Why You Need God

             I recently came across a CNN article that basically claimed that destroying and abandoning God saved a man and helped him to realize that he doesn’t need God for his life to have a purpose, because he can then contemplate just how unlikely and magical his very existence is.

                This theory struck me as very bizarre, because to me, it doesn’t seem as though the unlikeliness and wonder of this life are in any way exclusive to the idea of God. However, within the article, the author makes the connection I couldn’t see (well, almost). He claims that theism has led to a Nihilism in the world, that because of Christianity and the idea of Heaven, nothing really matters in the end, and it takes away all purpose from life (this is nihilism). However, the author made one critical mistake. The problem that brings about this “theistic nihilism” is not Theism per se, but Mainline Protestant thought.

                This is a point where Catholics noticeably diverge from popular Christian thought. Why? Because to a Catholic, both faith AND works are necessary for salvation. Yes, both. No, we are not working our way into heaven. Instead, we are proving the faith that we practice. What does this do, though? It gives us a sense of purpose. Why? Because Catholics now have a purpose in life- to know, love, and serve God (the subject of a future post).

                To a Catholic, it should seem completely incomprehensible that a person could find their purpose in life BY eliminating God from it. Eliminating God suddenly freed him up to experience beauty in life and wonder at the majesty of it all. It allowed him to focus on how short this life is instead of trying to worry about an eternal next life.

                Now, I don’t know about you, but to me, that sounds like a distinctly Catholic philosophy. Acknowledging the beauty in life and remembering that life is short, and you will quickly come to death. Those are two very Catholic ideas.

                First off, this idea of beauty in the world. Catholic art has a long and illustrious tradition. During the Renaissance, for example, when buildings such as the Sistine Chapel were painted. Another excellent example of Catholic art is in the time period immediately after the Protestant Rebellion (I refuse to call it a Reformation). The Calvinists were going through Switzerland and whitewashing churches, destroying statues, and eliminating all forms of art. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some Catholic churches became more ornate. The most obvious example of Catholic appreciation for beauty, though, comes from the Iconoclastic heresy of the 8^th century, where the Church definitively said that art is good.

                Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the Church is also constantly reminded of

death. In fact, once a year, on Ash Wednesday, we have ash put on our foreheads to remind us of our own mortality. One option for the words said is “Remember, man, you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Morbid, right? No. Look around a Catholic school or church. Count the
crucifixes you see. We are obsessed with death. There are churches literally built out of the skeletons of the martyrs. Death is not something a Catholic should forget. It comes for all.

                Why is the Church so obsessed with death and beauty? Because both things accomplish the same goal. They remind the Catholic to look upwards, to contemplate higher things than this life. Beauty is one of the Three Transcendentals (Truth, Goodness, Beauty). Contemplation of those three things should naturally, when done in a well-ordered way, bring about contemplation of God. Likewise, contemplation of death should accomplish the same thing. Why? Because it can come at any time. You’re not promised that you will live to a ripe old age. In fact, you’re promised only two moments in time in life. Now, and the hour of your death.

                I encourage the reader to do what this author could not. Take some time during the day and contemplate beauty and death. Prove to the world that theism is not nihilistic in nature.