I know that Atheists do not understand faith. To an Atheist to believe in God is foolishness they believe exclusively in reason. Interestingly enough, this is precisely what St. Paul warns in his writings in Romans. However, to me a believer, Atheism makes no sense either. What is more, is that my understanding of evolution, a science that unlike other Christian denominations, we Catholics embrace, (cf Humanis Generis by Pope Pius XII) makes it harder for me to be an Atheist. Atheism just makes no sense to me.

I have heard from atheists who reject the following statement, but logically, I cannot figure another way to say it. In order to be an atheist, one has to believe that he or she can perceive all of reality and in that concept the person does not see God and, therefore, assumes that He does not exist. That is a reasonable assumption under those circumstances, but it begins with an assumption that I cannot accept. Can humans perceive all of reality? If we are not omniscient are we at least able to understanding all things? I cannot except that premise. How can we say with certainty that we can perceive all things.

The bible which is often misused to attack science, does tell us something that science cannot. Where is the origin of evil? Even, if one were not to accept the bible’s explanation on a literal level, it is a more tangible explanation than science has explained so far. Why do we have two people walking down the street, one would help a person who is poor and another would plot to rob a bank? No one can fully understand that question. As people of faith we have some element of an answer. We understand it in the concept of evil and personal choice, their origins, motivations and ends. We also understand evil as turning from all that is good, who is God. St. Augustine described evil as the privation of the good. This means essentially evil is where good is not, just as darkness is where light is not. Evil is not a thing as much as what is left when we turn from the good, just as darkness is not a thing, as much as what is left when we turn from light.

Today, we look at the reading from the Hebrews which discusses the actions of Abraham and Sarah by faith. If I were to describe faith in modern terms it would be that element within us that helps us maneuver through the universe although we have a limited amount of ability to perceive it. Faith helps us to make up for what we cannot comprehend on our own. We live by faith, because it is through faith that we can understand the universe at a deeper level than we can by sight. We cannot see God, but we believe in Him and that helps us to understand our universe better than if we totally reject God. Why? Throughout the bible we can see the simple answer. Science can teach us knowledge which is essential, faith teaches us wisdom which is more essential. We need both, but if we live with just knowledge without any wisdom, we are living in a form of ignorance.

Jesus came to teach a deep form of wisdom that we call truth. We, as a humanity, had  grown to the point that we could begin to grasp this wisdom more deeply and He as God incarnate came to teach it and then acted on it to save us from our sins. If you want to fully understand why Jesus was put to death, it was because those who were in power did not comprehend that wisdom. Remember the famous words of Pilate spoken dismissively to Jesus: “What is truth?”

Our grasp of faith does not give us unlimited understanding but opens the door to that wisdom that we call truth. Those who reject that faith, may grasp scientific truth, which is good, but they grasp it without that wisdom which helps us understand our reality in a far deeper level than the materialistic concepts that surround us. If you have faith and are humble in accepting this gift here as Catholics you grasp a reality at a deeper level than those who embrace the atheistic concept of reality. You can understand what cannot be perceived by the human senses and you have been called to act on that understanding. This, as in the case of Jesus, will always put you at odds with those who can only understand at a materialistic level.

This is why we have a clash of cultures and this is why our faith specifically, which is the Catholic faith, is the one most attacked in this clash of cultures.

Our faith gives us an understanding that those who reject faith can never comprehend; just as science gives us a knowledge that those who reject science will never comprehend. We as Catholics understand that in Christ we have a calling to seek both the knowledge of science and use that knowledge in association with wisdom we draw from the faith we have as a gift through the Holy Spirit.

God bless you,

Fr. Robert J Carr
Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community (Canção Nova). He is the pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA and is the editor of this blog.

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all Canção Nova except Middle top which is from Velkol via bigstockphoto.com