Saturday, October 25, 2008

A Voice in the Wilderness



East Anglia Seminarians has an interesting comment from Albert Einstein on the role of the Church in defending the truth. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Catholics are prepared to be unpopular by defending the truth when so many have been prepared to die for the truth in the past.

Einstein said:

'Being a lover of freedom, when the revolution came in Germany, I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of their devotion to the cause of truth; but, no, the universities immediately were silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers whose flaming editorials in days gone by had proclaimed their love of freedom; but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks….

Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual truth and moral freedom. I am forced thus to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly.'