Newspaper Page Text
Supplement to The Georgia Bulletin, August 2,1984
□ Faith Toda
• July 1984 •
A supplement to Catholic newspapers,
published with grant assistance from Cath
olic Church Extension Society, by the Na
tional Catholic News Service, 1312 Massa
chusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C.
20005. All contents copyright ® 1984 by
NC News Service.
The sun
will come out
tomorrow...
By Katharine Bird
NC News Service
In a nuclear age, what respon
sibility do we have for the
future?
People today “have the same
responsibility to the future of the
planet as they have for the care
of their own child,” Father Ernan
McMullin thinks. He teaches
philosophy of science at the
University of Notre Dame.
This presents Christians with a
paradox, he said, since the Bible
says not to worry about tomor
row — to be concerned about
the present. But, Father McMullin
continued, the Bible was speak
ing of a different world, a world
whose continued existence
“didn’t depend on human
choice.”
Today “we have power over
the future in ways not possible
ever before, even 100 years ago,”
Father McMullin said. Recently he
attended a conference of the
American Association for the Ad
vancement of Science in New
York. He came away convinced
anew that choices being made
now have the possibility of
“drastically altering the environ
ment in ways that are difficult,
dangerous and uncomfortable for
future generations.”
For example: “Today we are
using up natural resources in
spendthrift, sometimes frivolous
ways,” he said.
Always, Father McMullin con
tinued, “at the back of our minds
is the threat of nuclear destruc
tion. We have the capacity to
destroy the earth.”
He suggested imagining how
survivors of a nuclear war might
feel as they look back on the
events leading up to the final
blast. Any survivors, he thinks,
won’t limit their blame to
generals and presidents. Survivors
also will hold accountable “all
those who allowed destructive
types of weapons to be built;
who didn’t insist more strongly
on negotiation.”
However, Father McMullin ad
mitted, persuading people they
can do something about the
serious problems of the times is
very difficult. “The temptation is
to give up,” he said.
His view, especially where
nuclear weapons are concerned,
was echoed by Father James
Bacik, campus minister at the
University of Toledo, Ohio. “I
get a strong sense that facing the
war and peace issue today rears
many students up,” Father Bacik j
For the first time in history,
writes Katharine Bird, the ex
istence of the planet depends
on human choice. And despite
the enormity of the challenge,
working for peace should be a
Christian, and human, priority.
Only if we
choose
interview.
Recently he studied the U.S.
bishops’ peace pastoral and
other articles on the issue with
honors students. Six of 15 stu
dents admitted that they had
“never grappled with the issue
because it’s too painful,” he
remarked.
The campus minister said those
students may be succumbing to
“psychic numbness,” a phrase
used by Yale psychologist Robert
Lifton. It is what happens when
people become reluctant to con
front topics they consider
hopeless. It isn’t healthy, Father
Bacik said.
□ □ □
Father Bacik then explained
how he proceeds to convince
students that “ultimately it makes
sense to work for peace.” He is
convinced that people “will get
involved if they think they can
make a difference.”
The campus minister uses a
two-part approach. First, as a
framework for the discussion, he
helps students discover that
ultimately hope can be found in
God; that, despite the seeming
hopelessness of a situation, God’s
kingdom will come with their
aid.
Father Bacik also alerts
students to “the signals
of hope in real life.”
Often, he explained,
these involve small
efforts: 50 students
attending a prayer
vigil for peace
or sponsoring
seminars on the
bishops’ peace
pastoral.
Father Bacik
also points to
people involved in
peace activities. He looks for ex
amples of people who can “ar
ticulate a vision and motivate
others” to see how life can be
different — people willing “to go
out on a limb” for deeply held
beliefs.
□ □ □
Both priests stressed that in a
democracy elected officials can
be influenced to be more respon
sive to the future by informed
voters.
“The American tradition is one
of political initiative,” Father
McMullin commented. “We
create the government and have
control.”
Father McMullin also thinks
Christians have a “special res
ponsibility to adopt a concern
ed and loving attitude” toward
others. This includes children
not yet born and people often
considered enemies — those liv
ing in communist nations.
He thinks such an attitude can
help Christians learn to think of
others in making choices about
how to live and what activities to
pursue.
It can lead individuals and
families to think about ways to
conserve and preserve the earth
for future generations.
(Ms. Bird is associate editor of
Faith Today.)