h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Blessings on you and St Jose Maria Escriva

Hello Pilgrim! Thank you very much! I was impressed by the collection of entries you already have on your page. Quite a lot of what appears on this site is written by materialists who don't even realise they have absorbed a philosophy, and it's nice to see the issues being tackled.

If you are inclined to, and have a few minutes (to be honest maybe a bit more), take a look at a series of entries I am currently editing in the EG workshop, prior to putting back into peer review.

Something that started quite a controversial response when I posted it as a simple entry to begin with (a rather naive attempt I acknowledge) and has subsequently become no less that 4 large entries in themselves.

They relate the che concept of "Truth and Tolerance" and integrating reason and faith. They take the starting/finishing point from Pope Benedicts Regensburg Address, and much of the matrial is inspired from Ratzinger's book of the same name.

A14630410 Part 1 The Dialectic of Faith and Reason
A15985182 Part 2 A Synthesis of Faith and Reason
A15985209 Part 3 End of the Modern Era?
A15985227 Part 4 A Reasoned Inter-Faith Dialog

Wow! I will certainly take a look, but I am away this weekend so it can't be until next week now.

Sorry for butting in, but can a baffled newcomer have your permission to put your names on her friends' list? I would like to follow your threads and entries and can't think of other ways to do it.
Grateful o

Thank you! Certainly for my part, and I'll put you on mine.

Hello
I have no respect for the Moral majority thread but seeing how you stand up to the passionate Christian-bashers makes me ask this question: wouldn't it be better to leave Eddie and the others alone with (or on) their hobby-horse instead of trying to reason in vain? Sorry, it's a rhetorical one, I don't need explanations as to why you are there.
The question is not so much about you, as about me in this case:
I've been friends with several sisters of The Missionaries of Charity here in Moscow. Hubby and I were honoured to meet Mother Theresa in 1988, too, when the sisters first came to Moscow. In fact, their house is 20 minutes walk from mine and therefore one of the places where I go to Mass. As you will understand, having had some first-hand experience, I have nothing but respect and admiration for them. And they are perfectly happy, as are the people they are looking after. The reason why I'm writing to you instead of posting to the thread, is that I would hate to provoke yet another bout of unhealthy spitting in their general direction. (Excuse my strong language here) 'Ghoul of Calcutta', 'a special Hell' for both the Pope and Mother Teresa - that's a bit tough, surely? Haven't heard anything like that in my country for decades. We seem to be living in a post-atheistic society
Look forward to your answer.
Best regards,
Elena
P.S.Is this a very special site, or are things that bad for the Church in the west? I would be glad if you could e-mail me at [email protected]

Hello Elena

Thank you for your message yesterday. I was initially shocked by the reference to Mother Teresa, as like you I know the sisters and they do nothing but good among those they work with, sometimes under appallingly difficult circumstances. Unfortunately some years ago a book appeared by Christopher Hitchens, which by insinuation (if not the 'lie direct') painted Mother Teresa in a very hostile light. I don't think the contents would impress anyone who wasn't predisposed against her for other reasons (e.g. ideology), but there are enough of those types around, some of them on that thread.

Alas, I think I'm beginning to agree with you about not getting involved. I had hoped that by intervening on occasion some of the poison might be drained, but the prevalent belief still seems to be that Christians, especially Catholics, are automatically hypocrites. It's a shame. Some of the people on that thread are good company and even brilliant, when the anti-Christian mood doesn't strike them. Watching Math and Ed go head to head is one of the great sights of h2g2.

I was thinking of responding to a recent post. But perhaps in the light of what you say, it's best to keep quiet unless spoken to...

Hello
I would be grateful if you could find the time and wish to speak to me about the situation in which Christianity finds itself in the West these days. I have never lived abroad for an extended period of time and have no first-hand experience.
Hope life is kind to you these days.
Best regards,
Elena

Ok Elena! The situation varies a lot from place to place. England is a very secularised country and the process has been going on for over a century.

Already in 1867 Matthew could describe in his famous lyric poem, 'Dover Beach', Christianity's 'melancholy, long, withdrawing roar'. I can't speak for the Scots, Welsh or Irish though.

Whoops. Matthew // Matthew Arnold.