But God doesn’t think?

Dominican priest Tom McCarthy makes an interesting comment on yesterday’s blogpost, which was an article written by The Irish Times columnist Joe Humphreys.

What actually does it mean to say I believe in God? Scroll through religious comments on X, read many Catholic newspapers, are they representation of what it means to believe in God?

Read many parish newsletters and it’s easy to ask what is all this about. Visit parishes and see for oneself how parish councils work and the relationship between priests and people. Every parish will be different. What happens when a parish priest behaves in a dictatorial fashion? What happens when bishops and religious superiors act as tyrants? Where actually is the church, the people of God? Why all the taboo subjects? And then there’s God. It’s a great jump, most times.

Some days ago American Jesuit priest Fr James Martin replied on X to a comment made by former bishop of Tyler in Texas. This is what he wrote: 

"I don’t normally respond to @BishStrickland, but his recent inaccurate screed against the Jesuits ignores one key thing: When Servant of God Pedro Arrupe, SJ, had a stroke and St  John Paul II intervened by naming his own choice to run the Jesuits, until a successor could be named, Fr Arrupe was completely obedient, even though he disagreed with the Pope's decision.  Fr Arrupe then instructed every Jesuit to show obedience to the Holy Father. To make his point, Fr Arrupe sent this photo around to every Jesuit community in the world.  It hung in the entrance to my novitiate. Curious if Bishop Strickland feels the same about obedience to a Pope with whom he disagrees....”

The former bishop of Tyler posts regularly on X. I have no problem saying that what he writes on matters of God and faith have little or no meaning for me. 

Surely that does not suggest I don’t believe in God? X and other similar outlets at present seem to attract a ‘special type’ of Catholic that makes me ask, what must God think of this material. Then again, wouldn’t the theologian say that God doesn’t think?

There is an upsurge within the Christian churches at present that seems to say it’s our way or no way. 

Is the American Catholic Church having a negative influence on church life in Ireland?

Worrying.