULLIVAN
Bantry, Co Cork
