Dear friends!
In some European countries we are currently witnessing marketing campaigns for a life without God, for a society without God. Despite the media hype that they provoke: Most of the results of these campaigns are only worth a smile. God¹s arm reaches further than commercials on buses in Madrid or London.
In other cases, however, the tendency to exclude the question of god from public discourse is disturbing, in some cases alarming. Parts of the scientific community and large portions of the semi-scientific media are seemingly denying Christians¹ freedom of speech.
In the following, please find some thoughts, examples and quotations, which can be useful in the current debate.
Thank you for your support, for spreading our common ideas and values and for praying for a Europe that does not deny its Christian roots.
Your Europe for Christ Team!
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Faith, Reason and Zeitgeist Current Thoughts on an everlasting debate by Barbara Vittucci
"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind." Albert Einstein(1)
At a time in history where media presents a worldview that is increasingly ideologically opposed to (and therefore hostile to) faith in God, it is more important than ever for Christians to have the tools for defending their faith and "the hope that is within them."(2)
If you believe in God you are in the good company of 40% of practicing scientists, says one of the most recognized scientists of our time, Francis Collins. Dr. Collins led the international team of scientists who made history in June of 2000 by announcing they had decoded the entire human genome. Time Magazine called him "the man who cracked the genome". Collins is also a devout Christian and the author of the recent New York Times Bestseller, "The Language of God".
In a special CNN report in 2007 Dr. Collins stated:
"As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God's language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God's plan.
I have found there is a wonderful harmony in the complementary truths of science and faith. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God's majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship."(3)
How encouraging it is to hear Collins speak so openly, clearly and compellingly about the consonance between science and faith.(4) For in our times we are increasingly experiencing a type of censorship called "Political Correctness" which, when used in a way which limits academic freedom in order to further a particular ideology, can and has negatively influenced the objectivity of scientific inquiry. This tendency has another consequence called "Law-making to Further Ideology".
Five Current Examples
1. It is hardly possible to talk about a human's right to life in the mainstream media, when that human is an unborn human. People are put into prison for praying silently in front of abortion clinics. And mainstream media often distort the story to make praying advocates appear to be in the same league with terrorists.
2. It is hardly possible to speak openly about the possibility of change in sexual orientation (even by those who have found such change in their own life) without experiencing severe threats and persecution.(5)
3. To the disadvantage of a great many seeking help, scientific inquiry into the causes and therapy of same-sex attraction has been suppressed because of intimidation tactics from a political lobby.
4. Scientists suffer disadvantages in our days for raising scientific reservations regarding any aspect whatsoever of the tenets of Darwinism.(6)
5. The European Union is currently working on another Anti–Discrimination Directive, which will be a danger to free speech especially regarding sexual behaviour.(7) A shift of the burden of proof to the one accused of discriminatory behaviour will foster that danger.
When we look back at history we are often most impressed by those who saw through deceptions of the Zeitgeist of their times and, despite the possible negative consequences of slander and persecution, spoke about it clearly. Those who simply "went along with the flow" of the ideology of their times are seen in hindsight as the deceived, the weak or cowardly ones, who betrayed their fellow man. As Bishop Fulton Sheen once so powerfully stated: "Dead bodies float downstream."
So, let us take up the thrilling challenge of our day and enjoy learning more about our faith as well as how to defend it. It is very reasonable and we do not have to be shy. One of the last century´s great thinkers put it down very briefly:
"Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know Himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves."(8) John Paul II
Barbara Vittucci is an American musician living in Vienna.
(1)Barnett, L., "The Universe and Dr. Einstein", New York, London: , Bantom Books, 1974, pages 108-109. (2)1Pe 3:15 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (3) Collins, Francis, "Why this scientist believes in God", CNN.com, April 6, 2007. Editor's note: Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the Human Genome Project. His most recent book is "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief." edition.cnn.com/2007/US/04/03/collins.commentary/index.html (4) See also: "God and the Genome", Lecture at Stanford University, Feb. 2008. In this talk, Dr. Collins discusses the interplay between faith and science, offering challenging and invigorating insight to both Christians and non-Christians alike. video.google.com/videosearch (5) A famous example is the debate around the Italian song “Luca era gay” by Giuseppe Povia (see www.youtube.com) (6) www.dissentfromdarwin.org/index.php Also see: The Case of DDrs. Richard Sternberg of the Smithsonian Institute www.rsternberg.net Also see: U.S. House Subcommittee Report Finds Institutionalized Persecution of Darwin Doubters, www.kolbecenter.org/fishwich.persecution.html Also see: www.discovery.org
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