Cheese for the Cheese God Thursday, May 12, 2005

Old-time religion yesterday. We loaded up and headed down South Central Jersey way to attend the confirmation of Wrong Turn Niece. Mrs. WTJ was her sponsor. Wrong Turn Jr. obliged by wailing the second the kids walked down the aisle and not stopping until returned to mother's loving arms an hour and a half later. In the meantime, we strolled the garden, watched cute little duckies and (almost) got cleaned up and changed in the trunk of the car before deciding the back seat would be a safer bet, given the area's rogue child-welfare services.

Aaron on religion: I am definitely not saying the God of Abraham is the only route. For this point, I call on the services of the newly minted pope, who spelled out a compelling argument (for Catholics, anyhow) in a book published just last year. His general point, as I took it, was: The church recognizes the kernel of inspired truth in all religions; but the church picks up where they leave off. In the case of Buddhism, for instance, the church recognizes the insights about the material and the spiritual, and sees them, in their way, as paths to holiness. But Jesus, in the church's view, solves the "problem" of Buddhism by redeeming the material world. The world is something to manage as a spiritual test--not to view as an illusion. (This probably mangles Ratzinger's point and Buddhist philosophy as well, but you get the idea.)

So, in the church view, other religions get you moving in the right direction, but Jesus ultimately is the only one who can carry you across the goal lines. (Unless your great-grandparents had issues with Edward G. Robinson, which opens up a whole other can of locusts.) The fringier shores of Protestantism probably have a different take on this, but in the Catholic church, we love to see you smile.

As for not needing religion at all: I have a large idea I've been working on, but in present form it's too big and blunt to do any good. Let me refine. Pax till then.

@ 11:39:00 AM,

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