Belief in God II

For me the goal of apologetics is not to reason people to faith but to show them how my Catholic faith is reasonable. As stated in my previous posts, if I were going to explain my Christian faith to someone then I would start with the following three topics: faith and reason; spirit, matter, and the spirituality of the human soul; and proofs for the existence of God. Let us review.

I. Faith and Reason

The Catholic Church teaches- and has always taught- that although faith is superior to reason the two can never contradict since both come to us from God, who is all truth. Some people today say you must choose either faith or reason- you can’t have both- but this notion is a fallacy which ignores 2,000 years of Catholic teaching. For Catholics, the Bible is not a science book, nor is a science book Scripture. If I want to discuss the meaning of life and my purpose in it, then I will go to a priest. If I have a broken arm and need it mended, then I will go to a doctor (same goes for seeking advice during a pandemic).

Barack Obama and Pope Francis

Catholics do not read the Bible literally (most Catholics- including the Pope- accept the theory of evolution as fact) nor do we turn to science books to answer questions of faith and morality such as why are we here, why is there suffering, and what happens after death. My advice is don’t trust anyone who would make you choose between faith and reason since both are God’s gifts and should be cherished as well as protected from the misinformed, the ignorant, and the unscrupulous. The Catholic Church will never ask you to abandon or suspend your reason. While some of our Christian beliefs might seem fantastic at first, they are nonetheless reasonable beliefs that you can investigate for yourself.

Descent of the Holy Spirit by Jan Joest

II. Spirit, Matter, and the Spirituality of the Human Soul

Our universe consists of both material and immaterial objects. Our bodies are material but our ideas are immaterial. We know the source of our bodies- our parents- but what is the source of our ideas? The brain cannot be the source of our ideas since the brain is made of matter and only an immaterial faculty has the power to create immaterial objects that cannot be seen or measured. 

We call this immaterial faculty the soul. Every living organism has a soul but man is the only creature whose soul is made of spirit. Spirit is invisible. It has no shape and no parts. A spirit knows and loves. God is a spirit. Each person is a union of spirit and matter. Unlike matter, spirit cannot decompose; therefore, our spiritual souls will continue to exist after death. This idea is pretty scary for most people.

St. Thomas Aquinas by Francisco de Zurbarán 

III. Proof for the Existence of God

Saint Thomas Aquinas, the great 14th century Catholic priest, philosopher, and theologian, developed five proofs for the existence of God (although many people today- including college students- seem to be woefully ignorant of these proofs). Aquinas used reason- not faith- to demonstrate the existence of God. We can also use reason to see the truth of the following three statements about God:

1. There must be one God because there had to be one Ultimate Cause outside the material universe that caused everything else.

2. God must be a spirit because He exists outside the material universe which He created.

3. God must be infinite because He creates something out of absolutely nothing. (The gap between nothing and something, between a non-being and actual existence, is infinite. It takes an infinite power to bridge that infinite gap.) 

Belief in God is a rational response to the question of human existence, and no scientist or atheist can provide a better explanation as to the origin of why we are here. In fact, the more we learn about the material universe and our own existence, the more we see God must exist. 

Perhaps it’s because I was born into the faith but these three Catholic beliefs- the unity of faith and reason, the spirituality of the human soul, and the existence of God- all seem pretty reasonable to me and can be explained and understood through reason alone.

But what does it mean to say God exists and belief in God is reasonable? Is that it? Or can we as creatures use our reason to learn and say more about our Creator? The answer is yes and using reason to study and understand the attributes of God would be my next step in explaining my faith to someone and I would begin with a focus on time and space.

Pope Francis on Christmas Eve

IV. God is Eternal

A person’s belief in God is either inherited from his family- from whom this belief is passed down- or gained through some other experience. While reason alone does not usually compel a person to believe in God, reason can demonstrate to believers and non-believers alike that belief in God is not a wish or a delusion but a rational conclusion based on reason (which, like faith, is a gift from God).

Because God is infinite, it can be difficult- though not impossible- for finite beings to describe Him using words (I prefer paintings and statues). Yet as Catholics we believe the existence of God can be known through human reason- without the aid of revelation- and God loves us and wants us to know Him. So before we even open the Bible or start talking about religion, what can human reason alone- without faith- tell us about our Creator?

Nearly all scientists and serious thinkers- religious and non-religious alike- agree on two main points: 1) our universe had a beginning; and 2) something created the universe. I think these two ideas are a wonderful starting point when explaining our Christian belief in God because they do not require faith and can be understood through reason alone. 

Even most educated non-believers agree that “something” certainly created the universe though it is impossible for humans to know who or what it was. But Christians disagree. As Christians, we believe we can know a great deal about our creator not only from faith but through reason.

Since the universe had a beginning and was created, we know someone- or something- must have existed before the universe and then created it. Christians call this someone or something God.

There is no other explanation for our universe. Something created it from nothing. In order to have created the universe from nothing, this Ultimate Cause- God- must have certain attributes. If the Ultimate Cause does not possess all of these attributes, then it is not the Ultimate Cause- and not God.

God Creating the Sun, the Moon and the Stars by Jan Brueghel the Younger

Unlike everything else in our universe, God does not need a cause for His existence because God is existence itself and His existence explains the existence of all other things. Nothing existed before God except God who not only continues to exist but holds all things in existence.

If I were going to discuss the necessary attributes of God (ie. the Ultimate Cause of the universe) then I would start with something everyone knows (or thinks they know): time. Of course, time is immaterial and exists only as an abstract concept, a tool we use to measure change. If the universe has a beginning (which it does) then this means there was a time when the universe did not exist. So, what was there before the universe? If we say nothing existed before the universe, then what started the universe? Nothing cannot start something so that answer is insufficient. However, if we say something existed before the universe and this something started the universe, then we are on solid scientific and philosophical ground since we know everything has a cause and the cause of our universe has an explanation: something else caused it.

But then we are still left with the problem of how to explain the existence of the Ultimate Cause: where did it come from and how old is it? The answer is- and must be- it did not come from anywhere and is not subject to change (time) because it has always existed and continues to exist, unchanged, outside the limitations of what we call time.

Because the Ultimate Cause of the universe is uncaused and created what we call time and space, it could not be affected by those things and would thus be timeless and immaterial. Unlike our material universe, which had a beginning and continues to change and expand, the Ultimate Cause has always existed, is changeless, and is existence itself- the very existence in which we are living at this very moment. This is what we mean when we say the Ultimate Cause- God- is eternal. 

The Ultimate Cause of the universe- God- must be eternal because if He had a beginning then He would not be the primary cause of existence but a creature subject to change (time) and the result of some other previous cause. God must also be spirit because if He were material then- like all materials things- He would have limits and be subject to something else and not the Ultimate Cause of all things. God is not a creature, after all, but the Creator of all things.

We must concentrate upon the concept of eternity; it brings us deep into the meaning of God. You and I and all men are in time: which means that we are never at any moment the whole of ourself. What we were last year, what we will be next year, all belongs to our total being; but last year has gone and next year has not arrived. There never is a moment when we are all there. We possess our being, the philosophers say, successively. Not so God. All that He is, He possesses in one single act of being. Eternity does not mean everlasting time, time open at both ends, so that however far you go back into the past there is no beginning, however you far you go forward into the future there is no end. Eternity is not time at all. It is God’s total possession of Himself.

Infinity, omnipresence, eternity- these are rich and rewarding concepts, but we should not stay with them too long a time without returning to the Gospels to meet the living God. Christ is there for us, “Whom,” as St. John says at the opening of his first Epistle, “we have seen with our eyes, whom we have looked upon, whom our hands have handled.” The Infinite we are studying is the same Infinite whom we meet in the Gospels, the same Infinite we receive in the Blessed Eucharist. 1

The Last Supper by Joos van Cleve

V. Conclusion

To say our universe was self-created or just appeared from nowhere is contrary to science and perhaps the greatest wishful thinking there is. Like all material things, we know our universe had a beginning which means something created it (ie. ignited the spark that caused the Big Bang from which our universe continues to expand). It is self-evident that the Ultimate Cause of the universe must be outside it, not subject to it, and has therefore always existed. The Ultimate Cause, then, must be immaterial, or spiritual, which means it is not only without parts and limitations but also has the power to create something from nothing which means it can do anything (including turning water into wine).

Christianity (as well as Judaism and Islam) believes in an all-powerful, infinite spirit God, a belief that is in harmony with what science and reason tell us about what the Ultimate Cause of our universe must be. There is much more to say about this, of course (including why God created the universe as well as our part in the love story), but clearly Catholics’ belief in God is not contrary to reason for it reasonably explains without any delusion how and why we (and our universe) exist. What’s your explanation?

Pope John Paul II

____________________________
1 Frank Sheed, Theology for Beginners (Brooklyn, NY : Angelico Press, reprint edition 2011)

Recommended Links:

Belief in God – Part 1

Faith and Reason

Spirit, Matter, and the Spirituality of the Human Soul

Rock Grab Bag IX

I know I’m growing older when the average age of my favorite rock songs is 45 years old! Through the years, rock has often served as my rock not only during tough and changing times but also when simply working, driving, and recreating. Good rock stands the test of time (is “Born to Be Wild” the greatest rock song ever or what?) though sadly I don’t think they are making any more of it so hold onto what you got, throw it in a bag, and rock on! Here are some of my favorite rock songs including classic rock, hard rock, lite rock, and singer-songwriter. It’s another rock grab bag, people (quarantine edition). Enjoy!

Van Halen

01. The Beatles – “Revolution” (1968)

02. Paul Simon – “Mother and Child Reunion” (1972)

03. Journey – "Lights" (1978)

04. Steppenwolf – “Born to Be Wild” (1968)

05. The Kinks – “You Really Got Me” (1964)

06. Classics IV – “Traces” (1969)

07. The Beatles – “Bad Boy” (1965)

08. Fleetwood Mac – “Landslide” (1975)

09. Elton John – “Little Jeannie” (1980)

10. Looking Glass – “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” (1972)

11. Hinder – “Lips of an Angel” (2005)

12. The Beatles – “Let It Be” (1970)

13. Van Halen – “Hot for Teacher” (1984)

14. The Original Caste – “One Tin Soldier” (1969) 

15. Dr. Hook – “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” (1978)

16. Alice Cooper – “Caught in a Dream” (1971)

17. Bob Dylan – “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (1965)

18. Bread – “If” (1971)

19. Gordon Lightfoot – “Christian Island (Georgian Bay)” (1972)

20. Joan Osborne – “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” (2017)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

Alternative Grab Bag VII

Having just returned to the United States a few weeks ago after two years in the Middle East, my family and I are currently enjoying the cool September weather and lush greenery of Northern Virginia. Like other parts of the planet right now, things here are a bit strange due to the global pandemic (and I am still confused why America leads the world in COVID-19 deaths). While it feels like fall (my favorite season) is just around the corner, we will soon be on our way to the Caribbean and so will miss the changing of the leaves and Halloween. When feeling out of sorts or dealing with mixed emotions, I have often found alternative music can be just what the doctor ordered. Here are some of my alternative favorites including punk, new wave, baroque pop, emo/hardcore, and indie/alternative. Enjoy!

Lee Hazlewood

01. Sarah McLachlan – “Answer (Live)” (2003)

02. Jonathan Richman – “Vincent Van Gogh” (2004)

03. New Order – “Be a Rebel” (2020)

04. Scott Walker – “30 Century Man” (1969)

05. American Music Club – “Johnny Mathis’ Feet” (1993)

06. Scott Walker – “Montague Terrace (In Blue)” (1967)

07. Bat for Lashes – “The Boys of Summer (Live)” (2019)

08. Lou Reed – “The Day John Kennedy Died” (1982)

09. Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers – “New England” (1976)

10. Beck – “The Golden Age” (2002)

11. Scott Walker – “Mathilde” (1967)

12. John Cale – “Andalucia” (1973)

13. Lee Hazlewood – “Your Sweet Love” (1966)

14. The Divine Comedy – “Our Mutual Friend” (2004)

15. The Dead Milkmen – “Born to Love Volcanos” (1988)

16. Fugazi – “Burning Too” (1989)
17. Fugazi – “Do You Like Me” (1995)
18. The Divine Comedy – “When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe” (1994)

19. Haircut 100 – “Lemon Firebrigade” (1982)

20. Fugazi – “Public Witness Program” (1993)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

Recommended Links:

Fugazi – “Public Witness Program”

Garage Freaks! III

The word “barbarian” comes to us from the ancient Greeks who used it disparagingly to describe foreigners whose languages to Greek ears sounded like gibberish (“bar bar bar bar bar”). While it’s easy to dismiss ‘60s garage rock as America’s primitive response to the British Invasion, there is much more to garage rock than just an aped, barbarian approach to music. There was, for example, a thin line between American garage rock and psychedelic music and in both forms one can hear the roots of hard rock, punk, metal, and hardcore. And while garage rock was mostly an American affair, let us not forget the outstanding contributions of the Troggs (from England) who gave the world “Wild Thing”.

Steppenwolf

What ‘60s garage rockers lacked in musical talent and sophistication they more than made up for with attitude and menace. There is nothing new under the sun. If you played for some bored teenagers in ancient Rome the first seven albums of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and then gave them drums and electric guitars, the music those Latin teens would produce (toga rock?) would sound a lot like garage rock (and their parents would then complain about all the noise and long hair). Here are some of my favorite garage rock pioneers songs including some that straddle the thin, fuzzy line between garage rock and psychedelic music (but don't call these proto-punks hippies!) Enjoy!

The Gants

01. The Electric Prunes – “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” (1967)
02. Count Five – “Psychotic Reaction (Rarities Version)” (1966)
03. The Sonics – “Strychnine” (1965)
04. The Troggs – “Give It to Me” (1967)
05. The Balloon Farm – “A Question of Temperature” (1967)
06. The Seeds – “Pushin’ Too Hard” (1965)
07. Bob Seger and the Last Heard – “Heavy Music – Pt. 1” (1967)
08. The Chocolate Watchband – “Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love-In)” (1967)
09. Bob Seger and the Last Heard – “East Side Story” (1966)
10. The Chocolate Watchband – “Baby Blue” (1968)
11. Steppenwolf – “Born to Be Wild” (1968)
12. The Gants – “My Baby Don’t Care” (1965)
13. The Music Explosion – “Little Bit O’ Soul” (1967)
14. The Savage Resurrection – “Thing in E” (1968)
15. The Gants – “I Wonder” (1967)
16. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” (1969)

17. Los Bravos – “Bring a Little Lovin’” (1968)

18. The 13th Floor Elevators – “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (1966)

19. Love – “7 and 7 Is” (1966)

20. Love – “No Matter What You Do” (1966)

21. The Brogues – “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker” (1965)

22. Blues Magoos – “One by One” (1966)

23. The Chocolate Watchband – “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” (1968)

24. The Castaways - “Liar, Liar” (1965)

25. The Electric Prunes – “Get Me to the World on Time” (1967)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

... or check out the playlist on YouTube

(To open music in separate window, click title bar at top of video box)

Bubblegum!

Though I was born during the tail end of the bubblegum music phenomenon, as a child I was well-schooled in bubblegum thanks to TV reruns. Whether it was live action made-for-TV bands like the Monkees, the Partridge Family, and the Brady Bunch, or cartoon bands like the Impossibles, Josie and the Pussycats, and the Groovie Goolies, I ate it all up like sugary breakfast cereal. Like junk food, bubblegum music was aimed at children and had no real value but sure was fun and wasn’t all bad. In fact, bubblegum helped ease preteens like me into so-called adult music and introduced us to grown up themes. The best of bubblegum knew how to grab its kid listeners and even got parents tapping their feet (and trying to get those catchy songs out of their heads). Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

The Monkees

01. The Monkees – “Sometime in the Morning” (1967)
02. The Monkees – “Shades of Gray” (1967)
03. The Monkees – “Daydream Believer” (1967)
04. The Royal Guardsmen – “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron” (1966)
05. The Archies – “Sugar, Sugar” (1969)
06. The Partridge Family – “I Woke Up in Love This Morning” (1971)
07. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Just Like Me” (1965)
08. The Peppermint Rainbow – “And I’ll Be There” (1969)
09. Josie and the Pussycats – “Josie and the Pussycats” (1970)
10. The Jackson 5 – “ABC” (1970)
11. The Partridge Family – “Come on Get Happy” (1971)
12. Blue Swede – “Hooked on a Feeling” (1973)
13. The Monkees – “The Door into Summer (Live)” (2019)
14. Davy Jones – “Girl” (1971)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

Recommended Links:

Josie and the Pussycats

The Monkees – “Sometime in the Morning”

Let It Rock II

Around the turn of the century, I went through an Elvis Presley phase (many consider Elvis to be the artist of the century) and at that time I was drawn less to Presley’s gritty, countrified ‘50s sound (as exciting as that can be) and more to the smoothness and bombast of his ‘60s and even ‘70s periods. Any number of influential ‘50s rock & roll artists (most if not all of them were from the South) could have claimed the title “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” but Presley grabbed it, owns it, and no one can ever take it away from him. Here are some of my favorite songs by ‘50s rock & roll artists, including the King. Enjoy!

Elvis Presley

01. Elvis Presley – “Long Legged Girl (With the Short Dress On)” (1967)

02. The Crickets – “It’s So Easy” (1958)

03. Elvis Presley – “Do the Clam” (1965)

04. Ben E. King and the Drifters – “This Magic Moment” (1960)

05. Chuck Berry – “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956)

06. The Drifters – “Let the Music Play” (1964)

07. Roy Orbison – “You Got It” (1989)

08. The Everly Brothers – “When Will I Be Loved” (1960)

09. The Drifters – “Under the Boardwalk” (1964)

10. Elvis Presley – “Good Rockin’ Tonight” (1959)

11. Carl Perkins – “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956)

12. Chuck Berry – “Sweet Little Sixteen” (1958)

13. Elvis Presley – “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

 

Recommended Links:

Elvis Presley – “Always on My Mind” 

What HBO's Vinyl Got Wrong About Elvis 

Blue Jean Rock Poets V – Part 2

While no longer as popular as it was during its golden age in the ‘70s, singer-songwriter music carries on. Big name artists like Sting, Sheryl Crow, and Sarah McLachlan have done what they could over the years to keep singer-songwriter music relevant, and Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Gordon Lightfoot are still alive and kicking. But how can a new generation with a limited attention span ever begin to discover the magic of singer-songwriters? One result of the current global pandemic has been people forced to stay home. Maybe now is the time when people are rediscovering the great singer-songwriter music and this will lead to a musical renaissance. I can dream. Here are more of my favorites. Enjoy!

Gordon Lightfoot

01. Gordon Lightfoot – “Miguel” (1971)
02. John Phillips – “Mississippi” (1970)
03. Bob Dylan – “Shooting Star (Live)” (1994)
04. Yusuf / Cat Stevens – “All Kinds of Roses” (2009)
05. Dar Williams – “Fm Radio” (2015)
06. Gordon Lightfoot – “Same Old Loverman” (1971)
07. Al Stewart – “A Small Fruit Song” (1970)
08. Al Stewart – “Bedsitter Images” (1967)
09. Randy Newman – “Birmingham” (1974)
10. Gordon Lightfoot – “Ring Them Bells” (1993)
11. Judy Collins – “Since You Asked” (1967)
12. Bob Dylan – “Murder Most Foul” (2020)
13. Paul Simon feat. Phoebe Snow & The Jessy Dixon Singers – “Gone at Last” (1975)
14. Gordon Lightfoot – “Talking in Your Sleep” (1971)
15. Sarah McLachlan – “Answer (Live)” (2003)
16. Eva Cassidy – “Fields of Gold” (1998)

Sarah McLachlan

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

Recommended Links:

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