May the Force Be With You

A follow-up, perhaps, on the Vatican's symposium with non-believers:

“Everything that is moved is moved by another. That some things are in motion—for example, the sun—is evident from sense. Therefore, it is moved by something else that moves it. This mover is itself either moved or not moved. If it is not, we have reached our conclusion—namely, that we must posit some unmoved mover. This we call God. If it is moved, it is moved by another mover. We must, consequently, either proceed to infinity, or we must arrive at some unmoved mover. Now, it is not possible to proceed to infinity. Hence, we must posit some prime unmoved mover. Both statements can be proved.” 

--Stacy Trasancos, Ph.D., writes over at the new Atheist-Catholic dialogue website Strange Notions

In conversations I've had with Atheists and Agnostics, I am reminded of the importance of "defining one's terms." It's one thing to not believe in God; it's another to turn the argument to unicorns. Unicorns have never properly defended their arguments through words or action or history for that matter, so I think they can be properly left out of the conversation. The tendency towards the absurd makes talking into babble, and logic into lessening of real thought.

What I like so much about the Big Bang theory, for instance, is the fascinating argument that order can come from the chaos. BOOM! The world, y'all. But if the Big Bang happened, then as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says, God is behind it. Because the bang didn't just "happen." There is always a force propelling motion forward. And even if you don't believe it's God, is the other force so hard to believe? 

Beauty in the rubble of life.

"This life is far too much trouble, far too strange, to arrive at the end of it and then be asked what you make of it and have to answer, 'Scientific Humanism.' That won't do. A poor show. Life is a mystery, love is a delight. Therefore, I take it as axiomatic that one should settle for nothing less than the infinite mystery and the infinite delight; i.e., God. In fact, I demand it. I refuse to settle for anything less. I don't see why anyone should settle for less than Jacob, who actually grabbed aholt of God and wouldn't let go until God identified himself and blessed him." -Walker Percy