The Realism Of Christianity

• 8 years ago

By DONALD DeMARCO

The prevailing assumption in the secular world is that science is a reliable pathway to reality whereas religion, although a source of hope for many, is fundamentally unrealistic. A strong case, however, can be made that science is largely theoretical and cannot provide a basis for authentic living, while religion, particularly Christianity, is not only eminently practical, but far more realistic than science.

The following ten points serve to make the case for the realism of Christianity.

First, the realism of man:

What is a human being? What is man that God is mindful of him? He is not simply an individual, according to the Cartesian tradition, nor is he merely a member of the collective, according to the ideology of the Marxists. The concept of the human being in the secular world oscillates between man as a mere individual who has rights but few duties, and man as a member of society who has many duties but few rights.

Christian philosophers, including Jacques Maritain, Nikolai Berdyaev, and St. John Paul II, have been at pains to explain that a human being is, in reality, a person, that is, a dynamic integration of unique individuality and communal responsibility. He is called to love, and in love finds his truest self.

Second, the realism of sex:

God created them male and female. A person’s sex is the first thing we notice in another and the last thing we are likely to forget. Its identity is marked in each of the several trillion cells that constitute the body of the human being. It is not fluid, changing from one to the other. Nor is it merely a convention. In reality, male and female are complementary.

Neither sex is self-sufficient. As complementary opposites, male and female assist each other in becoming whole, psychologically, morally, and personally.

Third, the realism of marriage:

The realism of marriage follows the nature of the human being as a sexual person who has the capacity to become a two-in-one-flesh partner with another. The unity of man and woman in marriage also includes the natural capacity for procreation. Marriage is a most exceptional form of friendship because of its profound unity and the pledge of fidelity that honors its particular value.

Statistically, married people live longer and are more strongly motivated than their unmarried counterparts, a strong indication of the realism of marriage.

Fourth, the realism of the family:

The family is the basic unit of society and bears upon the health of society’s future. “The future of mankind passes through the family,” as St. John Paul II was fond of saying. The family is the fruitful achievement of a man and a woman living together in a bond of love that produces offspring who are themselves loved, cared for, and educated. Children bless marriage. Grandchildren are their grandparents’ “crown,” as Scripture claims.

Fifth, the realism of altruism:

At the heart of Christianity is the mandate to love one’s neighbor. If this mandate were to be carried out, peace would reign and war would be relegated to the vault of history. The neighbor is “another self.” The relationship between one person and another, then, takes on the form of “I-Thou.” Expressing love toward one’s neighbor is the only realistic solution in working toward ending poverty and overcoming the loneliness that afflicts untold millions of human beings.

Sixth, the realism of society:

The fact that the realism of the family is the basic unit of society logically leads to Christianity’s understanding of the realism of society. One realism prepares the way for another. According to the tenets of Christianity, the factors that make for a good society are not wealth, status, and power, but virtue, neighborliness, and love. One of the essential responsibilities of parents is to educate and prepare their children for their productive role in society.

Seventh, the realism of religion:

It is not the function of religion to wallow in superstition, but to locate basic truths that science cannot provide. Christianity reveals truths about man, God, and the afterlife that have their foundation in a realistic philosophy, and add to it. Given the finite abilities of the human being, it is reasonable to conclude that he needs help from above. Moreover, this help for Christians is also provided in the form of sacraments. Man needs God. Without God, as history has shown, man sets himself against man.

Eight, the realism of life:

Life is a gift. It is all we have. Without this gift we would never have existed. Therefore, life must be received with gratitude and regarded as our most cherished possession. The Christian, therefore, finds it easy to believe that working for a Culture of Life is far more reasonable and realistic than allowing a Culture of Death to prevail. He values human life in all its forms and at all its stages.

Ninth, the realism of death:

The denial of death is a common feature in a secular world that does not believe in an afterlife. Nothing is more unrealistic, however, than to deny that which is inevitable. The Christian, with St. Paul, agrees than death has neither “sting” nor “victory.” Death is a passage to another world. An endless life under earthly conditions, ever growing older and ever becoming more feeble, would mean that life ultimately has no meaning. It is death that give life meaning.

Tenth, the realism of God:

God is the ultimate reality. He is the source of everything that is. We know that nothing we observe has the intrinsic power to generate itself. Everything we know comes from something prior to it. God is the great Beginning. He creates and governs the universe and everything the universe contains. He is the light that illuminates what little we know. He holds the answers to all the mysteries that now perplex our minds. He is the final piece of the puzzle that completes all things and gives them their ultimate meaning.

Christianity is hardly a fiction. It is intensely realistic. In fact, its realism is the primary reason that it has outlasted all other institutions over the past two millennia. Christianity is realistic. But its realism is not overpowering. Although it appeals to the intellect, its membership requires an act of the will. A person must choose to be a Christian.

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(Dr. Donald DeMarco is a senior fellow of Human Life International. He is professor emeritus at St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ontario, an adjunct professor at Holy Apostles College in Cromwell, Conn., and a regular columnist for St. Austin Review. His latest works, How to Remain Sane in a World That Is Going Mad; Ten Major Moral Mistakes and How They Are Destroying Society; and How to Flourish in a Fallen World are available through Amazon.com. Some of his recent writings may be found at Human Life International’s Truth and Charity Forum. He is the 2015 Catholic Civil Rights League recipient of the prestigious Exner Award.)