There’s an old joke that befits the current status of the Roman Catholic Church. It goes like this: The teacher asked the children in her class, “What is the fastest thing in the world?” Immediately, a flurry of hands went up. Little Suzie spoke up first, “A thought, she said.” Very good thinking Suzie,” said the teacher. “A blink,” said Alex. “One can hardly see a blink, it’s so fast”. “True” said the teacher. Little Annie was quick to chime in with, “A light switch — flip a switch and have light immediately”. “Very, very, good Annie”, responded the teacher. Little Johnnie had been waving his hands frantically when the teacher finally called on him. Johnny stood and dramatically said, “I’ll tell you what’s the fastest thing in the world — it’s diarrhea. “Why on earth would you say that Johnnie” replied the teacher. Little Johnnie responded, “I’ll tell you why. Last week, I had diarrhea, and before I could think, blink, or turn on the light, I had already messed my pants.”
Those of us old and older Catholics have many memories of how things used to be in Catholicism. We remember how we were shackled with guilt for anything related to sex. We remember that according to Thomas Aquinas, the greatest sin that could be commit was male masturbation. The reasoning was very simple and plain to understand — all babies were in male semen, and they were being spilled to their instant death — such was his (their) ignorance and paternalism. We remember when any form of birth control other than the ‘rhythm method’ was strictly forbidden. We remember when premarital sex was a mortal sin and would send one straight to hell if unconfessed. We remember when purgatory, limbo, and indulgences were in vogue. We remember when attending mass on all Sundays and Holy days of obligation were strictly enforced under pain of mortal sin. We remember when any form of servile work on Sundays was likewise forbidden unless ‘the ox was in the ditch’. We remember when deliberately eating meat on any Friday or any day during Lent except Sunday was likewise a mortal sin — fasting by all able bodied was demanded during all days of Lent except Sunday. We remember when divorce was scornful, as was marrying a non-Catholic. We remember when ‘round dancing’ was forbidden — only square dancing was permitted among unmarried people.
If we knew any Church history, we knew that during the Inquisitions, innocent people were tortured unmercifully and then burned to death on a pile of brush while being tethered to a stake. That treatment was delivered to anyone accused of having pleasure during sex. Additionally, anyone caught having sex on an elevated structure met the same fate — the shaking during such sexual activity might cause the ‘flat earth’ to topple off its five wobbly, crooked legs into the netherworld below. Likewise, many people including children were found to be witches which demanded the same remedy — death by fire. Heretics got the same treatment — anyone who declared the earth to be round rather than flat, or anyone who refused to admit that the earth was the ‘center of the universe’, and any philosophy contrary to Church teaching. The Inquisitions began in 1184 and lasted 840 years. Not all guilty people were burned to death — many received penances such as imprisonment or house arrest. We remember from Church history that in the late 1300’s, there were two and even three popes simultaneously — each with his own set of cardinals. We remember from history that thing got so bad that a monk, Martin Luther, and others split from the Church in protest — Protestantism was born.
We remember when anything pertaining to sex was so demeaned as to prompt G Rattray Taylor, in his book, Sex in History, to note that Medieval Europe resembled one giant cesspool of psychosis —generated by the guilt over sexual matters.
So, what happened? — Vatican 2. Slowly but surely, a transformation began. In the beginning, rather suddenly but subtly, pulpits ceased railing about birth control. Likewise, there was a cessation of preaching about purgatory and indulgences. The necessity of immediate post-partum baptism and Limbo were seldom mentioned — nowadays, infant baptisms may not occur for two to three years with no dissent from the pulpit. Abstaining from meat on Fridays and Lenten fasting are almost whispered as is mass attendance on Sundays and Holy days. Divorced people seem to be welcomed with open arms without the previously associated scourge. The only sex related issue I’ve heard in the last thirty years is the occasional mention of pornography.
All these sudden changes have prompted an outcry of disproval from the ‘conservative’ branch of Catholicism— more loudly since the Papacy of Francis began. However, Pope Francis seems to have a deaf ear to their dissent. His early response in attempted appeasement was, ‘None of the rules have changed. We just got to quit talking about them.’ Of course, he was referring to the age-old Church practice of pretending that ‘it’s always been this way’ — old folks who know will soon be gone and the younger set not having been exposed will assume ‘it’s always been that way’.
In another vein of historical disconnect, Pope Francis stated bluntly that couples should live together for two to three years before marrying to ascertain their compatibility. He stated that most so-called marriages are not marriages at all because most are done to satisfy ‘sexual attraction’ but lack commitment to marriage and family life. His reasoning is sound but, there again, it stirred the ire of conservative Catholicism. Pope Francis seems to have an uncanny manner of ignoring his dissenters.
Then there is Francis’ approach to abortion which previously was pronounced as a most abhorrent sin. In the USA, President Joe Biden and the then Speaker of the House of representatives, Nancy Pelosi, both avowed Catholics, but major promoters of abortion, go ‘trotting over’ to Rome where Pope Francis not only gives them his special blessing but again, as a slap in the face to conservative Catholics, personally gives them both Holy Communion — a sacrilege.
I think there is a subtle but, to me, obvious reason for this ‘about face’ by the Church — it’s called money. The old-fashioned method of controlling people, sex, used by the Church forever has obviously failed. Young people are not only ignoring those rules as irrational, but worse yet, have ceased attendance at Catholic mass. That of course, means fewer financial contributors. A recent Pew Research report shows near %50 of adults who were raised Catholic no longer consider themselves Catholic. Neither do they attend Catholic services — a real hit to the Church pocketbook.
I have railed about this and other related issues concerning religion in general for several years. It’s not only Catholics, but also all religious groups who have seen a significant decline in church attendance — religion has become irrelevant to more and more people. To me the cause of that decline is obvious — religion’s irrationality.
All religion is totally irrational for one very simple reason — God. Everyone talks about God, but no one knows who God is. They all, speak of a ‘fairy tale’ god. They tell stories about this ‘mythical god’ likened to Alice in Wonderland. Even little children become aware that Santa Clause is not real once they become rational. We all were little children once upon a time and most of us were indoctrinated with ideas about a god who is an absolute myth. As the public becomes more educated, they begin to see flaws and discrepancies between ‘real life’ and what they were taught. Seemingly, most can’t explain why they have forsaken their religion — they just instinctively know something is wrong.
For years, I was trapped in that similar dilemma — I didn’t know why. Then I discovered the reason — no one had ever defined the essence of God. I knew that minus an essential definition, nothing has meaning, including God. With continued determination and a little good fortune, I was finally able to define the essence of my and your God —God is a Perfect rational Being. Instantly, that definition with its understanding ‘blew all religion out of the water’ — all is irrational and illegitimate.
My definition of God’s essence is grounded in the science of Particle Physics which describes an entire universe of perfect rationality. It shows that everything in existence is composed of perfect particles of energy which themselves exist in eternity but which simultaneously, make up every tangible, changing (temporal) object in this universe —they represent that Perfect Rationality which pervades all limits of the universe — they demonstrate a Perfect Truth System outside of which there is no truth — if there is God, and I believe there is, they are God—they are a tangible reflection of God the Father’s Perfect Intellect — they are God the Son —the love relationship between the Father and Son , the Holy Spirit is the driving force of God (God’s Will) which maintains the perfection of each particle.
I have been aware of three major voices, but most certainly many others have escaped my awareness, who recognized the essential God — Jesus of Nazareth, Francis of Assi, and Meister Eckhart. They each instinctively knew that God was in all things and that all things were in God, but they did not have the scientific understanding to back it up.
Jesus said ‘split a piece of wood and ill be there. Lift a rock and find me there. He knew that God was ‘all love’. He despised religion and clearly said so. He was a traitor to the Jewish religion of ‘sacrificial appeasement’ —he was crucified for his zeal.
Francis of Assisi saw God in everything. He instinctively knew that not only was God in everything, but that knowledge meant his individual person had a commonality with every existence.
Meister Eckhart was a famous German Monk who was very insightful. He knew God was everywhere and in all things. He spent most of his adult life attempting to define God — even to the point of reducing God to a negative dimension. He failed in his attempt to define God because he knew no science. Many of his publications were considered heresy and consequently, the Inquisition was closing in on him — thankfully, he died a natural death before they could bring him to trial.
So, what happened? We are witnessing the demise of Christianity right before our eyes. I predicted it in the last chapter of Wilderness Cry — Christianity will see its demise within 100 to 500 years. The determining factor will be wars and more wars.
What, then, should we be doing? We should not be gathering as Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc. We should be gathering in communal thanksgiving to our Perfect Rational God who has shared his rationality with us. That sharing has allowed us to gradually discover some of his most important truths, science, which has allowed us to make our lives more comfortable and more productive. Dreadfully it has also allowed us to produce weapons of mass destruction.
Which will we choose, love of God and love of neighbor or self-destruction — I fear the latter — we seem to be teetering on the brink of disaster even as I write.
If you have not already done so, please read my little books, Wilderness Cry, Peace in Spirituality, and Provocative Catholic. If you’d like a little ‘Huck Finn’ type entertainment, I believe you’ll enjoy Growing Up in Fancy Farm Kentucky — all books are available from Amazon-Kindle and me (handg@comcast.net)
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WILDERNESS CRY by Hilary L Hunt MD 