Western intellectuals embarrassed to talk about faith, renowned European journalist says

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3 responses to “Western intellectuals embarrassed to talk about faith, renowned European journalist says”

1. Eliot Ryan

   February 9, 2010

   If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation , the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory …

   In modern societies ‘education’ is so important. The intellectuals, or more exactly, pseudo-intellectuals have read/written many books, therefore they think that they are superior to others. A true intellectual, or a wise man is the one who understands how sick the human world is and has the desire to be healed. Not those who have (or think they have) the correct opinions are able to rise to the challenge of overcoming sin.

   It takes humility and courage to switch from human self-worship and self-flattery to a healthy life, to fill our mind with God, Who is good and loves mankind.

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2. Fr. John

   February 10, 2010

   Christians have a responsibility to be able to speak cogently on matters of faith in public. We need to continue the historical project of translation of the Church’s teachings into the current idiom. With all the new modes of communication available today, no one ought to allow himself lapse into a despondent silence.
   Here in America, as opposed to Europe, we have a culture which prides itself on possessing some kind of – often incoherent – faith in Christ. Our duty here is to bring intellect back into the parlance of faith, where in Europe the challenge is to reinject the concept of faith back into intellect. I recall Pope Benedict’s speech at his alma mater which elaborated that very subjct. TOo bad no one paid much attention to what he was saying instead of focusing on the Muslim rabble’s violent response to the implicit critique of their blind faith.
   We need a humane religion which works together with intellect. I believe Orthodoxy has always been that kind of religion. It is our job to express that truth.

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3. Eliot Ryan

   February 10, 2010

   A large percentage of Lord’s teaching was in parables which were/are easily remembered and retained. Using parables makes it possible to speak about, and understand difficult subjects. Today we have the supremely ridiculous situation when people listen to complex, abstract and difficult science open-mouthed. Often, all they can express is relativistic admiration for different theories. They are blind in presence of the Truth but they love to contemplate vanities.

   The apostles Peter and Paul were very different. Peter was a fisherman, a provincial, probably illiterate. Paul was a highly-educated rabbi. Peter renounced Christ three times before His Crucifixion. Later he was called ‘the rock’, because his confession of faith in Christ the Son of God was rock solid. St. Paul, the educated, was converted after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. He persecuted the Church and was converted, trough divine intervention, on the road to Damascus.

   I wonder: is it only the direct divine intervention that can open the eyes of the ‘intellectuals’? St Basil the Great says:

   One day, doubtless, their terrible condemnation will be the greater for all this worldly wisdom, since, seeing so clearly into yam sciences, they have willfully shut their eyes to the knowledge of the truth. These men who measure the distances of the stars and describe them,[…] these men, I say, have discovered all except one tiring: the fact that God is the Creator of the universe, and the just Judge who rewards all the actions of life according to their merit.

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