{"id":22086,"date":"2017-09-19T21:53:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T21:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion-14570\/"},"modified":"2017-09-19T21:53:00","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T21:53:00","slug":"in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/","title":{"rendered":"In talk at Facebook, Bishop Barron tackles how to debate religion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Menlo Park, Calif., Sep 19, 2017 \/ 03:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- People need to learn how to argue better on the internet, especially about religion, Catholic media personality and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said in remarks at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeek with great patience to understand your opponent\u2019s position,\u201d he advised, adding that it can be \u201cvery tempting just to fire back 'why you\u2019re wrong.'\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of going after what\u2019s wrong, he said, one should seek also highlight what your opponent has right. This is an \u201cextraordinarily helpful\u201d way to get past impasses.<\/p>\n

Bishop Barron\u2019s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year over the internet. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees at the company's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters on the topic \u201cHow to have a religious argument.\u201d The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we don't know how to argue about religion, then we\u2019re going to fight about religion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For Bishop Barron, argument is something positive and \u201ca way to peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

If one goes on social media, he said, \u201cyou'll see a lot of energy around religious issues. There will be a lot of words exchanged, often angry ones, but very little argument.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Barron praised the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas and his time's treatment of disputed questions. A professor would gather in a public place and entertain objections and questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat's off the table? Nothing as far as I can tell,\u201d the bishop summarized. He cited the way St. Thomas Aquinas made the case for disbelief in God before presenting the arguments for rational belief in God.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can say 'I wonder whether there's a God,' that means all these questions are fine and fair,\u201d Bishop Barron continued. \u201cI like the willingness to engage any question.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aquinas always phrases the objections \u201cin a very pithy, and very persuasive way.\u201d In the bishop's view, he formulates arguments against God's existence even better than modern atheists and sets them up in the most convincing manner, before providing his responses to these arguments.<\/p>\n

Further, St. Thomas Aquinas cites great Muslim and Jewish scholars as well as pagan authorities like Aristotle and Cicero, always with great respect.<\/p>\n

Bishop Barron said that authentic faith is not opposed to reason. It does not accept simply anything on the basis of no evidence.<\/p>\n

He compared faith to the process of coming to know another human person. While one can begin to come to know someone by reason, or through a Google search or a background check, when a relationship deepens, other questions arise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen she reveals her heart, the question becomes: Do I believe her or not? Do I trust her or not?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe claim, at least of the great biblical religions, is that God has not become a great distant object that we examine philosophically,\u201d the bishop said. \u201cRather, the claims is that God has spoken, that God has decided to reveal his heart to his people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Barron addressed several other mindsets that he said forestall intelligent argument about religion.<\/p>\n

The mentality of \u201cmere toleration\u201d keeps religion to oneself and treats it as a hobby. However, religion makes truth claims, like claims that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruth claims, if they really are truth claims, cannot be privatized,\u201d he said. A truth claim always has a universal scope, a universal intent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe privatization of religion is precisely what makes real argument about religion impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n

While science has created great knowledge that should be embraced, there is the mindset of \u201cscientism\u201d which reduces all knowledge to scientific form. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt results in a deep compromise of our humanity, it seems to me,\u201d he said, contending that religious truths are more akin to those of literature, poetry and philosophy. The scientistic mindset would have to argue that Shakespeare\u2019s plays or Plato\u2019s philosophical dialogues do not convey deep truths about life, death, faith and God.<\/p>\n

Scientism also mistakes its subject when attempting to consider God. \u201cThe one thing God is not is an item within the universe,\u201d Bishop Barron said.<\/p>\n

The bishop also faulted a mindset that is \u201cvoluntarist,\u201d which believes that the faculty of the will has precedence over the intellect. In a religious context, this holds that God could make two plus two equal five. This gives rise to a view of God as arbitrary and even oppressive.<\/p>\n

In response, some people believe humanity\u2019s will trumps the intellect and determines truth through power. According to Bishop Barron, they see God as incompatible with human freedom and, in the words of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, see freedom as the inherent liberty to determine the meaning of one\u2019s own concept of existence, the universe, and human life itself.<\/p>\n

Addressing the Facebook employees about their work, he said that their company\u2019s social media network shows an \u201cextraordinary spiritual power\u201d in connecting all the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that it\u2019s a spiritual thing that you\u2019re bringing everybody together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Menlo Park, Calif., Sep 19, 2017 \/ 03:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- People need to learn how to argue better on the internet, especially about religion, Catholic media personality and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said in remarks at Facebook’s Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters.<\/p>\n

“Seek with great patience to understand your opponent’s position,” he advised, adding that it can be “very tempting just to fire back ‘why you’re wrong.’”<\/p>\n

Instead of going after what’s wrong, he said, one should seek also highlight what your opponent has right. This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses.<\/p>\n

Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year over the internet. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees at the company’s Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters on the topic “How to have a religious argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers.<\/p>\n

“If we don’t know how to argue about religion, then we’re going to fight about religion,” he said.<\/p>\n

For Bishop Barron, argument is something positive and “a way to peace.”<\/p>\n

If one goes on social media, he said, “you’ll see a lot of energy around religious issues. There will be a lot of words exchanged, often angry ones, but very little argument.”<\/p>\n

Bishop Barron praised the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas and his time’s treatment of disputed questions. A professor would gather in a public place and entertain objections and questions.<\/p>\n

“What’s off the table? Nothing as far as I can tell,” the bishop summarized. He cited the way St. Thomas Aquinas made the case for disbelief in God before presenting the arguments for rational belief in God.<\/p>\n

“If you can say ‘I wonder whether there’s a God,’ that means all these questions are fine and fair,” Bishop Barron continued. “I like the willingness to engage any question.”<\/p>\n

Aquinas always phrases the objections “in a very pithy, and very persuasive way.” In the bishop’s view, he formulates arguments against God’s existence even better than modern atheists and sets them up in the most convincing manner, before providing his responses to these arguments.<\/p>\n

Further, St. Thomas Aquinas cites great Muslim and Jewish scholars as well as pagan authorities like Aristotle and Cicero, always with great respect.<\/p>\n

Bishop Barron said that authentic faith is not opposed to reason. It does not accept simply anything on the basis of no evidence.<\/p>\n

He compared faith to the process of coming to know another human person. While one can begin to come to know someone by reason, or through a Google search or a background check, when a relationship deepens, other questions arise.<\/p>\n

“When she reveals her heart, the question becomes: Do I believe her or not? Do I trust her or not?” he said.<\/p>\n

“The claim, at least of the great biblical religions, is that God has not become a great distant object that we examine philosophically,” the bishop said. “Rather, the claims is that God has spoken, that God has decided to reveal his heart to his people.”<\/p>\n

Bishop Barron addressed several other mindsets that he said forestall intelligent argument about religion.<\/p>\n

The mentality of “mere toleration” keeps religion to oneself and treats it as a hobby. However, religion makes truth claims, like claims that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.<\/p>\n

“Truth claims, if they really are truth claims, cannot be privatized,” he said. A truth claim always has a universal scope, a universal intent.”<\/p>\n

“The privatization of religion is precisely what makes real argument about religion impossible.”<\/p>\n

While science has created great knowledge that should be embraced, there is the mindset of “scientism” which reduces all knowledge to scientific form.  <\/p>\n

“It results in a deep compromise of our humanity, it seems to me,” he said, contending that religious truths are more akin to those of literature, poetry and philosophy. The scientistic mindset would have to argue that Shakespeare’s plays or Plato’s philosophical dialogues do not convey deep truths about life, death, faith and God.<\/p>\n

Scientism also mistakes its subject when attempting to consider God. “The one thing God is not is an item within the universe,” Bishop Barron said.<\/p>\n

The bishop also faulted a mindset that is “voluntarist,” which believes that the faculty of the will has precedence over the intellect. In a religious context, this holds that God could make two plus two equal five. This gives rise to a view of God as arbitrary and even oppressive.<\/p>\n

In response, some people believe humanity’s will trumps the intellect and determines truth through power. According to Bishop Barron, they see God as incompatible with human freedom and, in the words of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, see freedom as the inherent liberty to determine the meaning of one’s own concept of existence, the universe, and human life itself.<\/p>\n

Addressing the Facebook employees about their work, he said that their company’s social media network shows an “extraordinary spiritual power” in connecting all the world.<\/p>\n

“I think that it’s a spiritual thing that you’re bringing everybody together,” he said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nIn talk at Facebook, Bishop Barron tackles how to debate religion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Menlo Park, Calif., Sep 19, 2017 \/ 03:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- People need to learn how to argue better on the internet, especially about religion, Catholic media personality and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said in remarks at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters. “Seek with great patience to understand your opponent’s position,” he advised, adding that it can be “very tempting just to fire back 'why you’re wrong.'” Instead of going after what’s wrong, he said, one should seek also highlight what your opponent has right. This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses. Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year over the internet. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees at the company's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters on the topic “How to have a religious argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers. “If we don't know how to argue about religion, then we’re going to fight about religion,” he said. For Bishop Barron, argument is something positive and “a way to peace.” If one goes on social media, he said, “you'll see a lot of energy around religious issues. There will be a lot of words exchanged, often angry ones, but very little argument.” Bishop Barron praised the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas and his time's treatment of disputed questions. A professor would gather in a public place and entertain objections and questions. “What's off the table? Nothing as far as I can tell,” the bishop summarized. He cited the way St. Thomas Aquinas made the case for disbelief in God before presenting the arguments for rational belief in God. “If you can say 'I wonder whether there's a God,' that means all these questions are fine and fair,” Bishop Barron continued. “I like the willingness to engage any question.” Aquinas always phrases the objections “in a very pithy, and very persuasive way.” In the bishop's view, he formulates arguments against God's existence even better than modern atheists and sets them up in the most convincing manner, before providing his responses to these arguments. Further, St. Thomas Aquinas cites great Muslim and Jewish scholars as well as pagan authorities like Aristotle and Cicero, always with great respect. Bishop Barron said that authentic faith is not opposed to reason. It does not accept simply anything on the basis of no evidence. He compared faith to the process of coming to know another human person. While one can begin to come to know someone by reason, or through a Google search or a background check, when a relationship deepens, other questions arise. “When she reveals her heart, the question becomes: Do I believe her or not? Do I trust her or not?” he said. “The claim, at least of the great biblical religions, is that God has not become a great distant object that we examine philosophically,” the bishop said. “Rather, the claims is that God has spoken, that God has decided to reveal his heart to his people.” Bishop Barron addressed several other mindsets that he said forestall intelligent argument about religion. The mentality of “mere toleration” keeps religion to oneself and treats it as a hobby. However, religion makes truth claims, like claims that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. “Truth claims, if they really are truth claims, cannot be privatized,” he said. A truth claim always has a universal scope, a universal intent.” “The privatization of religion is precisely what makes real argument about religion impossible.” While science has created great knowledge that should be embraced, there is the mindset of “scientism” which reduces all knowledge to scientific form.   “It results in a deep compromise of our humanity, it seems to me,” he said, contending that religious truths are more akin to those of literature, poetry and philosophy. The scientistic mindset would have to argue that Shakespeare’s plays or Plato’s philosophical dialogues do not convey deep truths about life, death, faith and God. Scientism also mistakes its subject when attempting to consider God. “The one thing God is not is an item within the universe,” Bishop Barron said. The bishop also faulted a mindset that is “voluntarist,” which believes that the faculty of the will has precedence over the intellect. In a religious context, this holds that God could make two plus two equal five. This gives rise to a view of God as arbitrary and even oppressive. In response, some people believe humanity’s will trumps the intellect and determines truth through power. According to Bishop Barron, they see God as incompatible with human freedom and, in the words of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, see freedom as the inherent liberty to determine the meaning of one’s own concept of existence, the universe, and human life itself. Addressing the Facebook employees about their work, he said that their company’s social media network shows an “extraordinary spiritual power” in connecting all the world. “I think that it’s a spiritual thing that you’re bringing everybody together,” he said.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In talk at Facebook, Bishop Barron tackles how to debate religion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Menlo Park, Calif., Sep 19, 2017 \/ 03:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- People need to learn how to argue better on the internet, especially about religion, Catholic media personality and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said in remarks at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters. “Seek with great patience to understand your opponent’s position,” he advised, adding that it can be “very tempting just to fire back 'why you’re wrong.'” Instead of going after what’s wrong, he said, one should seek also highlight what your opponent has right. This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses. Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year over the internet. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees at the company's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters on the topic “How to have a religious argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers. “If we don't know how to argue about religion, then we’re going to fight about religion,” he said. For Bishop Barron, argument is something positive and “a way to peace.” If one goes on social media, he said, “you'll see a lot of energy around religious issues. There will be a lot of words exchanged, often angry ones, but very little argument.” Bishop Barron praised the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas and his time's treatment of disputed questions. A professor would gather in a public place and entertain objections and questions. “What's off the table? Nothing as far as I can tell,” the bishop summarized. He cited the way St. Thomas Aquinas made the case for disbelief in God before presenting the arguments for rational belief in God. “If you can say 'I wonder whether there's a God,' that means all these questions are fine and fair,” Bishop Barron continued. “I like the willingness to engage any question.” Aquinas always phrases the objections “in a very pithy, and very persuasive way.” In the bishop's view, he formulates arguments against God's existence even better than modern atheists and sets them up in the most convincing manner, before providing his responses to these arguments. Further, St. Thomas Aquinas cites great Muslim and Jewish scholars as well as pagan authorities like Aristotle and Cicero, always with great respect. Bishop Barron said that authentic faith is not opposed to reason. It does not accept simply anything on the basis of no evidence. He compared faith to the process of coming to know another human person. While one can begin to come to know someone by reason, or through a Google search or a background check, when a relationship deepens, other questions arise. “When she reveals her heart, the question becomes: Do I believe her or not? Do I trust her or not?” he said. “The claim, at least of the great biblical religions, is that God has not become a great distant object that we examine philosophically,” the bishop said. “Rather, the claims is that God has spoken, that God has decided to reveal his heart to his people.” Bishop Barron addressed several other mindsets that he said forestall intelligent argument about religion. The mentality of “mere toleration” keeps religion to oneself and treats it as a hobby. However, religion makes truth claims, like claims that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. “Truth claims, if they really are truth claims, cannot be privatized,” he said. A truth claim always has a universal scope, a universal intent.” “The privatization of religion is precisely what makes real argument about religion impossible.” While science has created great knowledge that should be embraced, there is the mindset of “scientism” which reduces all knowledge to scientific form.   “It results in a deep compromise of our humanity, it seems to me,” he said, contending that religious truths are more akin to those of literature, poetry and philosophy. The scientistic mindset would have to argue that Shakespeare’s plays or Plato’s philosophical dialogues do not convey deep truths about life, death, faith and God. Scientism also mistakes its subject when attempting to consider God. “The one thing God is not is an item within the universe,” Bishop Barron said. The bishop also faulted a mindset that is “voluntarist,” which believes that the faculty of the will has precedence over the intellect. In a religious context, this holds that God could make two plus two equal five. This gives rise to a view of God as arbitrary and even oppressive. In response, some people believe humanity’s will trumps the intellect and determines truth through power. According to Bishop Barron, they see God as incompatible with human freedom and, in the words of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, see freedom as the inherent liberty to determine the meaning of one’s own concept of existence, the universe, and human life itself. Addressing the Facebook employees about their work, he said that their company’s social media network shows an “extraordinary spiritual power” in connecting all the world. “I think that it’s a spiritual thing that you’re bringing everybody together,” he said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-09-19T21:53:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Father_Robert_Barron_File_Photo_CNA_9_23_15.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/\",\"name\":\"In talk at Facebook, Bishop Barron tackles how to debate religion\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-09-19T21:53:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-09-19T21:53:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Menlo Park, Calif., Sep 19, 2017 \/ 03:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- People need to learn how to argue better on the internet, especially about religion, Catholic media personality and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said in remarks at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters. “Seek with great patience to understand your opponent’s position,” he advised, adding that it can be “very tempting just to fire back 'why you’re wrong.'” Instead of going after what’s wrong, he said, one should seek also highlight what your opponent has right. This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses. Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year over the internet. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees at the company's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters on the topic “How to have a religious argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers. “If we don't know how to argue about religion, then we’re going to fight about religion,” he said. For Bishop Barron, argument is something positive and “a way to peace.” If one goes on social media, he said, “you'll see a lot of energy around religious issues. There will be a lot of words exchanged, often angry ones, but very little argument.” Bishop Barron praised the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas and his time's treatment of disputed questions. A professor would gather in a public place and entertain objections and questions. “What's off the table? Nothing as far as I can tell,” the bishop summarized. He cited the way St. Thomas Aquinas made the case for disbelief in God before presenting the arguments for rational belief in God. “If you can say 'I wonder whether there's a God,' that means all these questions are fine and fair,” Bishop Barron continued. “I like the willingness to engage any question.” Aquinas always phrases the objections “in a very pithy, and very persuasive way.” In the bishop's view, he formulates arguments against God's existence even better than modern atheists and sets them up in the most convincing manner, before providing his responses to these arguments. Further, St. Thomas Aquinas cites great Muslim and Jewish scholars as well as pagan authorities like Aristotle and Cicero, always with great respect. Bishop Barron said that authentic faith is not opposed to reason. It does not accept simply anything on the basis of no evidence. He compared faith to the process of coming to know another human person. While one can begin to come to know someone by reason, or through a Google search or a background check, when a relationship deepens, other questions arise. “When she reveals her heart, the question becomes: Do I believe her or not? Do I trust her or not?” he said. “The claim, at least of the great biblical religions, is that God has not become a great distant object that we examine philosophically,” the bishop said. “Rather, the claims is that God has spoken, that God has decided to reveal his heart to his people.” Bishop Barron addressed several other mindsets that he said forestall intelligent argument about religion. The mentality of “mere toleration” keeps religion to oneself and treats it as a hobby. However, religion makes truth claims, like claims that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. “Truth claims, if they really are truth claims, cannot be privatized,” he said. A truth claim always has a universal scope, a universal intent.” “The privatization of religion is precisely what makes real argument about religion impossible.” While science has created great knowledge that should be embraced, there is the mindset of “scientism” which reduces all knowledge to scientific form.   “It results in a deep compromise of our humanity, it seems to me,” he said, contending that religious truths are more akin to those of literature, poetry and philosophy. The scientistic mindset would have to argue that Shakespeare’s plays or Plato’s philosophical dialogues do not convey deep truths about life, death, faith and God. Scientism also mistakes its subject when attempting to consider God. “The one thing God is not is an item within the universe,” Bishop Barron said. The bishop also faulted a mindset that is “voluntarist,” which believes that the faculty of the will has precedence over the intellect. In a religious context, this holds that God could make two plus two equal five. This gives rise to a view of God as arbitrary and even oppressive. In response, some people believe humanity’s will trumps the intellect and determines truth through power. According to Bishop Barron, they see God as incompatible with human freedom and, in the words of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, see freedom as the inherent liberty to determine the meaning of one’s own concept of existence, the universe, and human life itself. 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This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses. Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year over the internet. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees at the company's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters on the topic “How to have a religious argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers. “If we don't know how to argue about religion, then we’re going to fight about religion,” he said. For Bishop Barron, argument is something positive and “a way to peace.” If one goes on social media, he said, “you'll see a lot of energy around religious issues. There will be a lot of words exchanged, often angry ones, but very little argument.” Bishop Barron praised the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas and his time's treatment of disputed questions. A professor would gather in a public place and entertain objections and questions. “What's off the table? Nothing as far as I can tell,” the bishop summarized. He cited the way St. Thomas Aquinas made the case for disbelief in God before presenting the arguments for rational belief in God. “If you can say 'I wonder whether there's a God,' that means all these questions are fine and fair,” Bishop Barron continued. “I like the willingness to engage any question.” Aquinas always phrases the objections “in a very pithy, and very persuasive way.” In the bishop's view, he formulates arguments against God's existence even better than modern atheists and sets them up in the most convincing manner, before providing his responses to these arguments. Further, St. Thomas Aquinas cites great Muslim and Jewish scholars as well as pagan authorities like Aristotle and Cicero, always with great respect. Bishop Barron said that authentic faith is not opposed to reason. It does not accept simply anything on the basis of no evidence. He compared faith to the process of coming to know another human person. While one can begin to come to know someone by reason, or through a Google search or a background check, when a relationship deepens, other questions arise. “When she reveals her heart, the question becomes: Do I believe her or not? Do I trust her or not?” he said. “The claim, at least of the great biblical religions, is that God has not become a great distant object that we examine philosophically,” the bishop said. “Rather, the claims is that God has spoken, that God has decided to reveal his heart to his people.” Bishop Barron addressed several other mindsets that he said forestall intelligent argument about religion. The mentality of “mere toleration” keeps religion to oneself and treats it as a hobby. However, religion makes truth claims, like claims that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. “Truth claims, if they really are truth claims, cannot be privatized,” he said. A truth claim always has a universal scope, a universal intent.” “The privatization of religion is precisely what makes real argument about religion impossible.” While science has created great knowledge that should be embraced, there is the mindset of “scientism” which reduces all knowledge to scientific form.   “It results in a deep compromise of our humanity, it seems to me,” he said, contending that religious truths are more akin to those of literature, poetry and philosophy. The scientistic mindset would have to argue that Shakespeare’s plays or Plato’s philosophical dialogues do not convey deep truths about life, death, faith and God. Scientism also mistakes its subject when attempting to consider God. “The one thing God is not is an item within the universe,” Bishop Barron said. The bishop also faulted a mindset that is “voluntarist,” which believes that the faculty of the will has precedence over the intellect. In a religious context, this holds that God could make two plus two equal five. This gives rise to a view of God as arbitrary and even oppressive. In response, some people believe humanity’s will trumps the intellect and determines truth through power. According to Bishop Barron, they see God as incompatible with human freedom and, in the words of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, see freedom as the inherent liberty to determine the meaning of one’s own concept of existence, the universe, and human life itself. Addressing the Facebook employees about their work, he said that their company’s social media network shows an “extraordinary spiritual power” in connecting all the world. “I think that it’s a spiritual thing that you’re bringing everybody together,” he said.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In talk at Facebook, Bishop Barron tackles how to debate religion","og_description":"Menlo Park, Calif., Sep 19, 2017 \/ 03:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- People need to learn how to argue better on the internet, especially about religion, Catholic media personality and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said in remarks at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters. “Seek with great patience to understand your opponent’s position,” he advised, adding that it can be “very tempting just to fire back 'why you’re wrong.'” Instead of going after what’s wrong, he said, one should seek also highlight what your opponent has right. This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses. Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year over the internet. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees at the company's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters on the topic “How to have a religious argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers. “If we don't know how to argue about religion, then we’re going to fight about religion,” he said. For Bishop Barron, argument is something positive and “a way to peace.” If one goes on social media, he said, “you'll see a lot of energy around religious issues. There will be a lot of words exchanged, often angry ones, but very little argument.” Bishop Barron praised the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas and his time's treatment of disputed questions. A professor would gather in a public place and entertain objections and questions. “What's off the table? Nothing as far as I can tell,” the bishop summarized. He cited the way St. Thomas Aquinas made the case for disbelief in God before presenting the arguments for rational belief in God. “If you can say 'I wonder whether there's a God,' that means all these questions are fine and fair,” Bishop Barron continued. “I like the willingness to engage any question.” Aquinas always phrases the objections “in a very pithy, and very persuasive way.” In the bishop's view, he formulates arguments against God's existence even better than modern atheists and sets them up in the most convincing manner, before providing his responses to these arguments. Further, St. Thomas Aquinas cites great Muslim and Jewish scholars as well as pagan authorities like Aristotle and Cicero, always with great respect. Bishop Barron said that authentic faith is not opposed to reason. It does not accept simply anything on the basis of no evidence. He compared faith to the process of coming to know another human person. While one can begin to come to know someone by reason, or through a Google search or a background check, when a relationship deepens, other questions arise. “When she reveals her heart, the question becomes: Do I believe her or not? Do I trust her or not?” he said. “The claim, at least of the great biblical religions, is that God has not become a great distant object that we examine philosophically,” the bishop said. “Rather, the claims is that God has spoken, that God has decided to reveal his heart to his people.” Bishop Barron addressed several other mindsets that he said forestall intelligent argument about religion. The mentality of “mere toleration” keeps religion to oneself and treats it as a hobby. However, religion makes truth claims, like claims that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. “Truth claims, if they really are truth claims, cannot be privatized,” he said. A truth claim always has a universal scope, a universal intent.” “The privatization of religion is precisely what makes real argument about religion impossible.” While science has created great knowledge that should be embraced, there is the mindset of “scientism” which reduces all knowledge to scientific form.   “It results in a deep compromise of our humanity, it seems to me,” he said, contending that religious truths are more akin to those of literature, poetry and philosophy. The scientistic mindset would have to argue that Shakespeare’s plays or Plato’s philosophical dialogues do not convey deep truths about life, death, faith and God. Scientism also mistakes its subject when attempting to consider God. “The one thing God is not is an item within the universe,” Bishop Barron said. The bishop also faulted a mindset that is “voluntarist,” which believes that the faculty of the will has precedence over the intellect. In a religious context, this holds that God could make two plus two equal five. This gives rise to a view of God as arbitrary and even oppressive. In response, some people believe humanity’s will trumps the intellect and determines truth through power. According to Bishop Barron, they see God as incompatible with human freedom and, in the words of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, see freedom as the inherent liberty to determine the meaning of one’s own concept of existence, the universe, and human life itself. Addressing the Facebook employees about their work, he said that their company’s social media network shows an “extraordinary spiritual power” in connecting all the world. “I think that it’s a spiritual thing that you’re bringing everybody together,” he said.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2017-09-19T21:53:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Father_Robert_Barron_File_Photo_CNA_9_23_15.jpg"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/","name":"In talk at Facebook, Bishop Barron tackles how to debate religion","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2017-09-19T21:53:00+00:00","dateModified":"2017-09-19T21:53:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Menlo Park, Calif., Sep 19, 2017 \/ 03:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- People need to learn how to argue better on the internet, especially about religion, Catholic media personality and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said in remarks at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters. “Seek with great patience to understand your opponent’s position,” he advised, adding that it can be “very tempting just to fire back 'why you’re wrong.'” Instead of going after what’s wrong, he said, one should seek also highlight what your opponent has right. This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses. Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year over the internet. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees at the company's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters on the topic “How to have a religious argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers. “If we don't know how to argue about religion, then we’re going to fight about religion,” he said. For Bishop Barron, argument is something positive and “a way to peace.” If one goes on social media, he said, “you'll see a lot of energy around religious issues. There will be a lot of words exchanged, often angry ones, but very little argument.” Bishop Barron praised the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas and his time's treatment of disputed questions. A professor would gather in a public place and entertain objections and questions. “What's off the table? Nothing as far as I can tell,” the bishop summarized. He cited the way St. Thomas Aquinas made the case for disbelief in God before presenting the arguments for rational belief in God. “If you can say 'I wonder whether there's a God,' that means all these questions are fine and fair,” Bishop Barron continued. “I like the willingness to engage any question.” Aquinas always phrases the objections “in a very pithy, and very persuasive way.” In the bishop's view, he formulates arguments against God's existence even better than modern atheists and sets them up in the most convincing manner, before providing his responses to these arguments. Further, St. Thomas Aquinas cites great Muslim and Jewish scholars as well as pagan authorities like Aristotle and Cicero, always with great respect. Bishop Barron said that authentic faith is not opposed to reason. It does not accept simply anything on the basis of no evidence. He compared faith to the process of coming to know another human person. While one can begin to come to know someone by reason, or through a Google search or a background check, when a relationship deepens, other questions arise. “When she reveals her heart, the question becomes: Do I believe her or not? Do I trust her or not?” he said. “The claim, at least of the great biblical religions, is that God has not become a great distant object that we examine philosophically,” the bishop said. “Rather, the claims is that God has spoken, that God has decided to reveal his heart to his people.” Bishop Barron addressed several other mindsets that he said forestall intelligent argument about religion. The mentality of “mere toleration” keeps religion to oneself and treats it as a hobby. However, religion makes truth claims, like claims that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. “Truth claims, if they really are truth claims, cannot be privatized,” he said. A truth claim always has a universal scope, a universal intent.” “The privatization of religion is precisely what makes real argument about religion impossible.” While science has created great knowledge that should be embraced, there is the mindset of “scientism” which reduces all knowledge to scientific form.   “It results in a deep compromise of our humanity, it seems to me,” he said, contending that religious truths are more akin to those of literature, poetry and philosophy. The scientistic mindset would have to argue that Shakespeare’s plays or Plato’s philosophical dialogues do not convey deep truths about life, death, faith and God. Scientism also mistakes its subject when attempting to consider God. “The one thing God is not is an item within the universe,” Bishop Barron said. The bishop also faulted a mindset that is “voluntarist,” which believes that the faculty of the will has precedence over the intellect. In a religious context, this holds that God could make two plus two equal five. This gives rise to a view of God as arbitrary and even oppressive. In response, some people believe humanity’s will trumps the intellect and determines truth through power. According to Bishop Barron, they see God as incompatible with human freedom and, in the words of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, see freedom as the inherent liberty to determine the meaning of one’s own concept of existence, the universe, and human life itself. Addressing the Facebook employees about their work, he said that their company’s social media network shows an “extraordinary spiritual power” in connecting all the world. “I think that it’s a spiritual thing that you’re bringing everybody together,” he said.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/09\/in-talk-at-facebook-bishop-barron-tackles-how-to-debate-religion\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"In talk at Facebook, Bishop Barron tackles how to debate religion"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22086\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}