Recently I was reading an article entitled How to Respond to the “New Atheism”. It was published on the Catholic Answers website. The author is Trent Horn. He points out that the “Old Atheism” championed by Communism was not doing as well as atheist were hoping.
Quoting Trent Horn, “Beginning in the 1970s, the philosopher Paul Kurtz promoted what he called “secular humanism,” which focused on promoting human well-being without religion rather than converting people to atheism”.
Some atheist view religion as having some good to offer society, but the more militant sees it as the cause of today’s world disorders.
Quoting Trent Horn again, “In 2004 American atheist Sam Harris, after reflecting on the September 11 terrorist attacks, published The End of Faith. In the book, Harris argued that religion is a form of mental illness and not part of a rational worldview”.
How common it is today to see governments separating religious signs and symbols from public life, sighting that we now live in a “secular” society. Religion at best is a private matter.
I mention all this as a way for us to connect in our time to Jesus' words in today’s gospel. Atheism and Secular Humanism are trying to extinguish the Light of religious faith. By claiming secular humanism as normal and rational and religion as superstition; and by discrediting religion whenever it has problems the New Atheist are at war with the “Children of Light”.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before human beings, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
So what is it that makes us the Light of the World? It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, with His gifts and graces – beginning with our baptism. Consider the oil lamp. It has two main components – the base which is a reservoir to be filled with fuel – and for its top a globe which is transparent to all that surrounds it. When it is filled with oil and the wick is lighted a brilliant light fills the room.
Just so with us – filled with the Holy Spirit with many charisms and graces, with wisdom and truth taught to us by Jesus – when set alight by His inspiration we become a true light, dispelling the darkness of ignorance of God’s truth around us.
And the lampstand – it is our place in the world wherever that may be – there and then the truth of our faith is always to be with us shining for all to see and hear. We come here to Mass each week to have the light of the Holy Spirit replenished in our minds and hearts so that going forth our light will shine brightly.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ never let the New Atheism smother your light under its bushels of falsehoods.
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