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Rationalist Neil Steinberg Should Doubt His Own Doubt

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Charles Scheidler of Greensburg, IN who died Tuesday. Charles is a cousin. Above my desk hangs a family portrait taken in 1922 and Charles is the little boy in the Buster Brown suit with long stockings and a large billed cap.

I have for years pointed to the picture and said Charles is the only one in the picture still alive but, no longer. They are all gone.

Steinberg Should Doubt His Doubt

I am one of the majority of Americans who believe in an afterlife almost more than I believe in the present life. Not so Neil Steinberg of Chicago Sun-Times fame. In his Friday offering he takes a shot at the 65% of Americans who believe in Heaven, and even that they plan on going there.

Neil admits that he’s pretty much a rationalist and believes in buses and sidewalks. When he takes a drink of water it comes from the Jardine treatment plant and not from God. But then Neil is surrounded by masses of fellow rationalists, and forgets about the true believers.

He says that of course he isn’t making fun of people who believe in this “magic”, although he really is. He doesn’t like the smug certainty of these believers. He wants them to doubt.

What Neil is really afraid of is that these believers may want to teach their beliefs about a life hereafter in the public schools. He doesn’t seem to remember that a more God-centered government used to do just that. Public school couldn’t operate unless the Bible was taught. It was the one book required, and it’s all about God and Heaven—and even hell. Yeah, they did that right here in the good old U. S. of A.

We don’t want to fight with Neil—it probably wouldn’t do any good, anyway, but we do want to introduce him to one reflex principle we use with our non-believing friends, when they deny a hereafter. If they’re right, they’ll never be able to prove it and kind of rub it in, because we’ll all have gone to black. But if we’re right, which we are, Neil will know he was wrong for all eternity. Dwell on that, Neil.

Conservative Jews Back Roberts

Even conservative Jews are backing John Roberts for Supreme Court Justice. It’s the first time the United synagogue of Conservative Judaism with 700 congregations has taken a stand on a Supreme Court nominee and on Monday they agreed that Roberts fits the criteria it set before he was announced, that he has wide respect among diverse segments of society, is neither an activist for change or an unalterable opponent thereof and demonstrates balanced respect for foundational documents, reasonable interpretation and a reasonable interpretation of societal realities.

The liberal Reform branch of Judaism is wary of Roberts and Orthodox haven’t issued any statements one way or the other.

Court Lets Ten Commandments Monument Stay

And in Lincoln NB, a federal appeals court voted 11-2 to reverse an order by a panel of the court to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a city park in Plattsmouth. The court cited the June 27 U. S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas Capitol. The Judge in Nebraska said the monument acknowledges the role of religion in our nation’s heritage.

If you can make any sense out of the Supreme Court ruling on the Ten Commandments drop me a line. I think the Supreme Court is playing mind games with the American people, but what do I know. I’ve only been up there three times.

New CPC Launches in Lombard

The Pro-Life Action League welcomes a new Crisis Pregnancy Center into the Chicago Area. On Saturday morning following a 10 o’clock Mass at Sacred Heart Parish, 114 South Elizabeth St., Lombard, IL, Marjorie and Peter Breen will launch Woman’s Choice Services in Lombard.

Congratulations! And may you save many, many babies’ lives and save thousands of women from lives of desperation and despair.

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