Since I am rather new to this group, I am wondering whether what follows
is a new topic or an old topic for this group?

One of the reasons why I admire Cardinal Ratzinger is that he is a
brilliant theistic theologian. By theism, I mean the idea that God is the
Supreme Being who exists independently of the physical universe and
created the physical universe out of nothing.

Theism was the universal way of conceiving of God in the West up to the
Enlightenment.

Clearly, both the Old and New Testaments are based on theism. Theism has,
for several centuries, been challenged by nonthesism which simply denies
that God exists independently of the physical universe. Nontheism should
be distinguished from atheism, which simply denies that there is any God.
Nontheists can still talk about God and profess belief in God, but it is
not the theistic God that they are talking about. Theism can be described
and formulated fairly briefly and concisely, but this means that it can be
easily attacked by nontheists. What unites nontheists is not what they
believe but what they don't believe. What they do believe about God can
vary all over the place. It could be "ultimate reality" or "the ground of
being" or it could even be the "force" of the popular Star Wars movies.
All these nontheistic formulations deny the supernatural, the existence of
any nature independent of physical nature. C. S. Lewis wrote a book called
Miracles which explained quite well the
difference between the naturalist and supernaturalist viewpoints.

In the books I have read by Cardinal Ratzinger, I do not recall him
talking explicitly about theism, but he does seem to assume it as a given.
Since the Catholic Faith is a theistic faith, it is his duty to uphold it,
which he certainly has done. However, Cardinal Ratzinger has many
opponents even within the Roman Catholic Church. I believe that his
opponents and the general dissent within the Church is rooted in
nontheism. While atheism and nontheism differ over their use of the word
"God", they are virtually identical in their practical results. For
example, ethical relativism follows logically from nontheism and also from
atheism. Theologians who do not distinguish uncreated Being (God) from
created being (us), will see us as being morally autonomous. Liturgies
which focus on ourselves rather than God, I believe are also nontheistic.
Secular spiritualities which focus on the world rather than on God seem
also to be ultimately nontheistic. Also, the authority of the Magisterium
of
the Church does not fit in well with nontheism. Nontheists would tend to
see the authority of the Pope and bishops coming from below rather than
above.

Dissenting theologians, however, do not readily admit to nontheism. I once
attended a talk by a theologian whose nontheism was fairly apparent from
his writings. I asked him if God would still exist if the universe were
completely destroyed. He did not answer the question, but he made the
comment that many other theologians think like he does, but they are not
as open or honest about it. Nontheistic theologians usually do not reveal
their nontheism with their words. They do reveal where they are coming
from by what they emphasize or de-emphasize. I suspect that those who
oppose Eucharistic Adoration ultimately come from a nontheistic outlook.
Mel Gibson's Passion is based on the traditional teaching that Jesus
Christ died for our sins. Those who are nontheists, will not see much
value in the movie since the Redemption does not fit well with nontheism.
For nontheists, sin is not an offense against the Supreme Being.

This "hidden nontheism" has worked great mischief on ordinary Catholics.
Most are still theists in theory but are nontheists in practice because
nontheism is in the air of secular society and this air has penetrated
deeply into the Church. The wide acceptance among Catholics of abortion,
contraception, and premarital sex are the fruits of the moral relativism
which derives from nontheism. Many within the Church have supported rather
than opposed this penetration of nontheism. Fortunately, Pope John Paul
II, Cardinal Ratzinger, and many others right down to the local level have
recognized the problem. They are attacking the "Gates of Hell" and those
gates will not prevail.

I would like to see a specifically theistic sentence or phrase inserted
into the creed which is recited at Mass. It should be something which the
nontheists could not recite without being hypocrites. Just as the Nicene
Creed was aimed at the Arians of the early century of the Church,
something should be aimed at the nontheists of the present. In truth, I do
not see anything like this happening because the nontheists are extremely
strong in the Church and can easily block such a move.

Thank you to any of you who have gotten this far in this rather lengthy
post.

Pax et Bonum

Jim Nugent

# posted by Squach : 2:48 PM   |