In modern Christian theology, there is an unspoken, unwritten attitude in place that requires teachers, clergy, and other Christians to gloss over or “allegorize” many parts of Scripture that conflict with the latest scientific opinions. Christians are advised not to get “too literal” and to modify their opinions so that they are more in line with “science”.
Oddly, only Christians are so cautioned. No one ever tells Moslems to “stop taking your holy writings literally”. It would be unpopular to mention the especially unpopular conclusion that we would not have ended up with science being able to bury unfashionable Christian beliefs if a few Christian suicide bombers visited one or two of those who make a living criticizing Christianity. But, Christians aren’t allowed to do that, due to the “love your neighbor/Thou Shalt Not Kill” part of our instructions.
History has, since the Reformation, repeated itself. Much as the state-dependent Episcopalian Church under the control of Henry VIII replaced the more independent Catholics, today’s environmental denominations have been made the state’s approved religion and have replaced many of Protestant beliefs. Titles have changed. “Father” and “Reverend” has been replaced by “Doctor”. “Tithes” are no longer voluntary, but are mandatory “user fees” and “taxes”. Government payrolls that paid Henry’s Anglican clergy for their acquiescence now go to various environmental denominations, from the Global Warmers to the Endangered Species Gang. These new oracles determine Scriptural reality, replacing whatever they choose with an endless number of theories from every know-it-all from Darwin to Marx.
Catholic Fundamentalism offers an escape from the amazing oddness of refusing to believe politically incorrect parts of the Bible while simultaneously insisting, “I am a Christian”. It’s actually refreshing to contemplate God as having written and downloaded the programs that are things and processes that we can see. We grow in appreciation of His power as we try to understand that they have all the individual programs, even the huge number of which we’re unaware, have been compiled into the far greater Creation Program in which we live.
Understanding this awareness of His power in words made familiar to us by the operations of programmers and programs is easier than ever before. Who knows? The basic tenet of Catholic Fundamentalism may be enough to get one or two modernists to consider that He knew exactly what He was talking about when He inspired the writers of Holy Scripture to accurately write down precisely what He told them He did and how long it took.
