Defending the Faith Like Belloc

From Florida Parousian and Louisiana native Kevin Jones, in reference to an anti-Catholic smear on campus:

"Religious intolerance is nothing new. In the early part of the 20th century a man named Hilaire Belloc strode against the prevailing attitudes of his day when he followed his conscience and successfully campaigned to represent his neighbors, his family and himself in the British Parliament. As a devout Roman Catholic, Belloc faced withering criticism during the campaign from prejudiced individuals who despised his religious background. Nicknamed “Old Thunder,” Belloc used his stellar oratory and debate skills to respond to these irrational attacks by pointing out that everyone should respect an honest man’s convictions on such a deeply significant and personal matter as religion. He reminded his opponents that the pursuit of ultimate truth is a noble endeavor and that while discussing our views of the truth we should always treat those disagreeing with us as people possessing dignity and capable of reason.

Unfortunately, one group is retrogressing to the position of the anti-Catholic bigots of Belloc’s time. This group, known as the Atheist, Agnostic and Freethinkers Association, betrays their lack of respect for people disposed to religious belief by using an illustration on their banner depicting the evolution of man from lower primate to homo sapiens. In the second to last step, a hunched over Cro-Magnon-like man happens to carry a rosary while the fully upright man appears without a rosary—obviously free from the superstitious delusion of religious devotion. Aside from the humorous anachronism of a caveman with a rosary (Catholics pray the rosary—it’s so easy a caveman can do it!) it betrays a certain refusal to treat those dissenting from this view as reasonable people. While I strongly disagree with this group’s beliefs, policies and, in many cases, attitudes, I must still see them as people capable of choice, and the very act of discussion, debate or argument must betray this view. However, the description of the group also makes that impossible. The word choice of “freethinkers” seems like another attempt to deny the free will of believers. If the opposite of atheist is theist and the opposite of freethinker is robot, they seem to imply that all religious people are robots acting under coding and are no more human than computers. Since we all know that a robot cannot be persuaded, this position simultaneously attacks believers while rendering any argument or discussion between the opposing viewpoints impossible. Catholics or others disagreeing with the atheist positions would do well to attend some of the events of Catholic Awareness Week, which includes a discussion between a priest, a rabbi and the Islamic student group about their common ground and differences on Wednesday, January 31.

In conclusion, I regret Belloc was not there at the Reitz Colonnade that day. I would have liked to see him take out his rosary and say, “Sir, so far as possible I hear Mass each day and I go to my knees and tell these beads each night. If that offends you, then I pray God may spare me the indignity of representing you in Parliament.” As an atheist for part of his adulthood before his return to Catholicism, Belloc surely would have agreed that anyone trying to convince others of the truth must first approach them as people capable of knowing it."