I read the book in one breath of Piergiorgio Odifreddi " Why can not we be a Christian and I was so caught up that even my girlfriend is jealous! The book struck me extremely, because my university and professional training makes me a scientist, but even more because my background makes me a Catholic man. In the frantic pleading and radical indictment of the author (which is acceptable in most parts) I could identify three fronts of attack, they can surgically strike many weaknesses of the cultural and theological spread also to Catholic Christianity and Judaism in general: the historicity of the biblical narrative, establishing the Catholic hierarchy and dogmatic pronouncements. Three areas in which, in fact, it is difficult to find much more of a flaw.
A lthough the watchful eye of the end nodes are mathematical to roost. Historical inconsistencies, logical and moral emerge gradually, making it increasingly small and fragile the raft on which the poor Catholic refuge, shot to death. The conclusion, of course, is the longed-for triumph of rationalism on the ugly and illogical Catholic religion. But what has prompted an atheist and rationalist to get mixed up in such a speech? Wanting to reveal the absurdity of some statements of the Catechism, Odifreddi demonstrates how easily adopt the same logic some lies are easily exposed, and in this way, however, he does-perhaps intentionally-even the same lightness of the Catechism and drew conclusions opposite, but equally simplistic. With this operation he considers to eradicate from people's heads, with the same alleged religious nonsense brutality with which some part of the Catholic Church (unfortunately always been the most visible and powerful) seeks to inculcate. However, although the allegations are always accurate and well-motivated, being carried by an outside perspective often lacking in historical and critical contextualization, finding fertile ground in which rooting largely in ignorance of the Catholic people, under the eye of the ugly high hierarchies. This is especially visible in the Old Testament criticism, but not all.
The optimal operation of the book, in my view, is to bring attention to the numerous inconsistencies on which the Catholic tradition and sensibility, to bring a bit 'of rationality in a context in which ignorance and superstition still rife guilty. As a Catholic rational and updated wondering out loud that you take note of the open questions and try to give them good answers and convincing, even if it means rethinking the whole experience from the Catholic and Christian foundations.
The attitude that the Catholic Church had taken since Vatican II (and this sometimes seems to be acknowledged by Odifreddi) proved the most interesting, because it was going to dismantle quell'impianto defensive creed, authoritarian and trivializing that characterized Church of the century Previous to the benefit of an approach historically and hierarchically liberal critics (at least on paper). It was like finally to distance itself from centuries of oppression and violence in the Catholic Church is indelibly stained. It would have been a great start, but it was the swan song: But the winds of renewal that has invested in the short term some areas of the Catholic Church was quickly soothed by a quiet and painstaking restoration, very short-sighted.
The fact that a Catholic is the twenty-first century needs of rationality and needs to hear an evolution of ideas in his religion. It's time to cut ties with a religion based on consensus and uncritical acceptance of lies. That all Odifreddi is causing them, then, and be thanked for this, but theologians are provided to give them good answers and, at last! - Credible. If the Catholic dogmatic baggage is closed, so it is not the search for truth. We need to continue that dialogue, tight and deep, involving also the secularists and atheists. Someone will listen.
We look forward to: the lack of night yet?
