Is Science a Challenge to Faith?

In the Catholic Times Theological  Lecture-hall  column  the  director of Catholic Culture and Theology Institute gives the readers his thoughts on Science and Religion.

 

While lecturing on the eschatology of creation in the  seminary, he became  interested in the relationship between science and religion.  He read the books of  scholars who insist on the dialogue and resonance between science and theology, and try to introduce scientific descriptions and explanations into theological issues. We commend their efforts to reconcile theology and science. But for the columnist, a typical liberal arts student, their theological narratives were difficult to understand and  were not presented convincingly. 

 

The narrative method of natural science, which is based on theories and experiments about nature, and the humanistic description based on theories and experiences about humans and life are different in color. Although humans today tend to be seen as part of nature, there is a difference between exploring and explaining natural phenomena and understanding and interpreting human patterns. He sympathizes more with scholars who advocate two language theories than those who advocate fusion and consilience. Although science and theology can and should communicate with each other, In his opinion the language of science and the language of theology (humanities) have different goals and directions.

 

From a theological point of view, the positions and views of natural scientists are sometimes difficult to accept, but their honest statements are quite attractive. The books of social biologist Edward Wilson were more philosophical than many books in the humanities.  The books of psychologist and neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, computer engineer and neuroscientist Jeff Hawkins, physicist Brian Green, and neuroscientist Anil Seth have more interesting storytelling than any literary book, and more honest and profound thought than any philosophical book. It contains the ultimate question about humanity and life more than any theological book. The irony that natural scientists' explanations contain more literary sentiment, philosophical reflections, and theological questions, and are more persuasive, is often experienced these days. 

 

Life on Earth is estimated to have started 4 billion years ago. Homo sapiens started about 300,000 years ago. It is said that the history of life consists of successive stages of being, feeling, and knowing. They change from living beings to beings that feel and sense, learn and know. Roughly speaking, it seems to have evolved from simple life into feelings and emotions, mind and spirit and consciousness, intelligence and knowledge, and culture and history.

 

Where do feelings come from? What is consciousness? what is the mind, the feeling, the conscious mind? Scientists in the position of physicalism (materialism) find the origin and composition of feelings and consciousness in the body. We are trying to find the answer through research on the brain and nervous system in the body. Brain science and neuroscience are at the forefront of human understanding today.

 

Humans are also living beings in nature. Are humans exceptional in nature? While there is no need to exaggerate the differences between humans and non-humans, scientists acknowledge that there is a clear gap. Antonio Damasio argues that feeling, consciousness, and the cultural mind place man in the most unique position among all living beings. The human conscious mind, the cultural mind, through memory, language, imagination, reasoning, etc., made humans more creative than other living beings. Humans are clearly different from animals that are honest only with feelings and emotions, and artificial machines (intelligence) that specialize only in the realms of intelligence and knowledge. 

 

Animals also have consciousness, but only humans are said to be self-conscious. I live as 'me'. I am neither 'you' nor 'he'.  Anil Seth says that ‘being who I am’ is ultimately about the body. "The totality of perception and cognition, the overall panorama of human experience and mental life, consists of a deeply embedded biological power of survival. We perceive the world around us and ourselves in it as a living body, through and because of it." Then, when the life of the body ends, does consciousness disappear and I also disappear? Because our inner universe of mind and consciousness is also a part of nature, physicalists think that with the disappearance of the body, consciousness of self and 'I' also disappear. Am I  only 'me' while I'm alive? 

 

If human feelings, consciousness, and knowledge are based on the body (body, matter), does the feeling, consciousness and knowledge of ‘I’ disappear after death? Feeling, consciousness, and knowledge disappear, but does the individual ‘I’ exist after death? The Church attempts to explain this dilemma through the concept of the soul. The soul is the principle and foundation of human existence. "The Church teaches that the soul of each person – not 'made' by his parents – is created by God himself and is immortal. Even if separated from the body by death, the soul does not disappear and will be reunited with the body at the resurrection" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 366). The earthly body and the resurrected body are different. 

 

In fact, doctrinal propositions are often declarative rather than explanatory. Sometimes there is a gap between professing and accepting doctrine and understanding and explaining it. The existence of this immaterial soul is not the realm of scientific proof, but the realm of faith. But really, like the theologians who insist on the resonance between science and theology, does the development of science today make the content of faith more clearly visible than in the past rather than a challenge to faith? 

 

The time engraved on the earthly body is always toward extinction. Human time, Earth time, cosmic time will last longer, but the feeling that one day my time of existence will end often saddens me. "My soul is old"  but I believe and hope that my soul will be with the Lord forever.

 

 "From a historical and evolutionary point of view, consciousness can be thought of as a kind of forbidden fruit. Because once you eat its fruit, you know pain and suffering, and eventually face death tragically" (Antonio Damasio). Despite the tragic nature of consciousness, isn't it grace and dazzling beauty to live as something you can feel and think about?

 

For All Mankind

 

The Catholic Times in its Reconciliation Column has a    article by a  Research Fellow at the  Catholic Institute for Northeast Asia Peace.

These days, the columnist is watching IPTV dramas. The title is 'For All Mankind'. The title was so grandiose that at first he thought it was a sci-fiction drama in which all people on Earth unite and fight against an alien invasion, but the content was far from that. 

 

Set against the backdrop of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of the United States, it contains the precarious lives of astronauts and their families, the process of space development that was conducted competitively with the Soviet Union.

 

The drama shows the process from 1969, when space development began, with various videos, audio, and various props, which the  Americans might find very impressive. A large part of the content also contains competition for space development with the Soviet Union, which will  stimulate one's patriotism. Among the Apollo astronauts in the United States, there were many who actually participated in the Korean War as air force pilots. 

 

The drama begins with the successful landing of a Soviet manned spacecraft on the moon disappointing the Americans. After the Soviet Union's Alexei Leonov succeeded first, American newspapers began to call for a response from the US government calling the moon the 'Red Moon'. After that, NASA, a latecomer, prepares for a second manned landing with Apollo 11 and begins to follow the Soviet Union. 

 

In the process, politics constantly intervenes, and scientific innocence mixes with the military aspect and conflicts. When a lithium ore was discovered on the moon, a military clash between the US and the Soviet Union over it also occurred. Afterwards, scenes of the United States and the Soviet Union competing even to explore Mars appear in succession. 

 

He has been thinking a lot while watching this drama. The title of the drama is said to be taken from the commemorative phrase of Apollo 11: "We came for the purpose of peace for all mankind." However, in the drama, they are fighting over the lithium ore. All things start with the grandeur of 'for the sake of mankind', but in the process of progress, the conflict for the interests of one’s own country continues. 

 

We wonder when the time will come when the prophet Isaiah spoke of "The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the goat, and the calf and lion eat together with a little boy to lead them (Isa 11:6). In the drama, we went to the moon and fought, but what will happen in reality? If we leave Earth and go to another planet, won't we fight? 

 

Fighting Against the Culture of Death

 

A parish priest in the Catholic Times Eyes of the Believer column has some words he wants the readers to ponder for the four-day holiday of Chuseok, September 10th, Korean Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the 15th of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, the day of the harvest moon. He mentions the Culture of Death as a great hindrance to our enjoyment of life in its fullness.

A new culture of death is rampant in our society these days. The existing culture of death, such as abortion, suicide, euthanasia, the death penalty, and embryonic stem cells, has long weakened our meaning and joy for life. There is a risk of damaging the dignity of life as people are divided in favor of the enactment of the Doctor-Assisted Dignity Act, which will lead to an increase in the suicide rate. In addition to this culture of death, as the times change, a new culture of death such as child abuse, digital sexual violence, hate, power abuse, racism, sexism, and ecological destruction is driving our society. 

 

Child abuse and digital sex crimes are not only anti-life and anti-human but getting worse every year. In addition, these two problems have in common economic inequality and result in extremes in child-rearing. 

 

The majority of child abuse is handed down by parents who were often abused by their parents. Abused children tend to replace their parents' love and joy by relying too much on online games and smartphones for experiences of love they do not receive from their parents. Digital addiction impairs brain development from childhood.

 

The culture of death is closely intertwined with each other. Punishment and education to prevent child abuse or digital sex crimes are also necessary, but without fundamental healing to break the vicious cycle, such criminal acts will continue to evolve into new forms. 

 

The word 'hate' is now common in our society. Aversion, dislike, and loathing are seen often.

 

The object of hate is vast: sexism, racism, discrimination against minorities, and the weak. In 2016 a man brutally murdered a woman he didn't know or ever met before near Gangnam Station. This incident was expanded and reproduced into an active feminist debate. An active and effective alternative to this culture of death is unconditional hospitality to others.

 

French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, who established the ethics of the other, believes that a culture of love and life is possible by responding to the 'face of the other' and meeting without conditions. Pope Francis is also accepting of migrants, refugees, and the socially disadvantaged as a 'culture of encounter and dialogue rather than a 'culture of walls' from the position of unconditionally welcoming others in the spirit of universal brotherhood and social fraternity. In the encyclical All Brothers the pope stressed this openness to the other. 

 

There is a personal brotherhood, but when social camaraderie through solidarity is practiced, the possibility of transforming the culture of death into a culture of love and life will open up. On this Chuseok holiday, the writer hopes that no one is excluded and marginalized, and in solidarity with neighbors in need expressed in sharing and caring. Happy Harvest Festival!

 

Fake News Enemy of the People

The Catholic Times visits again the issue of Fake News in Eyes of the Readers column  written by the former president of the Catholic Journalists Association. 

"Fake news is the ‘enemy of the people’." Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been living with "fake news" since the 2016 presidential election and throughout his tenure. His remarks without hesitation are absurd to hear. Isn't he the one who considers news newspaper articles or broadcast reports unfavorable to him as fake news? Fake news is 'false information' made up in the form of news articles in order to spread untrue content. In particular, it is a tool of propaganda used by politicians to refute their opponents. 

 

Not only politicians, but also celebrities are becoming major targets of fake news. Fake news that stimulates people's interest and instinct has spread on social media since the 2010s. The Internet media and YouTube are the main hotbeds for fake news that appear with “fishing titles”. YouTube's revenue structure, where income increases according to the number of views, played a part. The prevalence of fake news is, after all, a product of the post-truth era. Modern people do not try to confirm the truth, but have a strong tendency to believe blindly and only believe what they want to believe as truth. 

 

The reason the writer talks  about fake news is because it is in close contact with the theme of the ‘2022 Seoul Signis World Congress’, ‘Peace in the Digital World’. The first World Congress held in Korea came to an end on the 18th of last month.

 

The participants of this general meeting were 300 people, including nearly 100 foreigners and Koreans from 30 countries around the world. Participants from overseas, including India and South America, were amazed at the progress of the General Assembly and did not forget to give thanks for the hospitality. 

 

Signis is an organization accredited by the Holy See, an international gathering of Catholic communicators, and the General Assembly is held every four years. 

 

The organizing committee, has been preparing for the big event for nearly five years and had to fight various variables under great pressure. Due to the spread, calming, and re-spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has been somewhat reversed. 

 

The general assembly was held in an on-offline hybrid method, and the metaverse platform was also introduced. However, despite its effectiveness, the metaverse operation, which was first introduced, was insufficient to attract attention. In addition, the narrow position and low participation of print media workers such as newspapers and publishing houses in SIGNIS was also the fly in the ointment. Journalism and communication are not separate, they must work together.

 

 "Digital media, especially social media, is a powerful means of fostering fellowship and dialogue among the human family, but it also raises a number of serious ethical issues." In the message to the General Assembly, Pope Francis paid attention to the positive and dysfunctional functions of the media and urged the good use of the media. In other words, the media can become a tool for hate, biased remarks, and fake news. This is a point that journalists and communicators wrestling with the news in the midst of the digital world should keep in mind.

 

 "Excessive connectivity in the digital world has resulted in socio-economic, cultural, spiritual and ecological disconnections. They also became more aware of the destructive impact of fake news. With this new insight, we want to take the lead in bridging the ‘digital divide’ and share the fruits of the digital revolution." As seen in the closing statement of the General Assembly, the calling of Catholic journalists and communicators is clear. We must and pledge to become apostles of peace in the digital world through the renewing power of the Holy Spirit.

Is Material Success the Meaning of LIfe?

Love of neighbor as yourself is the foundation of the social doctrine of Christianity. Social teaching is a set of beliefs common to Christians as well as other religious traditions.

Catholicism has summarized the teaching in some basic statements: Common Good, Dignity of the human person, Preferential Option for the Poor, Subsidiarity, Solidarity, Stewardship of Creation, and Promotion of Peace these are some of the values that come from the Bible, Tradition, and Reason.

Pope Benedict XVI gave us some help in understanding the meaning of some of the terms. Human dignity is the intrinsic value of a person created in the image and likeness of God and redeemed by Christ.  Solidarity refers to the virtue enabling the human family to share fully the treasure of material and spiritual goods. Subsidiarity is the coordination of society's activities in a way that supports the internal life of the local communities. The common good is "the totality of social conditions allowing persons to achieve their communal and individual fulfillment." 

In the Catholic Times in its Light of the World column, the priest writer helps us understand the issue more in-depth.

 Since World War II, South America has had serious social problems such as politics and economy, and the second Latin American Bishops' Conference in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968, presents "choice for the poor," referring to the institutions and structural injustice of a society that cause poverty. The teachings were developed through subsequent Latin American bishops' meetings (the 3rd Puebla, Mexico in 1979, the 4th Dominica in 1992, the 5th Aparecida in Brazil), the 3rd World Bishop's Synod on World Justice in 1974, Pope John Paul II's Encyclical Through Work, and Pope Francis's exhortation on Joy of the Gospel.

 

Here, the objects of charity and helping those who are in more difficult straits than themselves, both spiritually and materially, embody preferential choices for the poor.

What is remarkable is the reflection that although the causes of poverty and oppression that impede the development of society are at the political, economic, and social levels, the more fundamental cause is the selfishness and greed within human beings that promote them. Therefore, repentance and evangelization for this are urgently needed, so while focusing on globalization and neoliberalism that was just beginning at the time, the Aparecida Literature examines this from two perspectives.

First, it is a materialistic situation in which human dignity is damaged and the socially weak are produced because of concern only for economic interests at the social level. Second, it is spiritual secularism that pursues only selfishness and material values ​​on the personal level and is indifferent to the pain of poor neighbors.

In 1977, Park Wan-suh's novel "A Faltering Afternoon" depicts the fall of a middle-class family through love and marriage customs in a world in which material prosperity had become a symbol of success against the backdrop of the rapid economic development of Korean society after 1960. At its core are unrecognized capitalism, vanity tinged with material desires, and broken ethical values.

Could this be the case today? Society is getting richer day by day, making it more difficult to discern and act correctly. Many neighbors are struggling, and everyone's cooperation is desperately needed, but there are still too many conflicts and hatred abounds. There are many reasons, but as the affluent society increases so does our greed, and our love decreases as the comfortable civilization continues to develop. True conversion toward neighbors and society is required.

"Those people and societies that go so far as to absolutize the role of material goods end up experiencing the bitterest type of slavery. In fact, there is no category of possession that can be considered indifferent about the influence that it may have both on individuals and on institutions. Owners who heedlessly idolize their goods become owned and enslaved by them. Only by recognizing that these goods are dependent on God the Creator and then directing their use to the common good, is it possible to give material goods their proper function as useful tools for the growth of individuals and peoples" (Compendium of the Social Gospel #181).

'Eureka Moments' In Our Spiritual Life

In a recent Bible Life magazine article, a Benedictine monk helps the readers understand some of the ways God comes to us. 

Christians can experience God in many different ways. It may be in a dream, in prayer, a voice, a vision, or some moment of enlightenment. However, not all that comes after can be said to come from the Holy Spirit. It may be the result of a nerve condition or mental problem. Consequently the need to discern these occurrences.

The writer recalls 20 years previously his ordination and his pastoral assignment with vocation work. Overnight he became a dispenser of learning after years of being a receptor. For several months, he was burdened with his assignment then one day in May he awoke before the rising bell at 5:00 am, wide awake, and prepared himself for chapel, morning prayers, and Mass.

On the path passing the green grass in the monastery garden, the fresh clean air permeated his whole being. At that moment he felt suddenly overcome with energy that suffused him completely. He couldn't help but remain present to what was happening to him as if in another location. It was something he had never experienced before. How long it lasted he doesn't know.

Suddenly all came back to normal and all his surroundings appeared, but different from before. And from deep inside came the words: "I am going to the church to pray, every day I can do this how blessed I am." The following line from the psalms came to mind: One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord and may visit his temple (27:4).

Was this not a beautiful experience? This spiritual moment gave him a new understanding of his calling and the meaning of prayer. However, although this was a precious moment in his life never to be forgotten, now it is gone and over. God will come to him in his spiritual journey in other ways.

There are many others with similar encounters. In receiving the Eucharist, in prayer, on pilgrimage, on retreat. Are these moments of being one with God? 

These moments of feeling oneness with God are gifts on our spiritual journey. They are moments of awakening and change in our spiritual journey only when they are considered nothing. When they are seen only as the finger pointing out the sun. When they become all important and the center of one's interest you fall into spiritual pride.

As St. Paul says: "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good(1 Cor. 12:7). The writer wants us to remember these words.

The results of the experience should energize one to be more zealous in their discipleship, and in expressing the fruit of their love and not dwell on the experience but forget it. When we become attached to that encounter we will miss him coming into our lives today. God is imminent in our lives and is inviting us in many different ways to come to him.

When we try to empty our hearts, in prayer and moderation, in love for others, sharing and keeping God as the center of our focus, God will enlighten us. 

At times God will come into our lives like a quiet gentle breeze. He is always with us and appears to us in the lives of others and in nature. Even when we are in difficulties and in the dark, we should be waiting for his movements in our lives.

Signis: Telling the Truth

Both Catholic Weeklies reported again on their front pages on the conclusion of the Signis World Congress and this is the summary of the four days of discussion and dreams for the future in the Catholic Peace Weekly.

 "We believe that peace can be achieved in the digital world through the renewing power of the Holy Spirit."

The 2022 Seoul Signis World Congress, where Catholic journalists from all over the world gathered in one place, ended in a grand way on the 18th at Sogang University in Mapo-gu, Seoul, with a new insight into the role of the media and singing a song of hope for peace. 

At the closing ceremony, the participants of the General Assembly issued a statement summarizing the contents of the General Assembly discussion, emphasizing that "the press should lead readers, viewers, and listeners to the light." It also reminded us of our mission to strive to deliver truthful and meaningful information. They said in a statement that "a new society can be built only when we create the awareness that we can work peacefully with people of different cultures, beliefs, religions and ideologies.

"About 300 people from 32 countries took part online and offline at this general meeting, which was held for the first time in five years, delayed by one year due to COVID-19. From the 15th to the 18th, participants discussed issues facing modern society, such as the contradiction of disconnection and isolation in a hyper-connected world, the harmful effects of fake news, the inequality caused by the digital divide, and the climate crisis through topic discussions and forums. Focusing more on discovering the light rather than the shadow brought about by technological development and the potential for good rather than the destructive influence of media, they shared various ideas for achieving peace in the digital world. 

Most of the events and programs were broadcast live through the CPBC YouTube channel. Those who could not come to the site in person participated in the general meeting through YouTube, Zoom, and Metaverse.

In particular, at the General Assembly, the Vatican Public Relations Minister Paolo Rufini, who was appointed as the first lay minister of the Vatican, and journalist Dmitry Muratov (Russia), who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, as key speakers, drew attention from many people. In addition, about ten presenters participated in each topic, and stories from the field were more rich and vivid than ever. 

In addition, as journalists of the same faith, the participants held Mass together every day and shared in communion. The participants, who experienced unity while getting to know each other, returned to their respective positions with the hopeful conviction that the media would contribute to the common good of mankind.

In his farewell address, Cardinal Su-jeong Yeom, co-chairman of the SIGNIS World Assembly, said, "It is truly meaningful for all Koreans, as well as the Catholic Church, the visit to Korea, the only divided country in the world, by all of you who are spreading the peace of the kingdom of God."  He added: "It is an era in which the role of Signis members is very important. Through this, we hope for an era of true peace where all people in the world can enjoy the peace of the Kingdom of God."

Han Seung-soo (Daniel), chairman of the Organizing Committee of the SIGNIS World Congress, did not forget to express his gratitude to all those involved who spared no effort and enthusiasm for the success of the convention. Helen Osman, President of Signis World, said: "I hope we will never forget this time when we affirmed that our mission was to listen with an open mind, to understand each other, and to tell the truth."

SIGNIS is a compound word of SIGN, which means media and message, and IGNIS, which means to light a fire. It is a Vatican-accredited organization that holds the World Congress every four years. Signis is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, and the secretariat is in Rome, Italy. There are more than 100 member countries of Signis around the world, and in Korea, about 500 members are active mainly in broadcasting companies, newspapers, and publishers.