Progressive people of faith: The Nuns of Philadelphia

[Bretton Garcia]

92. I've worked for the poor all my life

What I see, is that there are two or three major layers of Church theology, teachings. In the lower levels, we are taught to pray for physical miracles; healings, etc.. At the low to intermediate level, we are told to ignore the reason and science that tell us that promises of physical miracles are false.

And so - at the lower levels - Christianity sets itself and its Faith up, in dramatic opposition to reason and science. And this is very bad for people. Since it teaches them to distrust intelligence, reason, itself.

There are other, both lower and higher theologies, that may be closer to your own Jesuit training. But this level is quite popular. And did a great deal of damage, I submit, to many. In fact, worsening their ignorance and therefore, poverty.

There are higher theologies that finally, marginally allowed reason and science. Like probably, to a degree, your own. But for that matter? They will be seen to stop short of any full deference to reason, at least to a degree. And to have had some bad - if slightly less serious?- effects.