My intention, as I have said in the introduction, is to help us Catholics understand our faith in such a way that, when we are attacked by non-Catholics, we need not fear and run away, nor counter-attack them with anger. We need only to explain intelligently to them what we are, i.e. what we believe and why we believe in it. This sharing with them of what we are in no way implies that we are incapable of listening to them or even of learning from them. When we are able to tell others in an intelligent way what we are, we will not feel threatened. It is in fact insecurity that makes people react negatively to others - either by running away or by counter-attacking with anger (fanaticism).
Religious fanaticism is the fruit of insecurity in one form or another. Because it springs from insecurity, it becomes destructive. Fanatics go all out to destroy others who hold views different from them because they cannot live in peace with the feeling of being threatened. Hence, they must kill, at least, the views that threatened them. The consequences of this attitude is obvious. It breeds conflict and strife. It becomes a curse to society. Fanatics have failed or refused to understand that it is impossible to make every intelligent person believe in what they believe.
This even true among adherents of the same faith. This is why we have different interpretations within the same faith. Sometimes, this has erupted into religious wars. Refusal to accept this reality has led many religious fanatics to destroy the very community of believers that they have set out to build. Religious fanaticism is a cancer not only of that very religious community but also of the whole society.
Therefore, this book [Straight to Catholics] is written not to produce fanatics. It is written to help Catholics, feel secure in what they believe. Not feeling threatened, they can then be open to dialogue with non-Catholics.
A broad mind (intelligence) to understand and a humble heart to accept as an equal partner in dialogue can only come about when a person is secure in being what he is: a person who knows what and why he believes in what he believes.
A common objection to dialogue is the usual retort: "If I believe I have the truth and am happy with it, why it must I listen to and learn from others?" This attitude is revealing in its ignorance and complacency. No one has the whole truth. The Universe or Total Reality is so rich that it cannot be captured by any one system or even all the systems of thought. Infinity cannot be contained in any one finite or all the "finitenesses." Human thinking is finite. Each system of perception throws some light on the Total Reality. Thus, every-world view can enrich another world-views in its perception of the Total Reality. At the same time, not every aspects of the different world-views complements the others. There are contradictory elements in the different perceptions.
Which, then, according to a person's reasoning, is the more correct understanding of the Total Reality? Ever person must make the choice if he or she wants to grow in understanding as a person. In other words, for all practical purposes, a human person must choose a world-view which he thinks is most coherent and intelligent to him and which helps him live a more meaningful life. To run away from making a choice is to run away from being human. Choice is an imperative for human maturity. On the other hand, since human understanding, like all living things, is ever growing, it should not be closed to more learning. To say that one has the whole truth and cannot learn anymore, can only mean that one is dead intellectually. Death cannot learn anymore. In brief, although a human being must choose a world-view, he need not be closed to learning more from others who have chosen other world-views.
Therefore, having given the reasons why I have chosen the Catholics world-view (having explained certain aspects of the Catholic belief which have been attacked) I would like to demonstrate that the same Catholic world-view does not cut Catholics off from listening to or even learning from others.
Dialogue is an essential element in our world-view.
The word dialogue comes from Greek composite word dialegein. Legein signifies "to speak"; dia implies a rapport. Therefore, dialegein the technique or art of debate, of interchange of ideas through words. But now, this word is being used very loosely. It can signify any kind of mutual exchange. Here, in this chapter, dialogue is used in its loose sense, depending on the context in which it is found.
Philosophical Considerations - [Some parts of this section is a repetition of certain parts in chapter 1. I have thought it is wise to recapitulate it for clarity of argument]
Man being immersed in matter, as I have explained in chapter 1, is born with five sense - senses of sight, touch, taste, hearing and smell - so that he can respond to external stimuli, be it from an inanimate object, an animal, a human person or an event. Man's faculties of reception of stimuli and his power to respond to them is the basis of all his relationships with the world outside. Obviously then, Man is made to interact with the world outside him. This interaction is dialogue. Man by nature is dialogue.
The problem of human communication does not lie in this fact but in the proper reception of and proportionate response to stimuli. The proper reception and proportionate response depend on two factors, one of which determines them and the other conditions them.
1 ) Because Man depends on his five sense
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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