Credo

I have been following a blog called Thoughts From the High Road, by Lauren Schieffer. Lauren is a friend of a dear friend. I have found Lauren's blog enjoyable. It has helped me pick up my attitude and, on occasion, shone a bright light on those attitudes. I recommend her blog to you.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

Thus begins the Nicene Creed, which we recite at Mass every Sunday. I would hope this never becomes mere rote recitation for me. Theological history tells us that every line in the Creed was a point of controversy at some time. Every doctrinal position in the Creed was fought about, and on occasion, bled over. Nothing came easy. One definition of the word "heretic" is, "the guy who lost the argument."

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

I do believe. There seems a great divide between those who adhere to one faith position - atheism - and another faith position - belief in a higher power. Make no mistake: atheism is a faith, just as are Christianity, Islam, Judaism. Atheism is a faith that there is nothing larger than us. Atheism has no more proof of its correctness than do the other belief systems. Moses and Isaiah record having seen G-d. Mary Magdalene and Peter saw the risen Christ. I have a hard time imagining anyone saying that they looked everywhere there is to look, and "By gosh by golly, I saw no God, so there couldn't be one."

So, one claims that the existence of evil in human beings is proof that there's no God. The line of logic doesn't work, because it can't exclude the obverse. If the life of Hitler and Stalin and Idi Amin - of Timothy McVeigh, of the Unabomber and Osama bin Laden - are proof that there's no God, cannot the life of a Mother Theresa, of Teresa of Avila, of Roncalli and Bernardin and Merton and St. Vincent de Paul - prove that there is one? There is evil. There is also good.

So, the preponderance of scientific evidence supports evolution? In fact, if you've ever used antibacterial soap, natural selection occurs right on your skin. I believe evolution occurred and is ongoing. I also believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth. Belief or nonbelief is not subject to scientific proof, because a control experiment is impossible.

So the statement that there is no God is a statement of a faith. So is my position. Step 2 for AA's: Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

I do believe. Credo!