Man, the Religious Animal

"Are human beings naturally religious?"  This is a question often invoked when debating issues of religion.  For secularists and non-religious pointing to disparaties in the religiosity of peoples throughout the world and in different cultures religion is merely a social construct which if anything goes against natural inclinations.  Other evidence, such as the survival and prevalance of religion even in states which attempt to repress and extinguish it such as China.

University of Notre Dame's sociology professor, Christian Smith, takes a stab at this question in his article in First Things "Man the Religious Animal".  Smith starts off by re-evaluating what is often meant by "nature". " We need instead to take a realist approach, which observes that everything that exists in reality possesses distinctive characteristics and capacities by virtue of its particular ontological makeup."  In line with this view of nature, Smith goes on to argue that "human beings are naturally religious when by that we mean that they possess, by virtue of their given ontological being, a complex set of innate features, capacities, powers, limitations, and tendencies that give them the capacity to think, perceive, feel, imagine, desire, and act religiously and that under the right conditions tend to predispose and direct them toward religion." These innate characteristics in human nature include the tendency to belief more than can be proved, the desire to recognize and solve problems, the existential condition, and the human need to make "strong evaluations".  This has many implications.  These tendencies that tend to draw individuals to religion does not necessarily signal a great revival of religious practices, but it does make the possibility of complete secularization highly improbable. 

Read Christian Smith's full article in First Things.

Media training for lay Catholics

Catholic Voices USA is running a new training program for faithful lay Catholics who want to prepare themselves to speak to the media about Catholic issues. Journalist Kathryn Jean Lopez is part of the training team. You can find the application for the program here. They welcome applications from baptized Catholics under age 45 who can commit to regular press briefings, media training, and spiritual development. They especially welcome applications from the New York area.

Easter Changes Everything

We just celebrated the greatest day in the liturgical year, yet too often the glory of Easter is not fully appreciated.  The celebration of the Resurrection, highlighting the most essential belief we have as Christians, is often overshadowed by other celebrations such as Christmas that have readily captured the Christian imagination.  In "Easter Changes Everything" George Wiegel highlights how Easter gives significance to our lives and the birth of Jesus by drawing on Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, an Italian biblical scholar's, reflection on the story of Jesus purifying the temple of Jerusalem.

"In cleansing the Temple, Jesus is declaring that God is now present to his people in a new and perfect way and in a new “meeting tent”: the incarnate Son, “the Word … made flesh” who dwells among us, “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He, Jesus, is the new Temple, and to recognize that and live in this new mode of the divine Presence one must “remember,” as St. John writes at the end of the Temple-cleansing story (John 2:22)."

We must celebrate Easter.  It is the power of the resurrection that changed everything, that changed both nature and history.  "As St. Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 15, Easter faith is that conviction on which the entire edifice of Christianity is built."  As we enter the Easter season, let us remember the great mystery of Our Lord and his resurrection returning to an Easter Faith and allowing it to transform us.

To read George Wiegel's reflections visit First Things

Vatican approves new rite of blessing for unborn

This Sunday, March 25, nations across the world celebrated International Day of the Unborn Child.   This celebration follows a very important Catholic feast day, the Feast of the Annunciation.  On this great Feast day, in which our Lady said "Yes" to life and to the will of God, the Vatican approved the publication of the "Rite for the Blessing of a Child in  the Womb".  This blessing will be made available to parishes by Mother's Day, a fitting reminder of the beauty of life and motherhood.  It was developed in response to inquiries for such a blessing.  This blessing further emphasizes beauty of life even in its beginning and  most vulnerable stage in the womb.

To read more about this new blessing visit LifeSiteNews

'Beyond Ignorance and Dogma' by Christian Smith

Notre Dame Sociology Professor Christian Smith gave sociologists who deride religion a dressing down in the most recent issue of the American Sociological Association's journal. In "Beyond Ignorance and Dogma: On Taking Religion Seriously," Prof. Smith says,

"The time has come for American sociology to stop being so ignorant and dogmatic about religion. As someone who knows something about the real history, cultures, and organizations of religious traditions, I am regularly appalled by the illiterate prejudices about religion that are routinely expressed by sociologist colleagues. It is embarrassing for our discipline and galling to those who know better."

Read the full article on page 14 here.

World Down Syndrome Day is Today

The University of Notre Dame community will mark World Down Syndrome Day on Wednesday, March 21, with Mass at 5:15 pm in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, followed by a reception in Remick Commons in Carole Sandner Hall (located behind the Basilica). This gathering, to which all members of the campus and off-campus communities are invited, is in support of persons with Down Syndrome and their families. Sponsorship of the free event is provided by the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) and the Jacques Maritain Center. This March 21 is the seventh anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day but is the first time the day will be officially observed by the United Nations.

Here are two wonderful youtube videos celebrating the blessings the Down Syndrome children bestow on their families:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVxz71ygHbk

http://www.ds-int.org/let-us-in-i-want-to-learn

Bishop Lori responds to America editors

In their March 5 editorial "Policy not Liberty," the editors of America magazine lambasted the American bishops for rejection President Obama's "accommodation" on the HHS mandate as inadequate. Bishop Lori, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, has responded to their editorial. An excerpt:

" Oh, and as Detective Colombo used to say: “Just one more thing.” It’s the comment in the editorial about when we bishops are at our best. Evidently, it’s when we speak generalities softly and go along to get along, even though for the first time in history the federal government is forcing church entities to provide for things that contradict church teaching. Maybe Moses wasn’t at his best when he confronted Pharaoh. Maybe the Good Shepherd was a bit off his game when he confronted the rulers of his day.

But those are just details." 

Read his full piece here.

" Oh, and as Detective Colombo used to say: “Just one more thing.” It’s the comment in the editorial about when we bishops are at our best. Evidently, it’s when we speak generalities softly and go along to get along, even though for the first time in history the federal government is forcing church entities to provide for things that contradict church teaching. Maybe Moses wasn’t at his best when he confronted Pharaoh. Maybe the Good Shepherd was a bit off his game when he confronted the rulers of his day.

But those are just details."