{"id":4281,"date":"2017-09-16T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2017-09-16T00:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=4281"},"modified":"2021-10-20T10:46:15","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T02:46:15","slug":"184-creation-the-reasonableness-of-creation-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=4281","title":{"rendered":"184. Creation: The Reasonableness of Creation Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

1<\/sup> For all people who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature;<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know the one who exists,<\/span><\/strong>
\n nor did they recognize the artisan while paying heed to his works;<\/span><\/strong>
\n 2\u00a0<\/sup>but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air,<\/span><\/strong>
\n or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water,<\/span><\/strong>
\n or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world.<\/span><\/strong>
\n 3\u00a0<\/sup>If through delight in the beauty of these things people assumed them to be gods,<\/span><\/strong>
\n let them know how much better than these is their Lord,<\/span><\/strong>
\n for the author of beauty created them.<\/span><\/strong>
\n 4\u00a0<\/sup>And if people were amazed at their power and working,<\/span><\/strong>
\n let them perceive from them<\/span><\/strong>
\n how much more powerful is the one who formed them.<\/span><\/strong>
\n 5\u00a0<\/sup>For from the greatness and beauty of created things<\/span><\/strong>
\n comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.<\/span> [Wisdom13:1-5<\/span>, NRSV<\/em>]<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/a>\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

[L] William Blake, Ancient of Days<\/em> (God Creating the Universe) c. 1794. [M]\u00a0Snowflake, [R]\u00a0Image of tree and roots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is Pope Benedict so concerned about our faith being \u201creasonable\u201d? In the lectures and now in his book, Benedict speaks to Europeans who are \u201ccivilized\u201d people, of whom Dostoevsky once asked an arresting question: “Can one believe while being civilized, i.e. a European?, believe without reservation in the divine nature of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?” In this modern technocratic age, Pope Benedict knows all too well that faith must be reasonable or it is insulting to expect people to believe it. He will repeatedly argue from different angles the reasonableness of a faith in creation and the Creator. Above all, he wants to show the Creator as the eternal Cosmic Intelligence, the eternal Source of life in the universe, the eternal Good and Benign Power that stands at the very origin of our creation and sustenance.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does Pope Benedict address the question of reason<\/em> and intelligibility<\/em>?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Once the readers see the fundamental intention of showing God as Creator of the world, they can follow the narrative sequence and see that things did not come about randomly or by accident. Rather, all things originated in God\u2019s eternal Reason<\/em>. And all things came into being because of God\u2019s will, through the power of his Word. This is immensely important, for\u00a0once we realize that the world came from the Word of God \u2013 He who is good and all-powerful:<\/span><\/p>\n