“Challenges to Faith”

1. What is one key idea in this chapter?

The main, key, idea in this chapter where the three challenges to Faith: The attack from Atheism, The Challenge of Science, and The Power of Dehumanization. I learned that there is not just one specific type of atheism, there are many different types. Hobbes based his atheism of the belief that there is nothing beyond physical matter, denied objective morality and believed in relative morality, and believed that humans acted out of self-interest. Nietzsche believed Christianity be particularly pathetic, insidious and downright disgusting, humans choose what they think is only right, and that “life is what you make of it.” St. Ignatius of Loyola believed in God, God loves us more than any tree or sparrow, and that everyone is destined to be with God. I also learned that science and faith can exist together through unreflective unity, reflective disunity, and reflective unity. The last thing I learned was about the power of dehumanization. Everyone tries to fit in and attract attention to themselves by following the media and advertisements, such as MTV and Marlboro.

2. What are two of the most important ideas you want to remember from this section?

The first thing I want to remember is that science and faith can co-exist together. As a teenager, and during the time period that I live in, I hear a lot of contradictions between science and the Bible. This sometimes makes me question my faith. After thinking about it, I reassure my faith, but that doubt still lingers in the back of my mind. After reading this section, I realized that I can have faith in the Bible even though science might contradict it, because they can both co-exist without any harm.

The second thing I want to remember is “The Merchant of Cool” movie, with Fr. Kavanaugh. I want to remember the things he was trying to convey to the viewers, to me. Even though I didn’t always agree with what the movie was trying to tell me and the other viewers, it was true. (I could see this after some reflection) As I started to explain in question one, many teenagers try to change the way they act and portray themselves to fit in and look cool, based on the media and advertisements that dominate our lives. I want to make sure I remember this movie and its purpose. I want to be able to put more thought into what I buy and ask myself “Do I really need this?”, or “Do I really want this?” and after answering both questions come up with whether to buy it or not.

3. Pick one image that reminds you of the topic.

This image was found on http://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/2007/03/index.html

4. Ask one good question you should keep with you to ponder and offer your best answer.

Do I buy things and try to fit in based on the media and advertisements?

Being totally honest, I think I do buy things based on the media and advertisements, even though I know I shouldn’t, mostly because I want to fit in and be “cool.” One example would be the clothes I wear. I try to get the best brand name clothes, as seen on TV, so I can fit in when it shouldn’t really even matter what clothes I wear to decide whether I fit in or not. What should matter is my personality and individuality.