Dorothee
Germany
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I like the following the famous Catholic theologian, writer and lecturer Prof.Ottmar Fuchs wrote in an article of his, because it at least gives Christians one more reason to be tolerant and thus I decided to translate it:” [...] Faith in God is unnecessary, it is a luxury, a luxury of mercy. It isn’t necessary for a good life; not even for a life that does good things to others. It isn’t necessary to have made God the subject of religious puns. Male and female Christians however show that it is good and does feel good to be able to believe in such a God, that it gives resources and strength – especially for solidarity that goes beyond your closest surroundings. When we are asked, we justify this and we let everyone who then becomes curious join us in this faith. But there are no necessary or forcing reasons for believing to receive salvation. Faith has nothing to do with conditions under which we receive the love of God, but with the conditions under which we recognize this love and under which we internalize it. In this sense faith is as unnecessary, as additional as the “waste-miracle” on the wedding of Cana. (Joh. 2,1 – 12) It is interesting and surprising that the first miracle (described) by John isn’t a healing-miracle. People are already fed and they already had enough to drink. And now they get even more and in addition even better wine. Nobody in here suffers or at least they don’t do so in this very situation. Unnecessarily six more inches-high tanks get filled to the brim. Everything turns to wine! Isn’t this wasting a miracle for the sake of wasting? Of course it’s wonderful to celebrate life and to see under the influence of wine /faith. But nevertheless it is a supra-addition, completely unnecessary, a pure gift that can’t be used to praise yourself or to classify yourself towards others. Maybe another picture will help, too: You can let Jesus sleep. You don’t have to wake him up in every – even in every dangerous – situation. Even without this urging Jesus remains in the boat and cares for a rescue. That’s why he is rather upset when his followers – worried about the storm – wake him up from his sleep. He calls them cowards, because they have too little faith. (Mt. 8,23 – 26) This dialectic also reflects in the dialectic between the words of Jesus “Whom is not against us, (automatically) is in favor of us.” and the other word of Jesus “Whom is not with me is against me.”
About the first quote: When other people – without referring to Jesus Christ – have a healing and freeing effect on others, then also their doings are a work of Christ and a work of God’s empire. It goes without saying that the same goes for male and female Christians who don’t find it in their heart to connect welfare to faith and annunciation. [...] Who – no matter in which name – stands by the side of people and shows solidarity – be it the doings of Christians from inside of Christianity to the outside, be it from outside of the church – may let Jesus sleep, i.e. can make use of different forms of expression, be it religious or something else or maybe no such form of expression at all. Only if God is unnecessary, he can be mercy, because then we don’t have to do something to deserve him, neither by making moral achievements nor by having faith. [...]”
P.S. No, this text – from what I’ve heard – never gave him any trouble at all with the Pope, the religious leader of the Catholics.
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