See previous blog entry regarding suicide bombers. The same article goes on to question Father John's thinking (Catholic News 20 July 2008).
Writer:
I take exception to your answer about suicide bombers. The wording of the Catholic Catechism, which you quote, is carefully chosen. It says those who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel or the church, but who seek God with a sincere heart and "moved by grace" try to do God's will as their conscience dictates can be saved.
Those words "moved by grace" are important. If we think God's grace would lead us to kill ourselves and slaughter innocent people, we make Christ's victory over evil meaningless. A person could do these things and not be eternally condemned only if he is mentally ill or cannot choose between good and evil. It is unthinkable that a same person could believe God is leading him to wipe out dozens or thousands of people. This is the core of our faith in God's power over evil.
Friday 27 June 2008
Ask Father John Part 1: Do Suicide Bombers Go To Hell? - Depends on Conscience
This article appeared in the Catholic News, dated Sunday 20 July 2008.
Question:
How does God deal with suicide bombers who believe they will go to 'paradise' and be with Allah? How can they go to hell if they don't even believe in it? ...
Answer by Father John Dietzen:
Contrary to the assumptions of many, including even to this day a fair number of Catholics, the Catholic Church holds that all persons who sincerely attempt to follow the dictates of their conscience, what they believe to be right and good, are saved.
This concept is by now well entrenched in church teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says it clearly:
Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - these too may achieve eternal salvation" (No. 847, quoting the Vatican Council II Constitution on the Church).
All this assumes, of course, for all human beings whatever their culture or background, a diligent and honest attempt to inform one's conscience with all the grace and wisdom possible, and then to live one's life in accord with what is seen a "religious duty," however the individual sees that duty.
Some will claim, of course, that no human being could honestly envision as morally good inhuman and appalling acts of cruelty - acts which are perpetrated in countless nations of our world to this hour by people other than Muslims.
Many people among them religious leaders, have publicly proclaimed that all the dead terrorists are burning in hell, and those still alive will do so. Arrogance like this is unworthy of any thoughtful human being, let alone any Christian.
Judgments like this about the condition and fate of other people's souls are wholly beyond our reach. The pretense of having sufficient knowledge and wisdom to make such judgements invades territory that belongs to God alone....(other text not included due to space constraint).
Question:
How does God deal with suicide bombers who believe they will go to 'paradise' and be with Allah? How can they go to hell if they don't even believe in it? ...
Answer by Father John Dietzen:
Contrary to the assumptions of many, including even to this day a fair number of Catholics, the Catholic Church holds that all persons who sincerely attempt to follow the dictates of their conscience, what they believe to be right and good, are saved.
This concept is by now well entrenched in church teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says it clearly:
Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - these too may achieve eternal salvation" (No. 847, quoting the Vatican Council II Constitution on the Church).
All this assumes, of course, for all human beings whatever their culture or background, a diligent and honest attempt to inform one's conscience with all the grace and wisdom possible, and then to live one's life in accord with what is seen a "religious duty," however the individual sees that duty.
Some will claim, of course, that no human being could honestly envision as morally good inhuman and appalling acts of cruelty - acts which are perpetrated in countless nations of our world to this hour by people other than Muslims.
Many people among them religious leaders, have publicly proclaimed that all the dead terrorists are burning in hell, and those still alive will do so. Arrogance like this is unworthy of any thoughtful human being, let alone any Christian.
Judgments like this about the condition and fate of other people's souls are wholly beyond our reach. The pretense of having sufficient knowledge and wisdom to make such judgements invades territory that belongs to God alone....(other text not included due to space constraint).
No Need To Consider Moral Issues in 'Organ Trading'
In my blog entry dated 19 May 08, I wrote on the morality of Lesbian Marriage.
I suggested that "In the end, when no harm is done, or when there's less harm than good, there is no need to consider the issue of morality. Morality will be a vague and obsolete concept in the coming decades. Perhaps in a hundred years time, this concept of morality will vanish from the face of the earth."
Today's newspaper brought up the issue of Sales of Kidney. Those who need kidney transplants ( in order to continue living) would like to buy a kidney (from the poor). The government has legislated against this, mainly on moral grounds. If 'kidney trading' is allowed, then the poor will ultimately be selling their kidneys to the rich. "It is dehumanising - life can be bought with money, at the expense of another life."
But there is another point of view. "It is also morally wrong to let a person suffer and die when something can be done to save his life. If a person X willingly sells one of his kidneys to person Y to save Y's life, why not?"
Our government is made up of humans too. They are pragmatic on moral issues. The garmen had legalised gambling, legalised abortion of foetal lives, semi-legalised prostitution, maybe legalising homosexual marriage in future.
The trend is to legalise 'Organ Trading' in future.
It supports the view that morality is becoming obsolete, in years to come.
I suggested that "In the end, when no harm is done, or when there's less harm than good, there is no need to consider the issue of morality. Morality will be a vague and obsolete concept in the coming decades. Perhaps in a hundred years time, this concept of morality will vanish from the face of the earth."
Today's newspaper brought up the issue of Sales of Kidney. Those who need kidney transplants ( in order to continue living) would like to buy a kidney (from the poor). The government has legislated against this, mainly on moral grounds. If 'kidney trading' is allowed, then the poor will ultimately be selling their kidneys to the rich. "It is dehumanising - life can be bought with money, at the expense of another life."
But there is another point of view. "It is also morally wrong to let a person suffer and die when something can be done to save his life. If a person X willingly sells one of his kidneys to person Y to save Y's life, why not?"
Our government is made up of humans too. They are pragmatic on moral issues. The garmen had legalised gambling, legalised abortion of foetal lives, semi-legalised prostitution, maybe legalising homosexual marriage in future.
The trend is to legalise 'Organ Trading' in future.
It supports the view that morality is becoming obsolete, in years to come.
They Died Young Due To Poisoning
While at the National Palace Museum of China, I learnt something very interesting. For very long, I was wondering why in olden times, the lifespan of Chinese were only 50 to 60 years. I found the answer.
6200 - 1600 BC - called the Neolithic period
1600 - 221 BC - called the Bronze Age
221 BC - 220 AD - Chin and Han dynasties
220 AD - 1906 AD - Yuan, Tang, Ming, Ching dynasties
Ceramics were not used during the Bronze Age. The utensils, including wine cups were made of bronze.
Olden Chinese loved to drink wine. When wine was poured into bronze cups, there was chemical reaction. Over time, wine drinkers poisoned themselves by drinking poisoned wine.
After the Bronze Age, utensils were made of ceramics. The lifespan of Chinese was increased.
I also read that, during the Han, Tang dynasties and after, there were 'Qigong adepts' who could cultivate and replenish their 'Qi', and perfected the way of longevity. These adepts could live for more than 200 years.
Well, like the olden Chinese, we have much to learn about what is poisoning our lives. Why does it take so long for human beings to find out what cause cancer and Alzheimer's disease?
6200 - 1600 BC - called the Neolithic period
1600 - 221 BC - called the Bronze Age
221 BC - 220 AD - Chin and Han dynasties
220 AD - 1906 AD - Yuan, Tang, Ming, Ching dynasties
Ceramics were not used during the Bronze Age. The utensils, including wine cups were made of bronze.
Olden Chinese loved to drink wine. When wine was poured into bronze cups, there was chemical reaction. Over time, wine drinkers poisoned themselves by drinking poisoned wine.
After the Bronze Age, utensils were made of ceramics. The lifespan of Chinese was increased.
I also read that, during the Han, Tang dynasties and after, there were 'Qigong adepts' who could cultivate and replenish their 'Qi', and perfected the way of longevity. These adepts could live for more than 200 years.
Well, like the olden Chinese, we have much to learn about what is poisoning our lives. Why does it take so long for human beings to find out what cause cancer and Alzheimer's disease?
National Museum in Peking became National Palace Museum in Taipei !!
I visited the National Palace Museum when I was in Taipei.
The National Palace Museum was originally founded in 1925 in the Forbidden City in Peking.
Apparently when General Chiang Kai-Shek moved to Taiwan during the years of civil war leading to communism, he crated about 600,000 of the treasured objects to Taiwan.
China was depleted of the priceless national treasures. Most of them are now in Taipei's National Palace Museum. Some must have been 'lost' or converted to wealth.
If not for what the General Chiang did, most treasures would have been lost or destroyed during the Chinese revolution.
I find this story very interesting. No wonder China is so adamant in claiming Taiwan as a province of China. China will never allow Taiwan to seek independent when all of China's treasures are there.
Looking at the artifacts in the Museum, I enjoyed the rare sight of what human beings consider as treasures. But they are just treasures of this lifetime only. Nobody can bring the treasures of this life to the afterlife - except one. That special one treasure is the Love of God. The Love of God is the only treasure that we can bring and experience to our next life.
The National Palace Museum was originally founded in 1925 in the Forbidden City in Peking.
Apparently when General Chiang Kai-Shek moved to Taiwan during the years of civil war leading to communism, he crated about 600,000 of the treasured objects to Taiwan.
China was depleted of the priceless national treasures. Most of them are now in Taipei's National Palace Museum. Some must have been 'lost' or converted to wealth.
If not for what the General Chiang did, most treasures would have been lost or destroyed during the Chinese revolution.
I find this story very interesting. No wonder China is so adamant in claiming Taiwan as a province of China. China will never allow Taiwan to seek independent when all of China's treasures are there.
Looking at the artifacts in the Museum, I enjoyed the rare sight of what human beings consider as treasures. But they are just treasures of this lifetime only. Nobody can bring the treasures of this life to the afterlife - except one. That special one treasure is the Love of God. The Love of God is the only treasure that we can bring and experience to our next life.
Thursday 19 June 2008
Feng Shui or Geomancy
I was in Taipei earlier this week for a '4 days 3 night' tour. The package included a 1-day guided city tour. The tour guide took the opportunity to bring us to a Feng Shui Master, hoping to sell us some geomancy services.
The talk by the Feng Shui Master went against logical thinking. He sold the idea that, depending on when a person is born, he has a certain 'good-luck' colour, number, direction (i.e. North, South, East West), etc, etc.
While I have written about Qigong a few times in this blog, and I believe that we can improve our health by cultivating 'Qi', I do not find Geomancy believable. There is no end to these wishy washy ideas! Believe in Feng Shui, and you will end up choosing your life-partner based on compatibility of birthdates, or choosing friends based on the compatibility of the names.
There are only 4 forces to determine and direct our fate:
first is ourselves and our free will,
second is the forces of people around us,
third is the force of nature, and
fourth is the will of God.
We can choose to strive to work hard and choose what we want to do with our lives.
The people around us, our parents, our government, can influence what we do with our lives.
Nature can cause disasters, such as earthquakes, lightnings, floods and fires, and frustrate or hurt us.
God or gods can help us, guard us, and bless us.
But Feng Shui - Wind and Water - is not religion. It has no bases in controlling our lives.
The talk by the Feng Shui Master went against logical thinking. He sold the idea that, depending on when a person is born, he has a certain 'good-luck' colour, number, direction (i.e. North, South, East West), etc, etc.
While I have written about Qigong a few times in this blog, and I believe that we can improve our health by cultivating 'Qi', I do not find Geomancy believable. There is no end to these wishy washy ideas! Believe in Feng Shui, and you will end up choosing your life-partner based on compatibility of birthdates, or choosing friends based on the compatibility of the names.
There are only 4 forces to determine and direct our fate:
first is ourselves and our free will,
second is the forces of people around us,
third is the force of nature, and
fourth is the will of God.
We can choose to strive to work hard and choose what we want to do with our lives.
The people around us, our parents, our government, can influence what we do with our lives.
Nature can cause disasters, such as earthquakes, lightnings, floods and fires, and frustrate or hurt us.
God or gods can help us, guard us, and bless us.
But Feng Shui - Wind and Water - is not religion. It has no bases in controlling our lives.
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