Encyclical letter Fides et ratio of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II on the relationship between faith and reason.
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Jesus made many absolute statements such as the following:
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Order Paper NowJohn 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (NIV).
Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (NIV).
Interacting with these statements, how would you answer someone accusing Christianity of exclusivism (as defined in Chapter 8 of the textbook)?
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Many believe naturalism (atheism) emphasizes intellect and reason, while religions emphasize faith. Pope John Paul II made the following profound statement at the beginning of his Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio:
“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves” (Catholic Church & John Paul II, 1998, p. 1).
Do you believe this quote adequately depicts the Christian view of the interaction of faith and reason, and the value of both? Why or why not? Does the atheistic worldview also use faith and reason? Why or why not?
Reference: Catholic Church, & John Paul II. (1998). Faith and reason: Encyclical letter Fides et ratio of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II on the relationship between faith and reason. Que´bec: Me´diaspaul. Retrieved from http://www.catholic-pages.com/documents/fides_et_ratio.pdf
