Thomas and the New Atheists: Bishop Barron's Thomistic Institute Address

[@marypinakat8594]

Thomas Aquinas: We must love them both, those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject, for both have labored in search for truth, and both have helped us in finding it.

[@marypinakat8594]

@s Where exactly may we present the cases?

[@marymcdonoughmn]

You must not ever doubt Jesus!

[@marymcdonoughmn]

Only through Jesus will you know God.

[@ChillAssTurtle]

@1woksape but god went out of his way to make pedophiles and rapists.. people who could have been made as "normal" people he continues to allow to exist.. the same god that poisoned his own children with his own sin so he could use that as a way to control people into worshipping him lest this all loving entity send you to eternal fire instead of just talking to you for 5min lol (hes timeless and everywhere at once so its not even the slightest touch of effort on his part)

[@RealAtheology]

As Atheists, we love this quote and appreciate the sentiment.

[@heroicacts5218]

God bless Bishop Barron! We need more of this type of serious approach towards religion and all the deep questions of humanity. Thanks God that we can hear this speech! Thank you very much!

[@roaryswalsh4903]

Dear Bishop Barron, Your elocution and allocution are remarkable. Please keep this profundity flowing because it helps me and hopefully all to ascend the stairway of enlightenment. God's graced our lives with your presence.

[@nanettefernandez2863]

Cudnt agree more

[@theclapaolini4322]

It's no wonder you are who you arefor the people of all faiths.your mission for us all.thank you.

[@anneturner2759]

Dear Bishop Barron, found You Tube, found you, and found my beautiful Catholic faith. Thank you. I pray for you daily.

[@alvinscott6627]

It’s nice you’re a catholic Anne??

[@stevecole3192]

Riveting lecture. Over my head at times but that's Thomas Aquinas. Thank you Bishop Barron.

[@meganwalsh4775]

Thank you for your strength,insight, and intelligence all rooted in the love of our faith. Your media ministry is changing the world it's just not always obvious. Praying for your continued mission 🙏

[@maryannchaisson6742]

Thank you Bishop! Even now at my great age (81) I still have problems with Thomas’s abstraction. However, amazing as it is I an still growing and learning in my faith. You have helped me and I thank you! 👏💕🇨🇦🙏

[@jgrillo638]

I am ashamed I ever turned my back on God, I told myself I was an Atheist. I was angry, full of hate, and resentment. I always knew God was there, and I'm so happy to be back in Christ's Church. Jesus, no matter how much I ran from him was right there waiting for me to come back.

[@rhwinner]

Welcome back 🙂

[@ryanskol83]

Been there.

[@briangeraghty1555]

Wonderful God Bless you

[@TheTruthisWritteninyourHeart]

Ditto been there been that glory to God welcome back 👊🌸🙏

[@antoniomoyal]

I was an agnostic and now in love with Christ

[@markbirmingham6011]

So glad this video is out. I randomly came across the original reading video years ago and it it turned me on to classical theism and eventually to being someone who tries to be a practicing Catholic. It’s great.

[@Autobotmatt428]

Oh how old is the video?

[@antoniomoyal]

Like me. Keep practising till you get it right

[@williamwatkinson5838]

Bravo Mark your under standing of Theism has been truly repayed by a gift of the Holy Spirit of God

[@markbirmingham6011]

@@Autobotmatt428 i think this is a rereading of the original paper. He was father Barron in the old speech. But I’m not 100%

[@jlurodriguez8262]

I love every time you speak about Thomas Aquinas.. always something to learn from the infinity knowledge of GOD THE LORD. Blessings bishop Barron Grazzie Padre.. 🙏

[@anneturner2759]

So much of this over my head, yet wanting , needing , to cling to every word. God bless Bishop Barron.

[@soniaaltuzar6191]

Dios lo siga bendiciendo muchísimo

[@masteroffate5060]

Bishop Baron, Very deep meaningfully talk, spoken in exceptionally simplistic terms even a young person can unserstand. ( Harry Potter, J.K Rowlings reference) Fantastic! Thank you for sharing your Love of Theology and the Word of God. ❤ May God richly Bless you and us all with your talks and inciteful thoughts. 🙏🙏

[@ScreamingReel500]

I don't think they get the answers that they asked about the incarnation.

[@davido3026]

@@ScreamingReel500 if they do not believe in God, how can they believe in the Incarnation???

[@ScreamingReel500]

@@davido3026 If they do not believe after all of this them leave them be. Respect their freewill and decision. God do not make/force anyone to accept Him. They might reject God because they do not know Him (to them, its the idea of God, or concept of God). But if they rejected God after they know God exist, that is a different take. The incarnation is another mystery, just like the mystery of the Holy Trinity, but relating to each others. Mystery, after all the explanation still a mystery. God is 3 Divine Persons in one, all the time, equally, undivided, inseparable. God cannot be just the Father, or just the Father and the Son. WE only know that much if God is outside of a timeline, before the beginning (our beginning). When the Creed said the Son is from the Father that is inside a timeline, 2000 years ago, then the Advocate/Comforter/Paraclete/Holy Spirit come at the Pentecost. In human words/language we said so just to address the coming of Jesus in 2000 years ago and the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and still do now. God is not an Office that the 3 Divine Persons show up to work. God is a Being and like Bishop Barron said, not the same category as human 'being'. God is just Be. Well, I tried....But I know if someone says 1 of the Divine Person is outside of the Trinity then that is a heresy (and they don't know their faith). God cannot be separate as individual Divine Person. In the case of Jesus, is another mystery. Jesus is fully God and fully man. That is the only term that we can describe Jesus. Jesus the human pray to the Father, not Jesus as His Divinity praying to the Father. I think when we are in heaven some of this will be revealed to us, but not all of them. We cannot contain something infinite, ever changing, the love that ever growing. We are only can contain what we are exposed to contain not all of God. After all we are still creature not the Creator. We wrap ourselves into God but we cannot become a god, become the Creator. There is a flaw in this teaching "God become man, so that man can become a god". You see, that is when people view God as a concept or an idea. Sigh.

[@RealAtheology]

This is a great video Bishop Barron, thank you for sharing this (though I do recall you presenting a similar lecture some years ago). While we totally agree with you about many of the misrepresentations and misunderstandings that the New Atheists make when it comes to the Thomistic Classical Conception of God, we would point out that many contemporary analytic Atheist philosophers do not make the same mistakes as the New Atheists do. Unlike popular level atheists, many of these individuals understand the classical-theist tradition you belong to and have offered powerful critiques, that are respected and taken seriously by Theistic philosophers. We hope you will engage these individuals in the future.

[@mapaz555]

31:00 Sinking into God is as real as it gets. Underneath the noise of the mind, deeper, a little spark opens like a window to see. when God, Our Father, let’s us have a glimpse and says in ways only our heart can understand: hello my love, here you are. i’m right here with you and I love you. Our bodies Cannot contain the joy, joy itself, the sublimity of being. It’s heaven. I’m so happy when you also mention Thomas Merton, I still remember when I first read him and knew exactly what he was saying, he knew and he was able to explain as clearly as words allowed him. What a gift to see yourself in his experiences and know you’re in the right path. A teacher, such closeness through time, to guide us when we have no one else to explain. To help us reach for God through contemplation, he gives so much hope. Thank you, to Our Father, to Father Merton and to Bishop Barron for speaking the truth in ways we can comprehend, to guide us home.

[@nicolamustard7232]

Exquisite! ❤

[@fr.larryyoung4222]

That was outstanding from the beginning, all the way through the Q&A. I am very grateful for this talk from Bishop Barron.

[@STRENGTHFROMABOVE]

When it’s your right time, God says, “I, the Lord, will make it happen.” It may seem impossible; the experts say no way. But like Sarah, God is asking you, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” You don’t know what God is up to. There are right times that are not just ordinary, not just a good break, but they are supernatural. It’s the hand of God that defies the odds, that thrusts you into places you can’t go on your own, that makes ways where there is no way. What you’re up against may look bigger, stronger, more powerful, but it’s no match for our God. Stay in peace. You have the most powerful force in the universe on your side.

[@pop6997]

Beautiful! Ty 🙏

[@learnbibleversethroughpict6027]

@@pop6997 👍🏼

[@lynntparsons]

Excellent....thank you Bishop Barron

[@alvinscott6627]

Excellent message How are you Lynn??

[@jake115577]

May God bless Bishop Barron

[@araghazarossian289]

Thank you bishop Barron and God bless you 🙏

[@dfhyland]

Bishop, this talk is wonderful and exciting. Thank you so much for all of your work for the Church, and may God bless you!

[@antoniomoyal]

Brillant as always. Best is how he makes St Thomas easy.

[@theologyteacher230]

Thank you for your work to educate and evangelize, Bishop! I continue to pray for you and your work.

[@wbf275]

Bishop, you are 100% correct that the post-Vatican II Church has been "inept" at evangelizing these truths. Thank you for being the change we so desperately need!

[@gvremdata4660]

Hmmm... right, but don't forget that "the Church" is composed of people. That is, you and me. So on pointing to these weaknesses we must surely point first to ourselves, speak in the first person, and strive to become the catholics that the Church needs to have today.

[@iqgustavo]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:18 🕊️ Thomas Aquinas greatly influenced Bishop Barron's spiritual and intellectual journey, leading him to a life dedicated to God. 02:27 🧐 Bishop Barron's lecture title: "Thomas Aquinas and Why the New Atheists Are Right" explores the compatibility between Thomas's view of God and the critiques of the New Atheists. 05:37 🌌 New Atheists like Dawkins and Hitchens emphasize what God is not, exposing the limitations of their straw man conception of God. 10:07 🤔 New Atheists misconstrue God as just another cause in a chain of contingent causes, failing to grasp Thomas Aquinas's concept of God's uniqueness. 12:23 🚀 New Atheists' approach to God lacks depth and neglects the concept of divine transcendence. 13:50 🕊️ Thomas Aquinas emphasizes the agnosticism of human language when referring to God, highlighting that we can only describe what God is not. 16:08 🕊️ Thomas Aquinas's concept of God's simplicity means there's no distinction between essence and existence in God, setting God apart from created beings. 20:25 🕊️ God's self-designation as "I am who I am" to Moses signifies God's radical difference from any creaturely being. 23:07 🕊️ Thomas Aquinas's understanding of God as the creator ex nihilo (out of nothing) emphasizes the uniqueness of God's creative power. 24:39 🕊️ Bishop Barron suggests that understanding God's creative act ex nihilo helps address misconceptions raised by the New Atheists. 26:12 🌌 Thomas discusses the concept of time as a creature and how it relates to space, matter, and energy. 27:21 💡 Thomas explores the elusive nature of creation and its relationship with the creature and God. 28:13 🌟 Thomas describes how God's creative act defines the creature's ontological identity. 29:37 🙏 Thomas emphasizes the continuous relationship of creation, contrasting it with the notion of submission to a tyrant. 30:19 🌐 Thomas delves into God's transcendence and immanence, explaining how God's lordship over creation is gentle yet powerful. 32:13 📖 Thomas discusses the non-violent nature of creatio ex nihilo and how God's creative act contrasts with other ancient myths. 33:09 🎨 Thomas explores the reasons behind God's act of creation, emphasizing divine love and the lack of self-interest. 35:09 💭 Thomas addresses the challenge of divine providence and human freedom, demonstrating the synergy between God's causality and human agency. 37:03 🔗 Thomas explains how God's influence on creatures and events harmonizes with their unique causal efficacy. 42:56 🤝 Thomas connects God's involvement in the world to the incarnation, highlighting the unique relationship between the divine and the human. 48:02 🧬 Thomas explores the coexistence of human freedom and God's providence, with God energizing human will from within. 51:03 👥 Thomas clarifies the nature of personal relationship with God, emphasizing intimacy and non-competitive closeness. 53:05 🌌 God's omnipresence explained: God is everywhere but not as a dominant being, like the analogy of J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter stories. 54:27 🤔 The analogy of being: Explained as the prime reference for the word "to be" being God. Carl Barth's rejection based on drawing God and the world together too much. 57:13 🧐 Modernity's rejection of God's simplicity: Post-Aquinas, the analogical conception of being faded away, leading to a more contrastive understanding of God's relation to the world.

[@jspin-can]

This was good Bishop, thank you!

[@laurenferguson194]

This was beautiful! We really need more sermons like this.

[@tommore3263]

Wonderful stuff. The church and Aquinas are the key to understanding reality. Sanity and Truth.

[@maryvictor1739]

Hi, YOUR EXCELLENCY BISHOP BARREN, YOU SOUNDS BRILLIANT ALWAYS! AND I CHECKED YOUR VIDEO WHEN YOU WAS HONORED BY GOOGLE AS THE MOST VIEWED ONLINE! AND I SHARE IT WITH OVER HUNDRED CATHOLICS, etc. MY THE LORD BLESS U ABUNDANTLY - Saba Koriale and I was born in Middle East, now Christian CATHOLIC & Canadian.

[@meereslicht]

¡¡Bravo!! Totalmente maravillosa :)

[@lizmiddleton2382]

Thank you Bishop Barron! It sounds like I am listening to Thomas Aquinas himself!! You are Blessed 🙌 😇

[@richardemerson8381]

Wonderful - thank you Bishop Barron

[@JRD_Youtube]

Imagine how peaceful it would be to simply be! That sounds like heaven.

[@johnohara9941]

Thank you for a brilliant lecture..Bishop Barron at his best.!

[@luluq01]

Agree

[@petertherock7340]

Thank you, Bishop Barron!

[@vlorenz5825]

Thank you for this, your explanation of the faith and Aquinas’ writings has transformed my own understanding of faith. You are doing God’s work, Bishop.

[@Tom-xe9iq]

God isn't trying to compete with His creation. He is constantly reaching out to his creation-- like the Loving Creator he is-- to a higher communion. Believe, be strong.

[@sophrapsune]

While I don’t worship in the tradition of Thomas Aquinas, this has to be one of the best and most relevant discussions of theology for our Postmodern times that I have heard in years. It allows us to leverage the New Atheist movement constructively, as a gift. However, I do suspect that many of the New Atheists would be incapable or unwilling to understand the metaphysics of this discussion. Some of the theological language is really beautiful and does make me think that there is something positive to take away from Aquinas for my own tradition.

[@antoniomoyal]

Deepen Saint Thomas. Hard but worth.

[@rcabert70]

Thank you so much! I thoroughly enjoyed that!

[@davido3026]

Bishop Barron, Brilliant presentation!!!

[@rev.fr.spyridonchiones3963]

Excellent !

[@WorldOfConversionandManhoodESP]

Saint Thomas Aquinas has been the saint who has shown me that God is reached through reason and with this faith is defended, therefore, seeing people with masks in a conference of such a great and rational Saint is extremely irrational. In the words of Saint Thomas himself "if you can live in the midst of injustice without feeling anger, then you are both immoral and unjust"

[@bukurie6861]

Thank you!It is interesting to hear!God bless&protect🙏

[@babum3215]

Thank you very much Bishop

[@shajanosb]

Wonderful Talk. Thanks Bishop.

[@ancillatheresecortes1773]

True, very rich, powerful, deep and articulate! DEO Gratias!

[@gertrudeuri885]

Dear Bishop Robert Barron, It is with Great GRATITUDE that your teachings guided by the Holy Spirit has helped me (for years) more than I can say. While I appreciate your rich and deep accidemic theological understandings, I need to say that there are times, about 1/4 of what I've read & heard of your teachings; is that, I would hope sometimes you would not use such big words that don't meet the masses of people that listen. It is confusing and I shut down when I have to get out the dictionary to understand your Incredible Gifts of knowledge of our GOOD LORD. Please do not misunderstand me, I am writing this today because I find the way you understand and Express God is genius! I am afraid your genius way of teaching may not reach as many people as you could and maybe you could make your talks more "lay" appropriate without losing your deep rich messages of TRUTH! I feel people like myself... sometimes we cannot see ourselves as clearly and I know I appreciate others keeping me accountable to the things I do good, not so good & great. I know you have helped so many people and for your Gifts to me personally, I am Truly Grateful.

[@BishopBarron]

I write and do videos for a variety of different audiences. I've produced lots and lots of material for the average listener/reader, and occasionally I produce something for a more advanced audience.

[@cindirose3390]

Wonderful diction, I hung on and the ride was wholesome "trip", wow. Thanks, I grew from you explanation of God as Incomprable.

[@Bazerkly]

"EXCELLENT"

[@elitisthavoc3949]

St. John Vianney, St. John Bosco, Fulton Sheen, St. Peter Damian, Saint Augustine, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us.

[@twac750]

Hi Bishop Barron. Great talk. Is this the same paper you gave at at The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota a couple of years ago? Have you considered writing a book on this topic? I think it may be helpful for a lot of people. Also are you aware of David Bentley Hart’s work on this topic? I see a lot of overlap between you guys. Regardless, very important work. Thanks and God Bless!

[@JohnR.T.B.]

Thank you Bishop Barron, God bless always. They also like to argue why there are great evils if God is all loving and powerful, why God doesn't or can't cure children with cancer, war victims, etc. Prevention of evil, or death, is one act of good, but it is not the only good nor it is the highest good, again placing God as a kind of variable, or a constant, to be added to balance an equation for our own limited and imperfect purposes. Our human operations, or any creaturely, are limited to the present and hence our own greatest acts of good can only be manifested by changing things presently; such as to undo bad things, to not do bad things, to do good things, to believe and follow God, and to love others. One or series of acts of preventing evil or illnesses or death, will never stop evil or illnesses or death to occur again and hence it will never be a true act of goodness, and it will not stop evil overall without having to compromise the act of genuine love, that is freedom of will and liberation in truth. On the contrary, God is not constrained by needs to prevent or to do constant act of balancing the equation, something like a plane that needs to do constant flight adjustments to maintain its trajectory. God's very own essence as Love that sustains all things in all spaces and times, no matter how fallen or broken a creature is, or how sad or tragic a situation is (since God always desires a change of heart to His goodness for salvation before His justice is delivered, that is God's steadfast love), means God will never lose anything in all instances possible, and in His divine justice, full control, and fullness of providence, God brings forth the greatest manifestation of love by taking on evil, the taking away of goodness, not in necessitated momentary corrections (although God can bring about signs and miracles to open our hearts), but ultimately in the act of redemption, Himself as the Sacrifice, that makes certain a perfectly just conclusion for everything, and at the same time allows freedom of will, which is a gift of genuine love, to manifest and take part. And hence everything from God is pure, loving, honest, and never forceful or manipulative, but freeing and life-giving to the very end, culminating eventually in the coming eternal and glorious resurrected life, justified by being fully in communion with God when evil is still present, for every rational creature that is justified in God, by cooperating in His divine will, in His Sacrifice.

[@tommysur]

Amen

[@bikecameraaction3334]

Bishop Barron is a great example of the intellectual, spiritual and rational search for God in all his forms. The atheists idolise their own intellects and become imprisoned by them. The great theologians use their intellects in the service of others and for the worship of God and become freed by them, not imprisoned. It is a curse to be at the mercy of your own, cynical intellect. It is a blessing for all when you use your intellect in the service of God.

[@nicolamustard7232]

Beautifully put!

[@clive2296]

Thats what the atheists do, they put the words in your mouth saying what is God, eternity and so on and then they say "I don't believe in God" but the God they put in our mouth is the God that we don't believe as well. Seems that the concept of God is much more close to an atheist than a believer. The believer can barely say what is God and how God operates in the world, even though we believe by an act of faith.

[@downenout8705]

I am an atheist and I have never heard any atheist attempt to put a god that a theist doesn't believe in into anyone's mouth. For my part I simply ask for evidence of the god that a theist believes in and when none is provided or contradictory attributes are proposed I simply say that I don't believe in that god. Let me give you any example. If a theist says that they believe in the truth of 1 Corinthians 15: 14, I would reply that there is zero empirical evidence to support the biblical resurrection claim. The theist will invariably deflect, bloviate and make excuses but will never provide even a mustard seed's worth of empirical evidence. I will then simply say that they have failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify a belief in their god.

[@learnbibleversethroughpict6027]

@@downenout8705 Are you growing in faith now??

[@downenout8705]

@@learnbibleversethroughpict6027 I have been in communication with Barron on this subject, he referred me to a litany of apologetic works, but when I asked him for a single sentence containing just a mustard seed's worth of empirical evidence to support the biblical resurrection claim from these thousands of pages, he, to this day, has remained silent. As, yet again, he has failed to provide empirical evidence to support the god that he actually believes in, the answer is no.

[@Livel1]

@@downenout8705 I'm curious, what empirical evidence would satisfy you? Jesus entirely ascended. Evidence of a broken bone would counter the resurrection. Empirical by observation/experience -- what about the testimonies of his contemporaries?

[@downenout8705]

@@Livel1 What a strange question, I presume that you believe in the truth of 1 Corinthians 15: 14, yet you ask me to tell you what empirical evidence is required, when my assertion is simply that I don't believe because I don't have any empirical evidence to evaluate. Provide some empirical evidence and then we can discuss if it is sufficient to justify a belief in the biblical resurrection claim. Testimonial evidence is not empirical evidence, but there is not even any contemporary testimonial evidence. There not even a single "contemporary" sentence written about the Jesus character. The first we learn of Jesus is in the Pauline letters and Paul makes it very clear that his knowledge of Jesus came from no man. Please remember telling me what the story says is not evidence that the story is true.

[@fashilaoyue5942]

🙏 thank you

[@astro_monist2559]

Thank you Bishop!!

[@gerihall8265]

My life is a dance with God with Him leading. My cooperating and dancing well is entirely attributed to Him. If I’m uncooperative, dance poorly, it’s all on me. 🙏Lord, help us to surrender our will to you!🔥

[@dm20422]

✝️

[@learnbibleversethroughpict6027]

✝️

[@luluq01]

Bishop Barron as his best!

[@AdelSalti]

“Lord, you will decree peace for us, for you have accomplished all we have done.” Isaiah‬ ‭26:12‬ ‭NABRE

[@pawekawalec2903]

38:32 (Obj. 16) Lord, you have wrought all our works in us (Isa 26:12)

[@luigimoonriver2017]

God conceived as the rival of man, overpowering, governing his freedom, is one of the main reasons modern and new atheism is active.

[@lohikaarmeherra-1753]

The problem is not God, it is his fans. God (of bible) being all nutty and angry does not help.

[@JuanRPF]

Excellent!!! 👏👏👏

[@joeschmoe4205]

I'm the type of atheist that can see a world operated by God, and also a world that is operated only by natural order. If I was born without a god detector, and no faith to lean against. What am I to do? My answer is to wait, listen, and carry on.

[@marypinakat8594]

God bless you heaps and for always☆ Do appreciate your gracious presence☆☆

[@downenout8705]

As an atheist I would agree with your sentiments, except that I would replace "... by God" with "... by a god or gods".

[@dynamic9016]

Really appreciate this video.

[@wimvanackooij2594]

Is the paper from which Bishop Barron reads available for download somewhere ?

[@paulamoses408]

“The Glory of God is a human being fully alive” Irenaeus!

[@swiggitysk8]

Please come to Texas A&M sometime!

[@lizmiddleton2382]

God chosen you for a reason!! You are gooood!!

[@hawaiiebikes707]

Absolutely incredible

[@brendamyc3057]

"Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am* they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world."-Jesus on humanity John Chapter 17 verse 24.

[@shanecovey1901]

God is the box you put him in. God is the will to create the box you put him in. God is the you, you can't escape. God is the escape you wish to find. God is in the corner you've painted to elude him. God is kind. God is just. God is just the kind of box we find the divine in all of us to paint a box to find GOD in all of us.

[@briangeraghty1555]

We must remember that God is free to reveal himself or not reveal himself to whom he chooses. I am thankful he has revealed himself to me. I am waiting and hoping to see a “prominent” atheist come forward and share that God has revealed himself to me. It would just be so wonderful to see them come out and deny their life’s work to beat the path of modern day Paul. I’m praying that he will touch a said soul and soon !

[@downenout8705]

When I called myself a Christian I, just like you, believed that god had revealed himself to me. I now know that my revelation was indistinguishable from a transient psychotic episode.

[@Seanph25]

@@downenout8705 no you’re just being edgy and trying to tear down peoples beliefs

[@downenout8705]

@@Seanph25 I suggest that you read Matthew 7: 3-5, is not Brian attempting to "tear down" peoples lack of belief with his post? I am simply defending my lack of belief. Is it your intent to deny a voice to all who don't share your God beliefs? Why does your supposed "truth" need to hide behind the ad hominem that is Pslam 14? Is the god that you believe in that weak that it is incapable of defending itself against the few words that a nobody like me has written? If that is your best 1 Peter 3: 15 reason for the hope that you have, I suggest that you try a lot harder.

[@Seanph25]

@@downenout8705 I don’t believe in God, and I no longer practice the faith. But all you’re doing is trying to use big words and references to make yourself seem smarter than everyone, while needlessly trying to deny people’s beliefs that don’t harm you. And no, you are not defending your “lack of belief”, because it has not been attacked. You are just willingly talking the time to thrust your beliefs upon people while acting under the guise of intellectual superiority.

[@downenout8705]

@@Seanph25 How dare you assert that religion has not "harmed" me, you know nothing about me or my motivations. I am no more "smarter" or "intellectually superior" than the average nuero typical person. I am not responsible for the fact many people, because of the poor education that they received, are not able to make the best use of their intellectual potential. We all have access to a dictionary full of "big" words and I see nothing wrong or impressive about using them. Just as I am unimpressed by Barron and his vast vocabulary.

[@gabrieldevitto712]

Dear Bishop Barron, excellent lecture! Now, I'm left with a footnote: around 5:30, you quoted Saint John of Cross ("the mind is an idol making machine"). But isn't that phrase from John Calvin? Thank you very much!

[@voicesoftoday7583]

20:20 "God cannot be placed, positioned or indicated. In the strictest sense of the term He cannot be defined." The Bishop said it. However this undefined essence of existence caused a book to be written which contains abundant assertions of his existence, as well as extensive moral and behavioural prescriptions, serious infractions of which will condemn humans beings to eternal posthumous punishment. This reminds me of a recent curious incident in my life. A man approached me in the street and assured me in the most convincing tones that my house had been burgled. I immediately rushed home and checked but could find nothing amiss. Nevertheless, I called the police and the following conversation ensued: Police Officer (PO): Has anything been taken from your house? Self: No PO: Is there any sign of forced or unauthorized entry to the property? Self: No PO: Has there been any damage to the property? Self: No PO: Have you noted any suspicious characters hanging around the property? Self: No PO: Have any of your neighbours mentioned that there have been unwarranted intrusions on their properties? Self: No PO: Why are you wasting our time?

[@idorenyin-akpan]

That's rather ridiculous and silly. Before you call the police, why not reach your house and confirm for yourself? And, no. You cannot do the question of God the same way. By the time you get to confirm it, you are already no more. Why then do you not accept that you do not understand it and remain humble in your lack of knowledge? It seems more reasonable then (for you) to not call the police if there is no way to confirm that your house has been burgled. But that does not mean that you cannot entertain the idea, just in case your house has actually been burgled.

[@lizmiddleton2382]

Always loved Thomas Aquinas ❤️

[@OrigenisAdamantios]

Bishop Barron , Your blessing! May we please have access to the text of your talk? God’s omnipotence establishes our freedom! “In Him we live and move and are…” Thank you!

[@bridgett5738]

I was going to ask the same thing.

[@fr.rongarry5822]

At about 13:00 what Thomas teaches about God. At 24:00 God the Creator, relating to what He makes and holds in being.

[@glynissequeira5544]

What is the point that you are trying to say? I suppose it is this. Aquinas Thomas ( who is not Thomas the apostle of Christ) says about God that we cannot know what He is but we can know what He is not. Now this seems to be contradicting what Christians say ("God the Father, the Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth" ) and also some things in the Bible. Let me also say that Aquinas Thomas' writings are not the word of God. I have read that in the generations of Aquinas some priests in the Church learned Greek and other philosophies from some Muslims, and they taught these things to others in the Church. There is much of this in Aquinas' writings. Someone who has studied these matters well, needs to confirm this.

[@ashwith]

Towards the end you talked about the Incarnation in response to a question around the 48 minute mark. You talk about the unity of two natures being possible because God is "radically so other." Does the same principle work for Transubstantiation - how what looks like Bread and Wine is infact Christ Himself?

[@BishopBarron]

Yes.

[@ashwith]

@@BishopBarron thank you so much your excellency! :)

[@maciejpieczula631]

@@BishopBarron doesn't this imply consubstantiation?

[@davido3026]

Question for astrophysicists, scientists and mathematicians: If all you need in geometry is two points to draw and ellipse, how is it that only the Sun located on one focus of the earth orbit pulls the earth steadily, when nothing lies on the other focus? how is it that the earth keeps rotating on its elliptical orbit steadily as if in a circle???? what is it on the other focus that causes our planet to follow the elliptical path?

[@pierreleroy6826]

Could you translate yours speeches in French. Blessings from Lyon,father Barron

[@Causeriesaucoindufeu]

Je pourrais essayer de traduire cette conférence. Sinon pour plus de contenus du même genre en français venez visiter notre chaîne. Bonne semaine à vous! Salut du Québec! 🙏🏼⚜️

[@Causeriesaucoindufeu]

Nous avons besoin de cette hypothèse!

[@Causeriesaucoindufeu]

@@oliverclark5604 I don't get it? Laplace responded to Napoleon's questioning about God " I don't Need (besoin) that hypothesis". I was just saying the contrary.

[@lourdesbalo9066]

Bp very long days we cant send message to our friends cause of storm odette in our province almost all post electrecity full down ,just now is back to normal but not all,God bless & peace to the world,welcome 2022...

[@Autobotmatt428]

On the Bright side the new atheist are now on the decline. Heck you @Bishop Robert Barron are more searched than them. Keep it up

[@Autobotmatt428]

​@@russellmiles2861 Yes but. Like I said before they have lost they'er influence. Also the nones most are still believes in God though they are Spiritual.

[@Autobotmatt428]

​@@russellmiles2861 I agree

[@katherinebrumley7794]

If you can share the transcripts, Bishop Barron, I would be greatly appreciative. I took notes but I still missed much. Thank you.

[@slahts]

You can turn on closed caption, that may help with notes.

[@theoskeptomai2535]

I have never encountered any evidence or sound argument that suggests the existence of a god. And I don't understand how this fact is a threat to any believer or society at large.

[@kathleenvigliettapignato2538]

One threat, if there are any, is to our need for meaning, belonging, goodness, truth, beauty -- some of which is described well lately by Jordan Peterson. Whatever one might think of his opinions, Jordan speaks well and usually clearly about such human longings, and especially the pathologies which arise from unfulfilled longings in these areas.

[@theoskeptomai2535]

@Kathleen Viglietta Pignato Are you asserting that belief in a god are requisite for meaning, belonging, goodness, truth, and beauty? Yes or no.

[@kathleenvigliettapignato2538]

@@theoskeptomai2535 no. Just that for some people (if the psychologists are correct, Most people) lack of such purpose as can be grasped from the belief in an eternal, unchanging,non- competetive Creator God might be one such threat as you asked about. And if enough people are threatened by lack of such beauty truth meaning etc (the psychologists say, And with what might we replace it?), those persons with unfulfilled ordinary human longing for such can (and certainly have throughout history) threaten those others who might not need such belief or such a God in order to live (or try to act) in a peaceful manner.

[@theoskeptomai2535]

@@oliverclark5604 Ok!?!....

[@mapaz555]

58:00 anyone scared of God doesn’t know Who they are as human beings.

[@DL-nk6ut]

Great talk, is there a transcript of this anywhere? Thanks.

[@Ghost_Electricity]

Bishop Barron, please talk with Cornel West and publish it on here and Word on Fire!

[@anneturner2759]

Yes! Love him .

[@robertpoetprince7362]

Some of the Bishop's address would have been beyond me if I hadn't some time ago, watched his Pivotal Players DVD on Thomas Aquinas. It's kind of Thomas & the New Atheists--light.

[@ColeB-jy3mh]

Hey Bishop could you do a video on What is the self?

[@reginaclaire4680]

that was awesome ty

[@jimluebke3869]

So we've seen God come together with material world in the Incarnation. Does this not give credence to the idea of consubstantiation in the Eucharist?

[@Autobotmatt428]

It's also worth pointing out that theres is controversy on wether Pierre Simon Laplace said that or what he meant by it.

[@jamesponsi]

Atheists will one day realise in life what does Love mean. And how Love becomes the language of heart through which Infinite God communicates to each human. Ultimately human, is inanimate collection of compounds elements of this universe. But from that inanimate body Love could flow. Love is not matter, not energy but a universal emotion created by God. God implanted his breath of infinite Love in humans. Laws to Love to Light to Life in Christianity I

[@downenout8705]

I am an atheist and I will not be told that I don't know what love is by a person who reads the following examples of Yahweh/Jesus slaughtering babies and the unborn: by drowning in (Genesis 7: 22); burning to death in (Genesis 19: 24 ); putting to the sword in (1 Samuel 15:3 & Numbers 31: 17) and putting to death just to show off in (Exodus 11:5) and calls this slaughter "loving acts of moral perfection". This is not "love" and I condemn these atrocities as objectively immoral. I have read Psalm 14 but please keep your hatred and bigotry within the confines of your church.

[@polycarpflavius6945]

@@downenout8705 God is Infinitely Perfect with His own Self. God "loves" His own Justice. There is a Island off of India which is inhabited by Cannibals. Go there and then get back to us.

[@downenout8705]

@@polycarpflavius6945 You need to put the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on your reading list and look up the tu quoque fallacy. Nothing that you say however, will ever persuade me that the slaughter of babies and the unborn is not objectively immoral. If my condemnation of these barbaric acts condemns me to eternal torture then so be it for I, unlike you, will never willingly sacrifice my humanity on the alter of such an utterly depraved deity. Unless you are willing to, unequivocally, condemn the slaughter of babies and the unborn as objectively immoral, I am done with this conversation, goodbye.

[@meathiew.f.wild.p.nature4735]

You are highly intelligent your excellency, I would really want to see a video of you debating with Richard Dawkins with all his nonsense arguments

[@downenout8705]

Richard Dawkins is low hanging fruit. Richard Carrier is a PhD First century historian who has published peer reviewed books on Jesus. Go read some of his works.

[@DualFrodo]

@@downenout8705 There's a good video of Richard Carrier discussing the historicity of Jesus with an intelligent Catholic called Trent Horn

[@downenout8705]

@@DualFrodo I'm personally not interested in historicity a first century apocalyptic preacher named Jesus who said and did some things that upset the Romans who, as they normally did, killed him. It what Richard writes about the biblical resurrection claim that I would point you to.

[@marypinakat8594]

@@DualFrodo Stay blessed as always☆ Trolls do appear in the Comments section of Bishop Barron's videos here.

[@Tzimiskes3506]

@@downenout8705 wait are you serious? Carries idiocy has been deemed as fringe or psuedohistory! Even bart Ehrmans books (agnostic) has published numerous books proving the existence of jesus that is peer reviewed!

[@reneecostello3824]

Would love to see a written copy of this, a book perhaps?

[@iwillquietlyresist6922]

Regarding "God does not rule over us like a tyrant": Simple question: Does God allow us to exist in an eternal realm of torment if we do not believe in him and/or follow his rules - yes or no?

[@Livel1]

I think no to the first, yes to the second. What do you mean by "eternal"? If you commit violence to someone's dignity (i.e. not love them) eternally -- what else do you expect the result to be?

[@Alkemisti]

As an answer, I recommend David Bentley Hart's book _That All Shall Be Saved._ His view is my view. (I also recommend not reading "reviews" made of this book. They more often than not distort his arguments and simply put words into his mouth.)

[@iwillquietlyresist6922]

@@Livel1 what could we, in our tiny, limited, finite lives ever do that could justify an eternal punishment? Could a 3-year old child ever do anything that would make you look at them and say "because you did this, you deserve life imprisonment?" Of course not! Because we understand that a 3 year old cannot possibly comprehend the full consequences of their actions. Now that's just the difference between a small child and an adult human. Now try to consider the gulf in understanding between man and God. And the consequences aren't just life, they are ETERNAL. How could that ever be considered justice?

[@Livel1]

@@iwillquietlyresist6922 You're assuming whatever we do when we die on this earth that's sufficient to warrant Eternal damnation. I don't think that's the case. Btw the subject of "hell" and "damnation" is a hooot topic even among the believers, so I know there will be others who would disagree with me.

[@marypinakat8594]

@@iwillquietlyresist6922 I don't think that anyone has ever spoken of 3 yr olds "punished by God."

[@ScreamingReel500]

The 'living cosmo', the 'big electron', 'singularity','Pachamama', "Apu', "Pele', all of these are teaching of gurus and atheists. Some Christian fathers also contributed to this confusion. "God became man so that man might become a god." _ St. Athanasius

[@ScreamingReel500]

@@oliverclark5604 No one can become god. God is uncreated. The Creator did not become a God. That is why the Church call those gods, pagan god. You might become a god if someone worshiped you. But that does not make you God, the Holy Trinity. As pagans have many gods and you might become one of the god if you like. Playing fast and loose with the Truth does not change the Truth. It only take you far away from Truth. Catholic should not consider other philosophy or theology but only Church philosophy which is base on Scriptures.