“A Deeper Ground”?
We’ve taken liberal Catholic Fr. Ron Rolheiser to task many times in this section. Frankly, it’s like shooting ducks in a barrel. But no one has called us “condescending” or “arrogant” for doing so. But when we take on neoconservative Catholics, we’re (sometimes) called “condescending” and “arrogant” — with “smarty pants” being another favorite. All we can figure is that certain people don’t like their neocon icons to be raked over the coals.
So we’ll play it safe (in this New Oxford Note) by raking Fr. Ron over the coals — once again. This should be popular with everyone.
In his column in Catholic San Francisco (Oct. 7, 2005), Ron opens with this: “Can you prove that God exists? Some of the greatest philosophers believed that it can be done. Anselm, Aquinas, Descartes, Leibnitz, Spinoza, Hartshorne, among others, all tried to do it” (italics added).
He mentions Aquinas and Intelligent Design. But Ron doesn’t seem to be persuaded. Says Ron: “What’s to be said about these ‘proofs’? Do they prove anything?”
You May Also Enjoy
In order to declare someone “the greatest,” one must stay in the domain of his competence and be acquainted with all ‘competing’ works. This is no easy task.
Reviews of Man and Woman: Love and the Meaning of Intimacy... Islam and the West... Sephardim: The Jews from Spain... The Jews of Spain... Spain and the Jews... 1492: The Life and Times of Juan Cabezon of Castille... The Strength Not to Fight... Caring for Creation in Your Own Backyard... The Anatomy of Antiliberalism... A Historical Commentary on the Major Catholic Works of Cardinal Newman
An (anonymous) homosexual priest "speaks out" in Commonweal.