Martyr in St. Louis: This is a Glorious Way to Die

by: Norman Fulkerson

Monday, November 19, 2018, might have seemed like a normal day for Jamie Schmidt. Little did she know when she entered Catholic Supply, a religious goods store in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, that this ordinary day would be her last. Nor did her family ever dream her life would come to a heroic end with her being compared to Saint Maria Goretti.[1]

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In many ways, 53-year-old Jamie Schmidt could be considered an average Catholic lady, which only serves to make her final moments more outstanding. She was a mother of three who married her high school sweetheart. She sang in the choir at her parish Church, St. Anthony of Padua in High Ridge, Missouri. Friends described her as a giving person: someone who was always there if you needed help. She was also a devotee of Our Lady who actually made and distributed rosaries.

We know this because her reason for stopping at Catholic Supply was to purchase material for her rosary-making apostolate. There were only two other people in the store—both female employees—at the time of her arrival at 3:30 in the afternoon.

Moments later, Thomas Bruce entered. He looked around a bit then explained he was going to make a purchase but needed to get a credit card from his car. When he returned, he had a gun, and the three women were faced with their worst nightmare.

“In the Name of God…”

After forcing the ladies into a corner of the store, he proceeded to sexually assault the two employees. He then turned the gun on Jamie with the intention of doing the same to her, but she had other plans.

What happened next was an act of Christian testimony one would only expect to find among early Church martyrs in the Roman Coliseum, not from a twenty-first-century Catholic lady in a modern American city.

Thomas Bruce turned to Jamie and from what we know of the exchange that followed, ordered her to disrobe. In such a situation, she could have responded in a way that might pacify her assailant. One can only speculate as to what was going through her head at that critical moment.

However, when one considers the perverse acts she was forced to witness, it is likely Jamie understood there would be no reasoning with such a man. The thought also might have occurred to her that God had placed her in that situation because He wanted to test her fidelity to Him. While this is pure conjecture, her categorical response, as recounted by the two employees, is a documented fact.

“In the name of God,” she said, “I will not take my clothes off!” Using that type of phraseology was the equivalent to taking an oath before her Creator. It was thus an unequivocal, categorical, no, an absolute refusal to a man with a loaded gun who was clearly not going to accept opposition.

A Glorious End

Sadly the outcome was what one would expect under the circumstances. She was shot at point-blank range. As she lay mortally wounded on the floor, for what would turn out to be her last moments on Earth, she was in need of immediate spiritual strength and touchingly turned to God. As life drained from her body, the two employees could hear her murmuring the Our Father, the prayer composed by Our Lord Himself, in a faint voice.

The assailant fled the scene but was later apprehended. Jamie lived long enough to be taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. However, she did not cease praying and with her dying breath was heard whispering that same prayer as her short life came to a glorious end.

It would be reasonable for a person who relishes the memory of this brave lady’s heroic sacrifice to ask, why does such a story move us so much? It is because what we see with Jamie’s heroic defense of purity is the overarching luminosity of that which was best in her: honor.[2]

A World That Is Devastated and Without Honor

This forgotten quality has several defining characteristics. First of all, it is the virtue whereby we esteem that which is excellent. This is not a difficult thing to do in the soul-stirring case of a Catholic wife and mother who looks down the barrel of a loaded gun and unhesitatingly chooses death to dishonor.

Secondly, honor is also the quality that drives a person to live up to that excellence in all things. For example, those who care about their honor will not only maintain their purity, they will also seek to practice all virtues because of the love of principle, whether it is convenient to do so or not.

Finally, there are moments in a person’s life that could be defined as an “H-hour” or the all-or-nothing moment. It is a circumstance that asks a person to go above and beyond what they, or anyone who knows them, think they are capable of achieving. When faithful in those moments, the fullness of honor is seen, and along with it, a series of other qualities and virtues appear in the background, as it were, like an angel.

It is for this reason that Jamie’s heroism is particularly refreshing. The days we live in are not much different from the world defined in the Book of Maccabees as being “devastated and without honor.” Therefore, it is in licentious and self-centered days like our own that honor has more brilliance for the simple fact that it stands in stark contrast to the decadence that surrounds us.

Bypassing the Pleasures of Life to Do God’s Will

America should be very grateful to Mrs. Schmidt for her outstanding example of purity, so very needed in our dissolute times. With her last act, she provided a breath of fresh air in an ugly world. Although she might have been just an “average” lady leading up to the tragic events of November 19, in one monumental and decisive moment she was catapulted into the pantheon of greatness. It is for this reason that she has been likened to Saint Maria Goretti, the 12-year-old girl, who also chose death rather than submit to an equally perverse proposition.

Sadly there are those who, upon hearing Jamie’s story will callously ask, “What was it all worth?” She missed the opportunity to enjoy Thanksgiving with her family and the joyous season of Christmas. She will not see her children grow old nor will she ever be able to caress her grandchildren. While these heart-wrenching considerations are legitimate, especially for mothers reading this article, the all-important lesson of Jamie’s life could be lost. Her final words, while succinct, were at the same time a manifesto on the obligation we all have of being faithful to God’s will no matter how painful it may be.

However, there are those who will discard such reflections and look upon Jamie as the defeated one who lost out on life’s pleasures. We can thus contrast this attitude with that found in the poignant letter of French King Francis I to his mother after suffering a crushing defeat during the Battle of Pavia in 1525. He had lost militarily but maintained that which he considered most precious.

What the king reputedly said in that letter can be aptly applied to the unforgettable Jamie Schmidt. From the place in eternity she now occupies, Jamie can justly say to those she left behind, “All is lost, save honor.”

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[1] https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/will-this-be-the-first-american-born-martyr

[2] The concepts of Honor given here were developed by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira in a series of meetings on the subject given in 1976. He was able to make voluminous commentaries on this subject because he was, in a very eminent way, a man of honor.

The Catholic Church Against Every Error: The Unending Conflict

By Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

This article was written before World War II in the face of an impending crisis. Although the world situation has changed since then and even worsened, the same “unending conflict” between the Church and Her enemies continues.

Taken from the newspaper, Legionário, October 15, 1939

“The Unending Conflict” is the title of an essay by Hilaire Belloc, a well-known English Catholic writer and intimate friend of the late Chesterton, published in the London journal The Universe. Belloc demonstrates that all controversies in these hectic times are basically reduced to only one: the conflict between the Catholic Church and Her enemies.

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One most interesting aspect about our present times is that no one realizes the nature of the great struggle now involving all the nations of Europe, and some countries in America and Asia.

Everywhere you will hear that this is a fight between communism and what is commonly called “fascism.” Those same people who are quick to make this claim will say that the struggle is between a traditional old world and a rising brand-new world. Others, with a narrower vision, call it “a struggle between certain races or nations.” This latter claim is false since the struggle involves a universal movement. Still, others believe that it is merely a war between rich and poor.

All these explanations are imperfect to some degree, when not outright absurd. What we are witnessing is a conflict between the Catholic Church and Her enemies.

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We Are Headed for Chaos

Most of the more serious and intelligent observers of this fight certainly do not recognize this truth. However, it is the central truth of this whole struggle. People do not perceive this because they generally look at the indirect effects of events. Since any social event originates from profound, underlying causes, they fail to see the first causes, because they are not easy to perceive.

We must understand that the present modern conflict revolves around the Faith. Our fight is is yet another example of the struggle between the Faith and the world that has unfolded throughout the ages. Without understanding this, we will never comprehend the nature of the danger threatening the Earth. This is because the threat that weighs on the modern world is not the possibility of falling into the clutches of this or that race, or this or that philosophy. It is the danger of losing that which created our civilization.

Faith built our civilization. To the degree we lose the creative force of our Faith, our civilization will increasingly crumble. If this force is completely lost, our whole civilization will be lost, and we will move toward chaos.

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A few Questions to Dr. Inge

English writer Dr. William Ralph Inge, an Anglican professor of theology at Cambridge, has written an extraordinary statement. He wrote that unless the world submits once again to the teachings of Our Lord, it is doomed to perish. “Nothing can save us,” Dr. Inge said, “but the laws and doctrines of Christ.” As everyone knows, he is a very intelligent person, and almost as importantly, an extremely cultured man. He got very close to the truth since his words certainly expressed truth.

However, Dr. Inge failed to add the one extra clause that would have given full meaning to his thought. He did not say that a particular institution has preserved an uninterrupted tradition of that Divine teaching which he rightly considers the only and most necessary remedy for modern evils. He did not say this because he does not believe it. Dr. Inge does not believe that the Catholic Church speaks with the voice of Christ or that She is the one who possesses the whole tradition of Christ. Yet, like any other man, Dr. Inge would be hard-pressed to explain who else in the entire world can lay claim to this title. It is only the Church that can do this, which according to Her own definition is One, Holy, Roman, Catholic and Apostolic.

Consider any of the principal themes that have led men to war, past, present or future. State these themes in the form of questions: “What is the true doctrine about private property, based on the authority of Christ?” Or, “What is the true doctrine on marriage?” Or yet, “What is the true doctrine on war?” From the authority of the Church, we find answers to these and all other questions we may ask. Outside the Church, we will obtain an assortment of contradictory assertions. No one can cite a final authority anywhere, except for Catholics when we state what we accept as a sound philosophy of life.

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The Church’s Answer

Note also, that on every capital question in which an answer is indispensable to guide humanity, the Church’s response is based on several principles that support Her position, and prevent both the falsehood of exaggeration or the fallacy of treating universal matters as if they were isolated subjects. Thus, for example, in relation to private property, the Church affirms the right of ownership. She does not say, like the Communists: “The ownership of the means of production is immoral.” Rather, She affirms that property is a moral institution both in relation to consumer goods and means of production. The Church also affirms that every human being has the right to live according to human norms. Every human being is entitled to what the Church calls “human bread.” That is to say, that human dignity must always be maintained. When economic pressure becomes oppressive, producing a situation “akin to slavery,” it is immoral.

The Church teaches yet more: Faith presupposes a stable society; therefore, it does not allow for unfettered or unrestrained competition. Church doctrine on private property rests on a whole network of interrelated propositions, which if applied entirely, produces a stable and happy society.

The Family and the State

Let us look at another analogous point of contention. Does the individual exist for the State or the State for the individual? The conflict between tyranny and freedom revolves around this issue. The Church offers a perfectly clear answer.

The State exists for the family and to improve both the physical and especially the spiritual life of the individual. However, the State has the right to demand that citizens defend the nation from aggression and obey reasonable laws. Civil authority comes from God. The abuse of authority does not come from God. Indeed, when authority acts contrary to the law of God, it loses all its validity.

In Her long history, the Church has never produced or inspired a society that supported tyranny as a ruling principle, nor has She produced a society in which the authority of civil magistrates was denied.

At the root of the Church’s entire policy and social teaching lies Her clear doctrine on the family, an institution created for the salvation of the individual.

False Solutions

The tragic danger of our time lies in false solutions lacking effective authority to implement them. It also lies in false solutions based on insufficient principles, or false solutions springing from extremism that proposes to heal the mortal suffering that afflicts us all.

Thus, for example, some might say that man under industrial capitalism, is allegedly a victim of injustice. As a solution, those opposed to the Faith exclaim, “Let us end private ownership of the means of production, and this injustice will disappear!” However, this will only cause worse suffering; for slavery is the only possible alternative to private property as a social institution.

Married life always has some tribulations, and sometimes couples suffer tragic and almost unbearable trials. Those contrary to the Faith will exclaim, “Let us put an end to marriage through fast-track divorce, and then the evils of marriage will vanish.” Abolishing marriage will only give rise to far worse, inhumane evils because it will destroy the basic cell or unit of social life. This will soon result in the annihilation of society itself.

Save Us From the Deniers of Hell - Return to Order

By John Horvat II

Anyone who wonders why the Catholic Church is in its present crisis need only read Dr. Scott Bruce’s “Do We Still Need to Believe in Hell?” The Wall Street Journal article (9/15-16/2018) recently appeared in its popular weekend review section.

It was a rather typical yet brutal appraisal of the notion of Hell. The author believes Hell is a medieval invention adapted from the ancient myths that talk about a place of punishment for evildoers in the afterlife.

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Dr. Bruce recognizes the sociological value of Hell as “a frightening deterrent for sinful behavior,” however, he claims that Hell was (and no longer is) a cornerstone of Christian doctrine and that it was (and no longer is) something about which priests preached.

The author looks forward to a day “in some, better future,” when the idea of Hell might be retired from use. It would be “an important step in the maturation of human communities that can mete out justice on their own, without supernatural aid.”

A Cause for Concern

Such a sad commentary is to be expected from the Wall Street Journal with its materialistic and secular outlook on life. Light-hearted musings about Hell serve as a curiosity for those intent upon building a material paradise on earth.

However, Dr. Bruce is a Catholic. He is not only a Catholic but a professor of history at a Catholic university. His is not just any university but the Jesuit-run Fordham University in New York City.

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This is a cause for concern, for Dr. Bruce runs no risk in speaking against Hell. He will not be called to task by Fordham for his critique of Hell in the nation’s leading newspaper; he will never be asked to withdraw the book he has just edited about the same topic; and he will tranquilly continue teaching with the many similarly minded professors at Catholic institutions everywhere.

Such inaction on the part of administrators is not surprising to those who have followed the decadence inside the Church in recent decades. Everyone knows there is a lack of concern for orthodoxy at many of the nation’s Catholic institutions. This example just shows that there is no attempt to hide it.

Hell is Scriptural

The denial of Hell helps explain why the Church is in crisis. The Hell-deniers do irreparable harm to the Church, souls and society. The dogma of Hell is foundational for the Church. Take it away and the whole structure of Church teaching comes crashing down.

The notion of Hell has been held from time immemorial. Even Plato, unenlightened by Revelation, perceived the need for Hell, declaring: “Such is the judgment of the gods who dwell in heaven; the good are reunited with the good, the wicked to the wicked.”

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The existence of Hell is clearly defined in the Bible. It is mentioned many times in both the Old and New Testaments. It is also unequivocal. Hell-deniers find little room for doubt in the graphic descriptions of this place of terrible punishment of endless duration. Numerous councils have defined Hell as an article of faith. Countless saints have all consistently spoken of Hell in dramatic terms.

“I am filled with fear and trembling,” says Saint Bernard, “and all my bones are shaken at the thought of that unhappy country of the damned.”

Saint Anthony Mary Claret categorically states, “It is of faith that Heaven exists for the good and Hell for the wicked. Faith teaches that the pains of Hell are eternal, and it also warns us that one single mortal sin suffices to condemn a soul forever because of the infinite malice by which it offends an infinite God.”

The denial of Hell is, therefore, a denial of biblical truth and Church tradition. It would imply there is no Revelation. Hell is reduced to metaphor and folklore as insinuated by Dr. Bruce’s article.

No Need for the Incarnation and Redemption

The deniers of Hell call into question the need for the Church. The dogma of Hell is a crucial piece in the logical narrative of the Faith. Without Hell, Christianity would not make sense.

Indeed, if Hell does not exist, then Original Sin cannot exist. For it was as a consequence of man’s fall from grace that Hell became a punishment for those who die unrepentant and unjustified. If there is no Hell, there is no need for the Incarnation and redemption. Without Hell, sins have no consequences. Thus, Jesus Christ need not have become flesh nor died a terrible death on the Cross. His death would be meaningless and illogical. Likewise, Christians would not be bound by a debt of gratitude and love, for Christ would have neither saved nor redeemed them. Christianity would be a great hoax without the notion of Hell.

No Moral Order Without Hell

Moreover, it is in the moral order that Hell becomes important. If there is no eternal hell, then there can be no moral order. The moral order can only be based on an absolute difference between good and evil. If the eternal reward for good and evil deeds is perceived as equal—whether heaven or nothingness—then vice and virtue become optional.

Unanchored in justice, such societies sweep away all morality, honesty, and public order. Take the fear of eternal punishment away, and Hell will be installed on earth. This was many times proved by the sinister ideologies of the twentieth century.

The deniers of Hell undermine the already crumbling moral order. They deprive justice of its sanctions; virtue of its rewards.

Hell and Fatima

To those who say that Hell has outlived its usefulness in the modern age, one need only recall the message of Fatima in 1917. During the July 13 apparition, Our Lady showed the three children a vision of Hell. In so doing, she affirmed the special relevance of Hell for the present.

She not only confirmed Hell’s existence but tragically warned that untold numbers of souls were going there. To prevent this, she asked for repentance and amendment of life. The denial of Hell is a direct attack upon the Fatima message that was mercifully given by God to guide Catholics in these tragic times of sin and iniquity.

What better lesson for today than a strong awareness of the existence of Hell? How many blasphemies and sins could have been averted had Our Lady’s revelation of Hell been taken to heart! How many of the scandals inside the Church would have been avoided had all Catholics, priests and faithful alike, remembered Hell in all its hideousness.

And yet, there is a danger more insidious than those who ignore the Hell that they know exists; it is the danger of the Hell-deniers, who ridicule the notion and incite others to disbelief. They do incalculable harm to souls and the moral order. They offend a merciful God and Our Blessed Mother who desire the salvation of all.

At Fatima, Our Lady gave the shepherd children a prayer in which they were to call upon Jesus to “forgive us our sins and save us from the fires of Hell.”

Today, this prayer might well be modified to ask Our Lady to “save us from the deniers of Hell.”

As seen on Crisis Magazine.

Save Us From the Deniers of Hell - Return to Order: Save Us From the Deniers of Hell Anyone who wonders why the Catholic Church is in its present crisis need only read Dr. Scott Bruce’s “Do We Still Need...

An Appeal to the Divine Shepherdess

By John Horvat II

September 25 is the feast of the Divine Shepherdess. This devotion dates back to 1703, when Capuchin Friar Isidoro of Seville, a scion of Spain’s most noble families, experienced a mystical illumination in which the Virgin Mary asked him to spread devotion to her as Shepherdess of Souls. He commissioned a painting, preached this devotion, and it is well-known today in Spain.

This Marian invocation came to mind while pondering the widespread homosexual corruption we are seeing in the Church.

The present situation is truly tragic.

We need to put ourselves in the perspective of the Church that has long been in a process of self-destruction that is now in a very advanced stage.

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The Action of the Wolves

Ravenous wolves outside the flock are destroying of Catholic morality and doctrine. Through media and the culture, they have undermined Catholic morals and practice. They have promoted heresy and error, which lays the foundation for the physical abuse of sheep. They have infiltrated into the flock, in sheep’s clothing, and in all their undisguised hideousness. They made deals with certain shepherds.

As a result, the wolves have decimated the flock over the last few decades. The scandals served as catalysts that made the sheep feel unprotected by the shepherds. In face of the immensity of the crisis, the sheep are now exasperated and desperate. They are taking measures of self-defense which is entirely within their right. They are loudly complaining to the shepherds, some of which do not heed their cries.

Thus, many are now claiming the need to put the flock under the care of the sheep to fight off the wolves.

The Nature of Sheep

The good intentions of these sheep are praiseworthy. Indeed, some of these sheep are extremely competent and organized. They are movers and shakers that know how to get things done. However, they are limited in their ability to deal with this problem.

This is because a sheep is always a sheep. When confronted with wolves, even the most competent sheep will inevitably lose. Sending sheep into the dens of wolves will not resolve the problem. It is not the fault of the sheep, just the nature of the predators and all the resources of culture and society that support them.

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The Role of Shepherds

There is no doubt that many shepherds have not protected the sheep as they should. However, to change the structures of the flock by giving functions of the shepherds to the sheep is a quick road to disaster.

This is because a shepherd is a shepherd. He is equipped with the authority, skills and knowledge to deal with wolves. The shepherd’s office is endowed by God with graces and charisms to teach, govern and sanctify. Shepherds often have sheepdogs whose hatred of all things wolf is in their DNA. When a shepherd, even a weak one, seriously confronts a wolf, the wolf will almost always lose.

Dancing with Wolves

The worst thing about the present crisis is not that we are entrusting faithful sheep to other more competent sheep to stave off the wolves. Rather, many are proposing that the task be delegated to others who are not even part of the flock. They are asking independent observers, often friendly to the wolves, and who hate the flock, to oversee it. They are asking the government to get involved.

Yet worse, ex-members of the flock join the chorus asking that sheep oversee the flock. Wolves also demand that the Church be structured differently, and even promise their friendship should things change.

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What Wolves Want

The objective of the wolves is always the same regarding sheep. Wolves want to kill and devour sheep. To accomplish this purpose, they need to get rid of shepherds—even bad shepherds. The very office of shepherd is a symbol that frightens wolves. He is also an obstacle, since the shepherd guarantees the continuity of sacramental life that strengthens the sheep. As long as shepherds exist, there will be the possibility of good shepherds that will rise up and kill wolves.

Thus, wolves want sheep without shepherds. They want weakened sheep without grace. That is why they would suggest that sheep and non-sheep oversee the flock. That way they might ravage more easily the Church of Christ with their false doctrines and immoral behavior. They might also lead the faithful away from the verdant pastures which nurture the sheep.

The strategy of the wolves is to make the shepherds the common enemy of both wolves and sheep. The real common enemy of both shepherds and sheep should be the wolves.

The Separation and Mutual Hatred of Wolves and Sheep

A crisis like ours always happens when the Church tries to make a deal with the world—to peacefully co-exist with the wolves. In our particular case, it is much graver since we have sought to get along with the evils of the modern world with its denial of sin and adoration of progress.

Thus, we live in a world of intermingled sheep and wolves. It is a hypersexualized culture that destroys all morality and modesty. It is relativist world in which there are no absolute truths, moral norms or certainties. We live in a broken society in which the family and community are coming apart. Our secular society has dethroned God as the center of our lives.

That is why any real solution cannot be an administrative or regulatory fix. It will not be resolved simply with the dismissal or resignation of shepherds, however corrupt they might be.  It must be a moral solution. We must return to a hatred of sin. We must again establish that healthy separation and mutual hatred between wolves and sheep. We must condemn immorality by working against the corrupt world. God must return to the center of our lives and be proclaimed in the public square.

We must return to orthodoxy at all levels inside the Church. It was not power, secrecy or authority that led to the scandals. It was the abandonment of orthodoxy in the Faith that created the conditions for abuse to happen. For without moral principles, the worst abuses and abominations are made possible—and indeed happened.

Indeed this is a crisis of Faith for which we have been justly chastised. Saint John Eudes notes that “The most evident mark of God’s anger, and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world, is manifest when He permits His people to fall into the hands of a clergy who are more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds. “

An Appeal to the Divine Shepherdess

The first step to solving the crisis is to recognize that anything short of a moral reform is not serious. We need to humbly admit that for decades our problem has been unholy shepherds, unholy sheep and cunning wolves. To change the structure of the shepherd and the flock will only play into the hands of the wolves.

The second step is to realize that Catholics, both sheep and shepherds, must do all we can humanly do to make this moral reform happen—and eradicate the wolves in our midst. That means rallying behind the faithful shepherds that uphold Church teaching and resisting all who do not.

However, given the immensity of the crisis, an intervention is needed.

That is why we must repair to that pasture where the Divine Shepherdess appeared. Our Lady at Fatima speaking to the three shepherd children brought a message of warning and hope. She warned us of the growing moral corruption and proposed solutions that we should take to heart. Above all, we must humbly appeal to the Divine Shepherdess that she intervene as promised and restore shepherds and flock bringing the triumph of her Immaculate Heart.

An Appeal to the Divine Shepherdess - Return to Order: An Appeal to the Divine Shepherdess September 25 is the feast of the Divine Shepherdess. This devotion dates back to 1703, when Capuchin Friar Isidoro of...

How Science Gets God Wrong

By John Horvat II

To the scientific community, religion is a mystery that should not exist. The greatest mystery is the God problem. There must be some kind of scientific explanation to account for why people believe in God.

Since the Enlightenment, secular scientists have held that God is an imaginary being, created by weak people who need psychological support to deal with the stress of life.  However, this weak thesis falls apart in the face of so many religious people (including famous Catholic scientists) who have strong personalities and experience no problems adjusting to life.

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Solving the Mystery of God

Nevertheless, this very unscientific myth never seems to die. A reincarnation of this opinion can be found in a recent University of Michigan study. The team of researchers concluded that “friending” God can restore purpose in life for those who are lonely or anti-social. Once again, it seems the mystery of God is solved.

The study is the result of surveys from three separate studies, in which 19,775 people discuss their purpose in life, loneliness, friendships and religious beliefs. The study team found that those who lack purpose and friends see God as a means to fill the void in their lives.

“For the socially disconnected, God may serve as a substitutive relationship that compensates for some of the purpose that human relationships would normally provide,” lead author Todd Chan explained in a university release.

The new study builds upon prior research that concluded that socially disconnected people will often project human-like qualities upon pets, imaginary beings and God. However, the study warns that trust in God in no way compensates for being socially connected with real people.

“These results certainly do not suggest that people can or should rely on God over people for purpose,” adds co-author Oscar Ybarra. “Quality human connections still remain a primary and enduring source of purpose in life.”

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In other words, believers are simple-minded misfits who cannot integrate themselves into modern society. God may be “friended” as if on Facebook, but such a link is a poor substitute for being part of the fashionable crowd.

Pitying Secular Scientists

Such scientists are to be pitied. The first reason is that they are not real scientists. Their premises are biased against the existence of God. Theirs is a depressing materialistic outlook that, if taken to its final consequences, strips purpose from life and creation.

These scientists have blinded themselves to the existence of a spiritual world. Instead, they try to project their materialistic premises upon a spiritual realm. This also is unscientific. Real scientists need to apply the right criteria and methods to the circumstances. They also need to be aware of all possible causes—even those outside their field of competence.

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This spiritual world has never been the product of the imaginings of weak individuals. Ancient philosophers taught long ago that man is a composite being made up of body and soul. It has long been held that man has a spiritual side that is superior to the material. This superior side of man’s nature is recognized as that which makes every man unique and gives him dignity.

This spiritual side gives rise to political, social, cultural, and religious activities and sciences that tower above the physical and exact sciences of these scientists. Indeed, they satisfy the innate need for the good, true and beautiful and ultimately prepare the way for eternal salvation.

Without this spiritual side, man is reduced to matter, chemical reactions, evolutionary meanderings and algorithms. Indeed, some postmodern scientists have affirmed this as the logical consequence of a world without the soul.  No person, however socially active, will find purpose in a life thus conceived.

Getting It All Backward

The most tragic aspect of these scientists is that they have it all backward.

They try to make God the creation of human imaginings when it is the other way around. Man is the creation of an unimaginably magnificent God.

They imagine the fickle affections of others to be the highest social achievement. They cannot imagine the affections of a God (who defines Himself as Charity) that unites himself to the faithful in prayer and the Holy Eucharist.

Scientists try to explain backward that which is already known. In times of great trials, including the breakdown of relationships, people have recourse to God. However, this is not to compensate for lost love, but to ask for a superior aid that human relationships cannot provide.

God answers prayers and showers blessings upon those who call upon Him. The testimony of countless faithful Christians is evidence of real benefits and even miracles received. All of this is documented should these scientists wish to see it.

A society centered on God will radiate Christian charity and improve relationships for all. Modern society is a dog-eat-dog world of clashing self-interests.

Those who truly love God are commanded to love their neighbors as themselves. The Church is the source of vibrant community, not a collection of socially challenged misfits.

Discovering the Real Purpose of Life

Scientists need to understand that the soul is made for God and will never find rest and happiness outside of Him. As social beings, people need others to help them in their quest for sanctification. However, they are just the means to a much higher end, God. The purpose of life cannot be social fulfillment in a life that is so fleeting.

The purpose of life is to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy with Him in the next. Anything less will only lead to unhappiness.

Scientists studying the purpose of life might start by seeing the role of science as a means to help others understand better God’s creation. Their purpose should not be that of creating a God that validates their unscientific myths.

As seen on CNSNews.

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