The God I believe in, and the University students'

Somewhere in my library, I have a copy of the book by Juan Arias titled "The God I do not believe in." It was very popular when I was still a student. I remembered the book when I read the definition or description of God that John Falzon reproduced from The New Advent Catholic Encyclopaedia.

The definition ran as follows:

"God is a simple being or substance excluding every kind of composition, physical or metaphysical. Physical or real composition is either substantial or accidental -- substantial, if the being in question consists of two or more substantial principles, forming parts of a composite whole, as man for example, consists of body and soul; accidental, if the being in question, although simple in its substance (as is the human soul), is capable of possessing accidental perfections (like the actual thoughts and volition of man's soul) not necessarily identical with its substance. Now it is clear that an infinite being cannot be substantially composite, for this would mean that infinity is made up of the union or addition of finite parts -- a plain contradiction in terms. Nor can accidental composition be attributed to the infinite since even this would imply a capacity for increased perfection, which the very notion of the infinite excludes. There is not, therefore, and cannot be any physical or real composition in God".

I do not blame you if you started reading it and stopped half way. This was what happened to me. The God described here is cold and distant. This God seems to be very complex - though the definition starts by stating that "God is a simple being." This is the God as described by philosophers.

The God revealed by Christ

I prefer the God as revealed to us by Jesus Christ. This God is the Father, creator of things seem and unseen. This God is the Son, who became man and is the only redeemer of sinners like this writer. This God is the Holy Spirit who is the healer and consoler. This God is Love. He is crazy in love with us; so crazy about us that He gave His live for us.

He is a Father and, as Isaiah said, a Mother. This God is so powerful that omnipotence is one of His characteristics. He can hold the whole universe on the palm of his hand as you and I can hold a walnut. However, He is also so weak that He was not able to carry His own cross. Where it not for a weak human being He would have stopped half way. This God understands my weakness because He experienced weakness. He laughed as well as cried. He was loved and betrayed. This God is close to us and cares for us. He knows each and every one of us by name and tattooed our name on the palm of His hand.

This is the God I believe in.

University students: beliefs and actions

A few days ago the University Chaplaincy published Religious Beliefs and Attitudes of Maltese University Students Revisited - 2009. This publication gives us the results of a study conducted last year and compares the results with those of study conducted in 2005.

Look at some of them compared to three years previously.

Today fewer students believe in the Trinity, in Jesus as the Son of God, in the Incarnation, in the Holy Spirit, in heaven and hell, in Mary as the Mother of God and in the Church to mention a few points. Belief in the Trinity fell by 18%, in the Incarnation by 24% and in the sacraments by almost 23%. Only half of them believe in the Church.

Nine one per cent of respondents say that they are Catholics. The belief in the Trinity and the Incarnation are at the base and foundation of Christianity, let alone Catholicism. This means that many students consider themselves Catholic but do not believe in the basic tenets of Christianity.

Franco Farrugia commenting on my piece in The Sunday Times says that these are senseless dogmas. What we need, he writes, are good people who care for others.

His comments are totally off the mark.

The beliefs in God as Trinity and in the Incarnation are the basis of our anthropology and of our private actions and political commitments. Our dogmas form the foundation of our belief in the dignity of each human person who is created in the image and likeness of God. The Incarnation means that as God shared in our humanity we are invited to share in His divinity. These dogmas are the basis of our belief that solidarity is a constitutive element of our humanity and therefore, caring for others and loving them is the only forward for humans.

Far from senseless dogmas, these beliefs provide us with the strength and impetus needed to dedicate ourselves for others.

Some sex please, we are University students

Our University students are becoming more sexually active. The percentage of those who practiced sexual intercourse during the past year was 44.3% compared to 30% in 2005.

Many, included myself, would have expected the figure to be higher especially since only 24% (34% in 2005) consider pre-marital sex morally wrong. Forty-three percent (60% in 2005) consider divorce morally wrong and logically there is now a good majority for the legalisation of divorce i.e. 56.7% (48% in 2003).

The writing is clearly on the wall. I remember surveys showing two thirds of the Maltese against divorce. That number is going down and a particular survey showed a tie between the two sides; but the majority of those under forty are in favour.

There were no surprises about artificial contraception. Just one sixth thinks that it is morally wrong. It is interesting to note that while the vast majority of the respondents (73.5%) approve of premarital co-habitation, the vast majority prefer marriage. Only 5% said that they would opt for co-habitation. Only a sixth would consider opting for divorce. These are not contradictory choices. It is perfectly logical for someone be in favour of others having extra options though one is not interested in using them oneself.

I am pretty certain that if the same survey would be made among other young people the same trends would be registered. On the morality issues, I also suspect that the views of University students would be very similar to the views of the population at large.

This survey was held for the first time in 2005. What was the follow-up? Did the University Chaplaincy adopt some particular strategy? Did the Church make an attempt to see what is the situation at large? Very little follow up, if any, happened.

After some noises here and there every thing will settle down and every one will live happily ever after.

On a lighter note

Though this is quite a serious piece let me end it on a lighter note with some "naughty" observations about some of the survey findings.

• FEMA - the Faculty that churns out accountants - is the most staunchly Catholic faculty with a whopping result of 96.2%. It seems that the accountants did their calculations well considering possible options in the next world.
• Lawyers are the greatest believers in the devil (80% compared to a general average of 63%). It is so cute when members of the same profession publicly stay together.
• Members of the Institute of Health Care are the most sexually active. Almost two thirds (compared to a general average of 42%) say that they had sexual intercourse during the last year. It seems that the stereotype of nurses projected by the Carry On.... series was not terribly off the mark after all! We were not given the same statistics for students in the Faculty of Theology. We could perhaps find that surprises have no end!
• Doctors are those who most believe in angels and almost those who pray most. How lucky we are! They despatch us hurriedly from this world with a short prayer in the conviction that we meet nice angels. The undertakers hide their mistakes and angels host their victims!
• Teachers are the staunchest believers in fortunetellers and horoscopes. No wonder that many object saying "I don't need no education."