The monks of old understood that “Science is the handmaiden of theology.” They understood that God created creation. They were right, but could only describe what they knew with Iron Age words. Today, we can understand that “God is the Unprogrammed Programmer. He can program 3-D particles the way we can program 2-D computer animations. He programmed everything to work seamlessly together to provide us, His beloved children, with free will.”
No matter what parts of creation scientists study, they are examining His programs. Most scientists do not understand that, and if they did, they wouldn’t admit it. They know that funding will be cut off to any who dare to admit that they are studying what God hath wrought.
Catholic Fundamentalists, as our medieval predecessors, know that The Unprogrammed Programmer used His ability to make and compile particles and energies into systems and beings for one reason: To give each human being free will. Each of us is free to choose to believe in a universe that’s dozens of billions of years old, or to believe that we, His beloved Free Will Programs, live in a world He has programmed simply to give us the eternal joy of knowing Him.
He programmed the system in such a way that every single structure and process could be believed to have occurred by accident or by some unconscious design. On the other hand, we who believe in Him, and have at least a glimpse of His power to program and compile particles into systems and beings can understand that He made all there is simply to separate the believing sheep from apostate goats.
As always, the system is designed to separate the humble and obedient from vain and self-willed. We, the humble obedient can only bring the vain and self-willed to greater understanding by loving them. It’s hard, but that’s the way it is.
When The Church begins to explain God as The Unprogrammed Programmer rather than as the Prime Mover, and explains that Scripture is a record of His programming power in physical form, Her teaching will reach more souls. Since The Church has not done so, and neither have any professional Catholics, one may assume that God’s barrier between the sheep and goats has been intentionally left more impassible than it might otherwise be.
It is, one might suppose, our job to let people know that God programmed particles, compiled them into systems and beings, and programmed us free-will creatures simply to get through the obstacle course of vanity and conventional reality to have the joy of being with Him forever.
