Thoughts in a Haystack

As someone who was raised in the Catholic Church but who long since lost that faith, I suppose I have no right to give advice to Catholic clergy. But I still hold a certain fondness for those elements of the American Catholic experience that value rigorous intellectual honesty and a love of learning and I hate to see that tradition brought low. Or maybe my wife is right that you can take the boy out of the Catholic Church, but you can’t take the Church out of the boy.

In any event, I was saddened by an article titled "Intelligent Design is more persuasive than random chance," by Robert Vasa, Bishop of the Diocese of Baker in Oregon. It is bad enough that a prelate of the Church and an heir to the likes of Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas, is reduced to such puerile arguments as claiming that the attempt of science to discover naturalistic explanations for the world somehow renders meaningless such concepts as love, courage, pride, loyalty, patience, kindness, prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, piety, joy and sorrow. Worse is his use of his position as a spiritual leader to weigh in on the side of a political movement seeking to circumvent the United States Constitution. But to do all that while proudly proclaiming his ignorance of what he is purporting to criticize is venal at best and, at worst, is a scandal to the faith, which, if I remember my theology aright, is most definitely not a good thing.

It was not necessary for Bishop Vasa to admit his failure to read the decision of Judge Jones in the Dover, Pennsylvania Intelligent Design Creationism case. His characterization of the decision as implying that "the concept of love in any literature whatsoever should be prohibited in public schools" because it cannot be scientifically verified is a gross distortion of Judge Jones’ well reasoned and reasonable decision that, had not the Bishop already plead laziness as an excuse, could only be put down to outright dishonesty.

Perhaps the good Bishop should consider his responsibility to bring honor to the Church when he speaks publicly . . . or not to speak at all.