Saturday, May 8, 2010
Therese Neumann
The thing from this class that I will remember most is the case study of Therese Neumann. It really intrigues me and I still think about it on occasion. It kind of changed the way I see the world. It’s a prime example of something that can’t be explained no matter how hard you try. Faith is a powerful thing and it allows people to view what is possible in a very different light. For example, everything we know tells us that it is entirely impossible for a person to survive for 40 years by eating nothing but The Holy Eucharist but faith allows some people to view this as possible. I find it odd how scientific fact can be totally dismissed if you believe hard enough in something (ex. Evolution, inedia, stigmata, etc.) and we see this as a totally acceptable fact of society. I guess it leads me ask the question, why is it ok to dismiss the facts sometimes and not others?
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I'm always torn about whether to be thrilled or terrified when something rises that cannot be explained scientifically. The long-dead Christian part of me shouts, "Fear God!" while the fantasy-lover in me marvels quietly at how little we know.
ReplyDeleteIn the context of scientific anomalies larger than Blessed Theresa (dark matter, the placebo effect, etc.), I like to think about how they are all in reach and how, in the end, we're not quite as advanced as we think we are. If humanity makes it that far, what will our ancestors think of us 100 years from now--people silly enough to think Google Earth is futuristic.
I too am intrigued by stories like that. I do believe in miracles, but usually am very skeptical about individual miracle stories that i hear. There are definitely a lot of people who have faith despite "facts" and though i think sometimes it is necessary to have faith even when things don't add up from our perspective at the same time if God created the universe then He also created science and so "pure" science shouldn't contradict Him. As a Christian and a very scientifically minded person I have come to realize that they shouldn't be in contradiction with each other. And though I believe I am called to have faith even when I don't have all the answers I feel like it is good to question and search out the answers that I can find. I have had a passion for learning the science for and against (yes it exists) evolution. And though I am certainly not claiming that science as we know it is clear cut against billions of years of gradual evolution I think the case is by no means a weak one. If you care to search it out I recommend http://www.answersingenesis.org/ Of course the website has a bias but I think they do a pretty good job of recognizing where they can't draw clear conclusion and stating where science has debunked previous theories/arguments they have had.
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