Denial

The ability of humans to deny what in truth is going on is amazing. I think of this in light of the Jerry Sandusky conviction and the investigation that was authorized by the Penn State Board.  There is denial by Sandusky’s family of his predatory behavior. There was denial and cover-up by those in the highest authority at the University. There was little regard for the most vulnerable, and there was more concern about the school’s image. Now the institution’s reputation is even more ruined by the cover-up, denial and by sanctions imposed upon it.

People who are otherwise rational can also live in denial. I think of people of faith who continue to use the Bible as a scientific document to tell us the how long ago creation began – thousands of years instead of billions. This takes place even with the fossil evidence, Carbon 14 dating, and astronomers calculating the distance between heavenly bodies being billions of years away from the earth.

In the same vein I think of Christian scientists, such as Dr. Frances Collins, who led the team which mapped the human genome. Through his work and that of other scientists they have shown that DNA is the link which demonstrates the evolution of life from single cell creatures to humanity. Yet rational people still wish to believe otherwise and deny scientific reality.

It is the same mentality that caused the Roman Catholic Church to declare Galileo a heretic for stating the earth revolved around the sun. I believe it is these kinds of positions that are voiced by certain Christian groups that lead other reasonable people to think Christianity is irrelevant.

Science and religion ask different questions. Science asks how things happen and work, but does not answer why. That is the area of religion. Christianity can address why we are here, the purpose of life, and the need to be loved and love. Christianity can talk about the love of God in Christ who shares humanity’s pain and sorrows, willing to sacrifice God’s self to show that love, and in resurrection demonstrates the endlessness of Divine love.  That is what the Christian Church can address and still not leave human intellect outside the door.  

Fr. Patrick