"Challenges to Faith" Journal
In this section, there were three challenges to Faith: The Attack from Atheism, The Challenge of Science, and The Power of Dehumanization. The main thing that I learned about Atheism was that there are many different types of Atheism. Hobbes believed that humans only acted out of self-interest, that morality is up to the individual, and that humans can gain knowledge of the universe using reason. Nietzsche believed that "life is what you make of it", humans choose what they think is right, and eventually humans will evolve into super-beings. St Ignatius of Loyola believed in God, that everyone is destined to be with God, and that there is a definite right and wrong. The main thing I learned from the challenges of science section was that science and faith can co-exist through the journey of unreflective unity, reflective disunity, and reflective unity. I learned about the Power of Dehumanization mainly through movies. It is our desire to be cool and fit in, often influenced by commercials and the media. If we are looking to grow and improve in our faith, we must learn to overcome the Attack from Atheism, The Challenge of Science, and the Power of Dehumanization.
Two Things I Want to Remember:
The movie about Fr. Kavanaugh and "The Merchants of Cool" was an eye opener for me. Everything that this movie suggested was very true whether we want to believe it or not. Many aspects of our lives are dominated by advertisements and the media which prohibit us from thinking and purchasing what we truly believe in. As a teenager, I realize that I am overwhelmed with advertisements and commercials. Previous to seeing these movies, I think that I had fallen into the trap imposed on me by these companies and was easily swayed into buying their products. After watching "The Merchants of Cool" I am much more aware of my tendency to give in and am now able to form my own decisions on what I think is morally right.
Another thing that really struck me in "The Challenges to Faith" section was the idea that science and theology can coexist in one another. I often have trouble believing in what the bible is saying because of the way science contradicts the truth within it. I think that the book explained the journey of the Church in a clear and contextual manner with the terms unreflective unity, reflective disunity, and reflective unity. Often times I lean toward thinking that science is ultimately correct because it exemplifies truth. I need to remember that there are somethings that we need to just have faith in. My faith in the bible will definetely mature if I can remember that the relationship between science and Faith is a growing procces.
The Biggest Challenge to My Faith:
For me, both here and now, the greatest challenge to my faith is society. Everytime I turn a corner it seems like society is offering some type of temptation or quick fix to a problem in my life. And in today's world, anything that makes the busyness seem lighter and the stress seem less sounds great. In today's world it is easy to totally disregard religion as something that is foolish and a waste of time and unreasonable. Immediate gratification seems very evident in today's television shows. "The Hills" and "A Shot at Love" , to name a few, are two shows that convey messages of premarital sex, drugs and alcohol, and that money is everything. Even though deep down I know these values are wrong, it is hard to rid myself of them because the Church does not have any commercials or tv shows to gear my mind toward Church values. I understand that going to Church is the greatest commercial the Church offers but after being pounded over and over with "cool commercials" it is hard to not think of what society is offering me.
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