The Atlanta Journal Constitution (a newspaper that isn‘t going out of business March 21), has a very trenchant piece on science vs. religion online right now. One point in it is that the “culture wars” of the last decade or so have made discussions about religion and science into an either-or proposition. The Pat Robertson’s among us have given a bad name, IMHO, to all believers; creationists who cling to young-earth theories and deny all science don’t help much either.

But, at least among Catholics and the mainline Protestant groups (not to mention Jews and Bahai’i's), science and religion are not enemies, and belief in God does not preclude love of science and the discoveries of the natural world. Most of us believe, as the Rev. Patricia Templeton wrote in the AJC, that Jesus and “came to take away your sins, not your mind.” (She was quoting from a poster that is one answer to the flippant ‘you’re Christian, ergo you must be an idiot’ comments popular atheists have come to embrace.)

I spend more time nowadays explaining to lapsed believers or nonbelievers that not all Christians think the Grand Canyon was created 4,500 years ago than I do explaining transubstantiation. These discussions are about as draining as the argument I have with literalists who cling to first creation story in Genesis as gospel truth (a bad pun, since Genesis isn’t in one of the four Gospels, but so fun to say!) and ignore the second. (You didn’t know there were two? See the AJC article for a quick explanation.)

But it is better than staying silent in either case: Atheists who think all religious faith is ignorance run amok are no more informed than believers who refuse to accept carbon dating. Both could use a little truth in love.

Ok, I confess I’ve always had a crush on Tony Blair. It’s the accent, probably. The Times Online had a report of him speaking at Obama’s National Prayer Breakfast and saying that he was thankful to be out of politics since British politicians who speak of religion or faith are viewed with skepticism … “people do think you’re a bit of a nutter,” Blair said.

I really liked the Times piece, because it pointed out that Blair got something right I think our former President didn’t: He kept his faith private while in public office. (Full disclosure here: The National Prayer Breakfast bugs me since it seems to violate the separation of church and state, and the countries that don’t have separation of church and state scare the jellybeans out of me.)

Blair separating his faith from his work didn’t mean he didn’t consult the Almighty, indeed, he’s quoted as saying he prayed that he would “do God’s work and follow God’s will.” But he did that prayer privately, along the lines of what Jesus advised when he cautioned “… go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. “

I’m a proponent of prayer, mostly because I hold to the Catholic theology positing that one prays to change oneself, not one’s circumstances. But hearing Blair prayed to know God’s will? I’m not sure anyone ever knows that. In fact, people who tell us they hear voices from on high tend to get medicated or locked away. (One wonders if we’d listen to people like Joan of Arc or St. Francis today or just offer them 20 mgs of Prozac.)

Maybe I feel this way because I’ve never gotten a Post-it from God telling me what to do when I ask for some clear-cut direction. (A priest once told me I’d question the Post-it even if it came. “You’d think it wasn’t the right color,” he quipped.) Or maybe it is just that I think the mind of God is too big to be known. Or maybe because all things natural point to the fact that we were given brains for a reason – to reason. Yes, we should try to discern which would be the best road for us to take, and in that quiet reflection, things can become clearer. But in the end, the choice is still a human one and we have to take responsibility for it. Which is why the war in Iraq isn’t God’s fault, even if our country’s former leader said it was God’s will.

A friend of mine, who also happens to be a priest, recently posted the statement below in the Facebook game of 25 Random Things about Me. I can’t believe anyone has time to even think of 25 things, much less post them, but it could be because I’m still gainfully employed as a journalist and we’re always busy writing about everyone else.

Anyway, I so agree with his statement that I’m passing it on here. Discuss among yourselves.

“I am absolutely certain that the biggest moral problems in our society today are caused by an obstinate confusion between pleasure and happiness. Instead of seeking happiness, most people act for pleasure…”