Gerard Bodifée 0103

Question: There is a phenomenon in our society that tends to reduce everything to the scientific. So, even when one is talking about art, the analysis will be a scientific one. Or mention religion, as you do in your books, and science will see religion as a form of science, only to go on and say that this form of science doesn’t measure up to the standards of our methodology… thereby reducing everything to science.

Bodifée: This is indeed how it happened historically. Of course it has been going on for quite a while: in the case of Christianity, since the 12th and 13th century. Scholasticism subjected the Christian faith to science and rationalism. In the present day, it is completely in the grip of such influences. Theologians and philosophers have scrutinised it into oblivion. It is a bit the same as when you start analysing a poem: you dissect it so completely that there’s nothing left. Do this and you kill it. Religion cannot stand up to this kind of scientific analysis.

Religion expresses itself in a different language, talks about a completely different subject, and should be allowed to be itself. However, this is not easily tolerated. And a lot of people don’t understand this: I’m not talking about dogmatic positions, I’m not using rational argument. I’m speaking from a different source. “Oh yes? And what would that be, then?” they ask. “What are you talking about? About what the Church proclaims?” No, no, that’s not it. “About a truth you have discovered yourself?” No, that’s not it either. I don’t even think it is about truth. Religion doesn’t deal with truth, but rather with goodness. As long as we are not convinced that these two are really the same thing, we try to keep them a bit separate. Religion is about how life should be. What life would be like if it were a full life. If existence were complete. Religion is about perfect fullness, about God.

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