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Is our faith founded solely on miracles and supernatural acts?

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By Dr. Chris Anthony
Butterworth, Malaysia
Op/Ed
Catholic Online

Modern man has so advanced in science and technology that he insists on evidence before he accepts anything as the truth, especially those that are supernatural in nature. Gone are the days when he is willing to accept anything based just on faith and tradition? God's gift to man - his inquisitive and intellectual mind had brought him great advancements to the whole human race but at times also to his detriment.

As a result of this characteristics of man, of late a number of controversies have cropped up that have resulted in our church resorting to all available means to rebut them. The latest among these were the DaVinci Code, The Gospel of Judas and now the Lost Tomb of Jesus. There have also been numerous scientific studies to provide logical explanations for the various miracles performed by Jesus.

Tremendous controversies have also been generated regarding Jesus himself - his divinity, his birth, his relationship with Mary Magdalene, his miracles, his crucifixion and even his resurrection upon which our faith is founded. There are many out there to prove wrong what has been believed to be the absolute truth over the centuries which the Church had taken great pains to preserve and safeguard at all costs.

Embrace your Faith

Now the very foundation of the Catholic Church and in fact Christianity is being challenged by various quarters, some genuinely to find the TRUTH others in an attempt to ridicule our faith or for monetary gains. No other religion has been subjected to such intense scrutiny as Christianity which speaks volumes for the greatness of Jesus and his teachings.

We are aware that this is not the end. As long as man exists, his egoism and curiosity will continue to rule him and he will persist in his attempts to disprove our long accepted believes. Man will continue to cast doubts on our faith and believes that are so dear to us. Modern scientific endeavors may even succeed in proving certain of our established believes wrong.

The various churches, in particular the Catholic Church, have embarked on extensive counter measures to rebut these allegations. We contend these allegations are baseless and malicious.

What if they are true? What if science can prove our long held beliefs to be wrong? Isn't human intelligence a God's gift to mankind? Are we prepared to accept the truth however bitter it may be?

Is our faith based solely on miracles and supernatural acts that are said to have occurred 2000 years ago when man had little or no understanding of science and nature? If these miracles and supernatural events are proven to be false by modern evidence-based techniques, is our faith still relevant? Would it create doubts in the minds of even the most ardent follower of Christ?

Man being curious and egoist as he is, will not rest until he gets the truth and to me that, coupled with his intelligence, are the gifts of God to him. We know that the TRUTH will finally prevail and when it does we have no choice but to accept it with the humility.

Miracles and magical events can be proved wrong but not Christ's teachings. These will stand the test of time. His two great commandments, love God and love your neighbor , are relevant throughout the ages and would never become obsolete. If we understand and practice these two great commandments, we need not be too worried that our faith will be proven wrong.

As an ordinary layman I do not have the resources to challenge these new "discoveries". I do not know for sure whether Jesus was divine, born of a virgin, married and had a son, worked miracles or even resurrected but I know for certain that he came from God, commited no sin, his teachings never flawed and ultimately gave up his life as a symbol of true unselfish and self-sacrificing love for us. These are enough for Jesus to earn a place in my heart from where he will never be displaced by any amount of persuasion or coaxing by whatever force. Despite my human limitations and weaknesses, he will continue to be my guide in my daily living.

Light Your Virtual Prayer Candle For a Loved One

Why should the Church be so easily perturbed by these allegations that are merely external? Has it lost faith in the essential teachings of Jesus? Is our Church leading us in the direction as taught by Christ or is it being hijacked by some quarters for their vested interest?

It is the misdirection of the focus from the real essence of the teachings of Christ that has resulted in a world that is plagued by materialism and immorality? Hate, selfishness and greed have become the way of life, replacing love, hope and charity which were the hallmarks of Christianity in the yesteryears.