Eighteenth of Year C
August 2010
Religion must deal with reality. Must throw light and understanding on reality. Must be in line with basic human reason or basic human way of thinking.
The first requirement of anything is that it exist in accordance with its nature.
For example the first requirement of a rock is that it exist as a rock. Of a lake, that it exist as a lake.
Coming to living things, the first requirement is that it exist as a living thing consistent with its particular genus and species.
For example a tree must exist as a tree, an elephant must exist as an elephant, a dog as a dog.
When a thing does not exist in accordance with its nature it is often ostracised by its own species or even attacked and destroyed as can happen to an animal that is coloured in a markedly different way to others of its species. Or young, who for some reason loses its familiar scent, will often be abandoned and even eaten by the parent.
For human beings, this universal rule is of even greater importance.
Human beings are the only things that exist which can decide freely not to exist in accordance with their nature. A human being alone can decide to ignore its inbuilt code of existence or conduct. It can decide to live at variance with its nature.
This is why we need police forces and courts and jails.
Irrespective of our code of belief, irrespective of whether we are theists or atheists, we know instinctively that certain conduct is against the laws of our human nature or in accord with the laws of our human nature.
In other words as human beings we recognise some conduct as right and some conduct as wrong. We also recognise that human beings are responsible and accountable for their conduct.
This is all very obvious to any right thinking human being. If it is not, then one is emotionally or mentally seriously handicapped or has freely chosen to live in conflict with their human nature.
So all the above being true who needs religion? Who needs God?
All right religion emphasises the requirements and demands which our human nature imposes on us. It gives us a greater understanding as to why our human nature makes these demands on us and it gives us many very good reasons as to why we should live in accordance with these demands.
In short it introduces a Supreme Being. A creator. God.
It tells me where I came from. It tells me how and why I came into being. It clearly enunciates how I should live now, and gives me hope for the future.
It brings a completely new dimension to my life.
It teaches me that what is visible, what is tangible is a guide to what is not visible, not tangible.
It brings the spiritual dimension into my life.
It frees me from the narrow assumption that my existence is encompassed by the words birth, life and death and introduces me to the concept that my existence is about life, death and resurrection.
A strong faith and belief in all the above is adequate for most of us and enables us to form a growing relationship with our God. For the few chosen ones God grants a further gift. It enables them to fall in love with God.
The very idea of this scares me and I am quite happy as things stand.