A Conversation with Peter Kreeft

I was really touched by this interview with Peter Kreeft. Some of you might recognize that name as the author of many of the books that we young adults recommend you to read.

As usual, Kreeft is extremely thoughtful and accessible at the same time. Sure, you might have to set aside 10 minutes to read it, but it's definitely worth it. I love how he doesn't always answer the questions posed to him in its immediacy, but takes time to look behind the assumptions. If you don't have time to read all of it, make sure to check out his response to the questions about cafeteria Catholics, reconciling the Church's teachings with personal beliefs, hook-up culture, and gay marriage.

Richard Dawkins Reads His E-mail

For those of you who don't know, Richard Dawkins is known as one of the "Four Horsemen of Atheism" (along with Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Sam Harris). He's a smart dude and is most recently well known for his book, "The God Delusion," though it was panned for its poor philosophical basis in books such as "The Dawkins Delusion" and "Answering the New Atheism."

Anyhow, I came across this clip of Dawkins reading some hate mail he gets from creationists (which apparently implicitly means all Christians). Obviously, anyone who sends hate mail is most likely going to be on the extreme side and for the clip, I'm sure he chose specific ones. Please be forewarned that there is foul language in the video (some bleeped out, but little left to the imagination) and so if you're sensitive to that sort of thing, you may want to pass on it.



The issue that I'm more interested in is how we, as Christians, should be responding to people like Dawkins or other non-believers who at times can be quite forward in their attack on Christianity. This video is essentially a backhanded smirk to show just how "loving" Christians can be and can be easily used to affirm those who have the mindset of, "See?! Those Christians are all hypocrites. Why on earth would I want to be one of them??" What does it mean for us to love others even when our buttons are being pushed and we're flustered and frustrated?


But church van? I was a little amused.... =P

Since Colin's going around posting other people's work, I'm gonna return the favor and post his response to an email question on purpose of our lives (in response to whether or not evangelization is the purpose) and a response to a conversation about absolute truth in relation to different religions:

I will take this from the Baltimore Catechism (old school catechism we used before the new catechism of the 90s and today).

"God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven."

The idea of evangelization is part of this purpose in that we are called to share God whom we encounter in the person of Christ. But
this flows from this premise of knowing, loving, and serving him. So your answer was good. If the center of one persons faith is
evangelization, well it will eventually dry out because it is no source of life in itself. Rather evangelization flows from
encountering Christ and wanting others to encounter Him as well.

Oooo...I am glad I get to answer before Henry. There is something nice about being 9 hours ahead for once. Jesus Christ fulfills Judaism.
Judaism prepared the way for the full revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Make sense? God basically revealed himself in stages. Moses
sees something of God and receives the commandments and we also have the other prophets who give us part of who God is. Jesus Christ is God
and reveals God in his person, through his words and deeds. So we do not say Jesus came simply to reform Judaism. That is false. Judaism
prepared the way for the coming of Christ. I would not live with the reform idea. :)

I am glad you are questioning what your mom says because she is in a real way, reflecting the modern ideology that all truth is relative
and whatever truth we have is just for us. The diversity of religion does not mean they are all true. Rather we believe and it is true that
there is but ONE truth. All other religions have SOME truth in them but the fullness of truth we find only in the Catholic Church. It may
sound arrogant in todays world but that is the truth. Buddhism has a good sense of morality but they fail to understand that suffering it
not something you simply eliminate from your existence by living a certain way and eliminating desires but rather you encountering in
suffering Christ himself who suffers for us and with us and suffering becomes salvific. Ok totally different topic.

Hmm...maybe you should have listened to my second truth talk...haha. It is confusing but here is the thing, almost every religion claims to
be true and most reject other religions as false. So if you say all religions are true you are in contradiction because they mostly claim
they are true and others are false. But where the Church is different is that not only do we claim to be true but we, as you look through
the teachings of the Church and understand the beauty of it all, we are actually true.

Part of the way to see the Church as true, above and over all other faiths, is to see if it answers the deepest desires of the heart. Does
it satisfy your desire for happiness, for love, for truth, for peace, for beauty, for justice, for mercy and so on? Does it make sense? What
else can answer the questions of suffering and evil in the world without...copping out in a sense? This is also a matter of faith but I
think as you continue to look at your Catholic faith, you will see that it is not something that you were simply born into but a truth
that has been revealed and continues to be revealed to all people and will until the end of time.

If you want I can try to email this talk to you when I am back in Rome...I think it was pretty good when I gave it to a Young Adult
Group...

Ok Henry and Pat...all yours...correct me if necessary...haha
--
Colin