What can science tell us about our nature?
Yet what have the stupendous advances of science - especially in relation to our knowledge of the human body - done to increase our understanding of “the nature of humanity, sexuality and sexual behaviour?” (John McSweeney, Irish Examiner letters, May 17).
Mr McSweeney says that “scientific discoveries have completely transformed traditional thinking.”
Which scientific discoveries exactly would transform how any reasonably cognitive person would regard the essential characteristics of humanity?
Perhaps Mr McSweeney is content to make sweeping assertions. That certainly seems to be a transformation that has come about in the thinking of many, though I doubt if scientific discoveries have much to do with it.
For instance, while purportedly relying on Jesus as his authority, he presents it as “one indisputable truth” that the populace will not “allow a celibate man (the Pope) to tell them how to behave in their private lives,” apparently because of their education, affluence and autonomy.
Is it either true or fair to say of that celibate man that he would pursue “the enforcement” of principles, conservative or otherwise, rather than that he would plainly state what he believes to be right and wrong, while leaving it to each person, “educated, affluent and autonomous,” or otherwise, to accept or reject it?
But perhaps Mr McSweeney knows of a scientific discovery that Jesus was not a celibate man. The gospels are far from scientific, but I remember one of their accounts about people turning away from Jesus because of a “hard saying” of his. His only response was to say to Peter and the others: “Will you also go away?” I do not believe that science has given us a better answer than Peter made.
Frank Farrell
Lakelands Close
Stillorgan
Co Dublin
