Taking issue with views on faith
Dear sir - Regarding Hilary McGrath’s column 'It’s not easy raising a child in the Catholic faith today’ (The Meath Chronicle, 25/09/10), Jack Charlton’s advice on taking a penalty kept springing to mind. He suggested to place the ball, pick your spot and don’t change your mind. Hilary threw everything and the kitchen sink at why it isn’t easy to raise a child in the Catholic faith today. Hilary, hopefully in devil’s advocate mode and not a microcosm of modern parenthood, muddles away through a series of mischievous paradoxes to completely blur where the goal posts are.
Hilary effuses that she loves and admires priests on one hand but won’t go to Mass. For someone who is so candid publicly about her trial separation from the Church, she doesn’t seem to suffer too much from this conditioned guilt and fear inspired by the same institution. Hilary also cannot see the Pope’s perspective that atheist extremism which is fundamentalism in a secular context is like Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God. Hilary must understand surely that any fundamentalism seeks to propagate its own belief at the exclusion of others which is the essence of tyranny.
Another non sequitur arises when Hilary seeks to find the essence of man from a philosopher. Any theologian from a spiritual perspective would explain that Hilary’s “she child” is not at the bottom of the “Catholic food chain” but is an equal child of God. Hilary also muses that she doesn’t know if there is a God anyway and that nobody else does either. Happily I can transcend that hubris by affirming that I do know that there is everyday I live - for one.
Going further Hilary allows any of us to believe - as it’s just a belief. She testifies that “it’s perfectly normal” to oscillate between atheism, polytheism, monotheism, agnosticism and pure theological confusion”. She suggests to pick the religion that best suits your belief system and make a go of it. Let’s keep it simple, the mind analyses and the heart creates. The more information the mind gets, the more it complicates things and makes a big ho ha about everything. However the heart creates, it feels what is right and wrong from an innate sense that connects it with truth which in turn is the essence of our soul. It’s a mystery, that mystique, that certain “je ne sais quoi”. And another thing, if the lads want to say Mass, let them at it. Why make a big fuss. As Paul McCartney says, 'Let it Be’.
Have a laugh Hilary. When your daughter is getting her little dress, maybe you’ll get one too. Give gratitude and every chance you get and feel the buzz from it and bless everything good and bad because it’s your teacher and you’re the student. It’s a great time to raise a child in the Catholic faith today. So thanks and God bless.
Yours,
Sarah Finegan, BComm
Williamstown House
Oldcastle.
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