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November 12, 2005
Must We Believe in Miracles?
This seems like an odd question for this blog to answer, so to explain I’ll quickly relate my experiences over the last week. At our parish, those who intend to teach religion at home are required to attend basic Catechist classes beforehand (there are two of them). The first one was last week and, among other things, we learned:
- Mary was not really a Virgin (Joseph was probably Jesus’ father)
- The Bible is wrong on many things including the birthplace of Christ, how he was condemned, and the reality of original sin
- Original Sin is an error invented by St. Augustine that has hurt the Church’s viewpoint since then
- The Resurrection wasn’t a literal resurrection; we just know that Jesus had a relationship with the disciples after His death
- Those healed by Jesus weren’t really possessed, but just had some sort of psychological disease
- And the current faddish interpretation of Scripture: the miracle of the loaves was really just a miracle of sharing
Needless to say I sat stunned. And upon leaving the parish I contacted the priest as well as the head of Religious Education for our Archdiocese.
But what fascinated me was the common thread among these errors: the belief that miracles don’t exist. All of these are essentially ways to keep the general nature of religious belief without accepting the miraculous as a reality. Is this possible?
The short answer is no. In order to be Catholic we must accept the reality of miracles. For starters, much of our dogma requires it. To be Catholic means to accept the virgin birth of Christ as well as the perpetual virginity of Mary and the Resurrection as historical fact. Every week in Mass we repeat the Creed and assent to the statements within it. Furthermore, and this bothers me the most, if we don’t believe in the miraculous, how can we believe in the Eucharist?
The central tenant of our faith requires us to believe that Jesus – in a miracle that occurs every Sunday at every mass around the world – becomes present body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist. We are not accepting bread that is symbolic of Jesus, this is the great protestant error, we are accepting Christ himself. This miracle is far greater than any other miracle of Scripture. It is the gift of God to us in a real, physical way.
To not believe in miracles does not require faith. To believe Jesus was just a man who taught great things is a fallacy and betrays ignorance of what Christ taught. Jesus was either the Son of God enfleshed or he was a lunatic. There is no middle ground. We believe or we don’t. It’s that simple.
And the first miracle I’m praying for these days is that our director of religious education regains his faith. Pray for him . . . and me.
God bless,
Jay
Posted by jay at November 12, 2005 09:12 AM
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» Catholic Carnival LV: Quotations, Part Deux from Ramblings of a GOP Soccer Mom
Living Catholicism is hosting the Catholic Carnival again! Step up and get your tickets...you won't want to miss this week's topics, including NFP, science and faith, the authority of the Church, husbands, the Bride, and miracles.
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Tracked on November 16, 2005 12:34 PM
Comments
(a) I hope your Religious Ed director returns to his faith. In the meantime, your parish needs to find a new one NOW. That's the sort of modernist attitude that has destroyed the Episcopal Church in the west. Run away!
(b) I am surprised, in that most of the exponents of these views that I run into are people my age (50's) or older. It is a very 60's sort of attitude. Nobody else in the history of mankind would ever think it worth recording in all four biographies of a prophet that He got people to sharte their lunches.
(c) Hang in there!
Posted by: The Waffling Anglican at November 12, 2005 01:03 PM
This is the attitude that I am hopeful that Pope Benedict squashes. This lieing attitude is one of the devices that satan has used in damaging the reputation of the Catholic church. I find it very disheatening to hear this attitude and lie being spread by people of authority in the church, it damages the church as a community and as a whole.
I will keep you and your parish in prayer and will pray for this situation at my prayer service on Thursday.
I would also petition your bishop with information, if this person is hired, than they should be fired, and if they are a volunteer, than dismiss them.
Keep your faith up.
In Christ
Posted by: Kurt at November 14, 2005 07:32 PM
