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Faith in reason

Albert Einstein never professed belief in a personal God, but he did speak of the importance of faith: “There also belongs the faith in the possibility that the regulations valid for the world of existence are rational, that is, comprehensible to reason. I cannot conceive of a genuine scientist without that profound faith.”

Indeed, there is no scientific basis for our belief in reason, yet we faithfully take for granted the ability of human reason to understand the nature and workings of the universe. There are two faculties of human reason — the intellect and the will. The correct application of the intellect, directed by a pure and honest will, leads to truth — in philosophy and theology as well as in science. Due to the inheritance of original sin, both the intellect and the will have the tendency to make mistakes. Even if the intellect does attain truth, often the will, because of its weakness, chooses falseness. If the will is attracted to falseness, the intellect sometimes distorts the truth to justify the false or immoral desire.

There are many intellectual flaws that derail our honest search for truth. Sometimes our imagination and emotions cloud clear reasoning. We might choose to ignore objective evidence that points to the true God because of the unwanted lifestyle changes this God demands.

We must seek truth with clear reasoning and an honest heart (will) so that we can identify inconsistencies and contradictions, ambiguous assertions, unverified evidence, personal prejudices, and false assumptions. “There can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason.” (Catholic Catechism, 159) Our faithful application of reason ultimately transcends the human limitations of science, yet faith and science never contradict one another. Genuine Christianity synthesizes faith and reason to bridge God’s revelation into the world.

Paul Dooris

Montoursville

Submitted via Virtual Newsroom

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