KAI: You know, Libby, thanks to science and reason,
we know there are about a billion trillion stars
in the Universe.
(owl hooting)
LIBBY: And thanks to faith, we have a sense of awe
and wonder at our place in all that.
Even though we can only see like seven stars here in L.A.
(traffic noises) (dog barking)
(police siren)
I didn't get a permit.
(traffic noises) (dog barking)
(upbeat music)
KAI: Welcome to Catholic Central, I'm Kai.
LIBBY: And I'm Libby.
Today we're talking about the relationship
between faith and reason.
KAI: Now, you might be thinking, "Reason?
Even with all the seemingly illogical and irrational
things Catholics believe?"
LIBBY: Or that Catholics have to check their brains
at the church door?
KAI: Not true.
Although, it's too bad.
It would make church committee meetings a lot easier.
LIBBY: The truth is that Catholics love science and reason
but believe that we need more answers
than what they can give us.
KAI: Since faith and reason both try
to connect people to truth,
we should first get clear on what we mean by truth.
LIBBY: Catholics believe in objective truth.
Meaning that truth is a reality that exists independently
of whether anyone believes it.
KAI: This is the opposite of moral relativism,
the view that multiple, contradictory views
about right and wrong can all be true at the same time.
LIBBY: Catholics believe that humans have a natural urge
to seek the truth.
We're curious to figure it out and don't like it
when people lie.
KAI: But reason alone isn't enough to figure out everything
that's true in the Universe.
LIBBY: In fact, virtually every belief system
has some element of faith, of trust in something
that can't be absolutely proven.
KAI: Even people with no religious beliefs have to trust
that any of us actually even have the ability to reason.
As G.K. Chesterton says, "Reason is itself a matter of faith.
It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts
have any relation to reality it all."
LIBBY: We talk about a few different kinds of truth,
based on how we figure it out.
KAI: Sometimes we find truth by pure logic.
LIBBY: Like two plus two equals four,
or that you can't have a square circle.
KAI: Philosophers call this necessary or a priori truth
from the Latin for from before.
Because it's possible to figure these things out
without going into the world and testing anything.
LIBBY: You could lock a mathematician in a windowless room
with nothing but Red Bull, chalk, and a black board ...
KAI: Not that we recommend that.
LIBBY: ... and theoretically, they could prove all of mathematics
all over again from scratch.
KAI: But you would only know they were actually
on a crazy, caffeine-fueled math bender
if you or someone you trusted actually saw them do it.
LIBBY: Right,
which would be an example of empirical truth.
These are things that you can't just figure out
by thinking about them.
Instead, it takes observation or experiment.
So how does this relate to faith and reason?
KAI: We need different kinds of tools
for figuring out different kinds of truth.
As Pope Saint John Paul II put it, "Faith and reason
are like two wings on which the human spirit rises
in contemplation of truth."
LIBBY: Science is necessary for figuring out
how the physical world works.
KAI: But no scientific experiment can tell us our purpose.
What it means to live a good life.
What happens after we die or whether there's a God,
and what He, she or it might be like.
LIBBY: Or even whether deliberately killing an innocent person
is wrong.
KAI: For that stuff, we need philosophy.
LIBBY: From the Greek for love of wisdom.
KAI: And theology.
LIBBY: From the Greek study of God.
KAI: And faith.
LIBBY: From the Gr...
We figure out moral and philosophical truth
by a combination of a priori thinking, life experience,
and reflections on human nature written by wise people.
KAI: And, yes, we mean figure out,
not just take God's word for.
LIBBY: So, you can read about God in the Bible.
KAI: You can observe the natural world He created
to get to know more about Him.
LIBBY: And you can also make philosophical arguments
for an eternal, transcendent creator who is the First Cause
of all things.
KAI: But, Catholics also recognize that some ideas are so huge
that we as humans can't fully wrap our minds around them.
LIBBY: How long is eternity?
What does it mean for God to become human?
Can God make a YouTube video so boring
even He can't sit through it?
CROWD: Huh?
KAI: Don't worry, we're not trying
to test that out. CROWD: Ahhh.
LIBBY: When reason and philosophy come up just a little short,
it takes a certain leap of faith realizing
that we can't know something fully,
coming to accept that uncertainty,
and eventually embracing it.
KAI: Catholics recognize that some things remain mysteries.
Beyond our ability to fully understand.
And we trust in God to guide us
through scripture and the Church.
LIBBY: This isn't just about religion, though.
All the biggest things we as humans do take a leap of faith.
KAI: When you marry someone.
Have a child.
Or chose life as a priest or nun.
You're signing up for a commitment far beyond
what you can imagine on your own.
LIBBY: Catholics believe that when we take that leap of faith
and trust God, God helps us along the way.
KAI: But we should be clear.
Although Catholicism at its best promotes a healthy
cooperation between faith and reason,
not everyone lives that out perfectly.
LIBBY: Superstition is where people use faith
when it's not the right tool for finding truth.
Like believing you got sick because you didn't comment
amen on your aunt's Facebook post about Jesus.
KAI: It's probably 'cause of an ancient curse.
LIBBY: It's also superstition to focus on a precise form
of religious practice instead of interior disposition,
basically what's in your heart.
KAI: So, if you say 100 prayers but you don't mean them,
just saying the words won't do you any good.
LIBBYl But if you mess up the words to the Our Father,
that doesn't cancel it out.
KAI: It's this superstitious thinking that has sometimes
caused Christians throughout the centuries
to feel threatened by science.
LIBBY: But the Catholic Church actually
has a Pontifical Academy of Sciences
and encourages us to use faith and reason
to complement each other,
seeking truth in whatever forms we can find it.
KAI: Because in doing so, we can know God better
and better understand the world we live in.
LIBBY: As Pope Leo XIII said back in 1893, "Truth cannot
contradict truth."
And as Jesus tells us, "The truth will set you free."
KAI: Rather than check our brains at the door,
Catholics believe that asking questions
of all perceived truth is actually a good thing
because it's a sign of a healthy, active, curious faith.
LIBBY: And in case you're questioning
whether we should still be talking?
The answer is no.
For Catholic Central, I'm Libby.
KAI: And I'm Kai.
Thanks for watching.
LIBBY: For more on the Church's relationship to science,
check out our episode on "Creation and Evolution,"
and be sure to hit subscribe.
KAI: And for more resources, check out our website,
CatholicCentral.com.
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