Reviews for That Strange Divine Sea: Reflections on Being a Catholic

The average rating for That Strange Divine Sea: Reflections on Being a Catholic based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-05-06 00:00:00 Adora Massie One weekend in 2008 I was helping a priest friend of mine clean out a wing of a retreat center that was being closed. On the floor in one of the rooms I found a stack of dusty books. In that stack was 'That Strange Divine Sea' Fast forward to 2012. The book has been sitting on my bookshelf unread and waiting. I should have read this book the moment I found it because it is the most fascinating look into the mind of a man whos' dad was friends with G.K. Chesterton and who was taught by none other than C.S. Lewis. Christopher Derrick's writing reflects his English upbringing and influences; it's funny and witty and mixed with his exposure to such great philosophical minds, it stands up to time, even though it was written in the early 80's. I'm always amazed by writers who had the gift of prophesy as many of the popes do and Christopher Derrick is no exception. He tackles many of the misunderstands and utterly huge misses that our society today holds about the Catholic Church and about Christians themselves. If you like philosophy and the process of asking questions and using logic to find truth in difficult questions; you will love this book. I did immensely.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-02-07 00:00:00 Linda Pigg Reading the other reviews of Humanae Vitae, I feel like quite the odd man out... pretty much every other reviewer is coming at this from a place of faith and conservatism, because if you’re not Catholic or pro-life or just really interested in papal encyclicals, why on earth would you read Humanae Vitae anyway? Well, because you’re trying to read a book from every country in the world and were hard-pressed to find anything for Vatican City. That’s why I read it, anyway. So if you haven’t already guessed, I’m not Catholic. I’m Jewish by birth, but I don’t really identify with any religion, nor with that nebulous “spirituality”—the way I see it, what’s beyond or behind this life of mine is none of my business, and I don’t need anyone, regardless of what god or force they claim to be speaking for, telling me how to live that life so as to maximise my brownie points with their deity of choice. I’m unconcerned with questions of fate or the afterlife or our origin or divine morality or salvation. One life is enough, and I just want to spend my time on earth trying to make the best of it and ease the burdens of those around me, based on no other codes or commandments than my own. With all that out of the way, we can start talking about this encyclical, which if you don’t know is a letter from the Pope to the bishops. They can be about pretty much anything, but this one, written in 1968, concerns birth and the regulation thereof. The 60s were a time of radical change and in the U.S. and elsewhere, women were starting to question sex-based oppression, gender roles, and the expectation that they, like their mothers, ought to stay at home and have lots of babies. Prophylaxis was becoming less of a rare and taboo thing. The sexual revolution was at hand. And the Catholic Church, of course, was none too happy. This encyclical is part reaffirmation of Catholic ideals, part fearmongering, part entreaty. The syllogism at the heart of Humanae Vitae is as follows: 1. The purpose of marriage is the begetting of children according to “natural rhythms.” 2. Birth control prevents the begetting of children. 3. People should not use birth control as it interferes with the purpose of marriage, distancing said marriage from God’s divine will. See, within the Church, sex is only allowed within a sanctioned marriage, with the ultimate goal of having children and becoming closer with one’s partner through this procreative act. I have no qualms about this, really—Catholics, like anybody in this country, have the right to practise their religion as they wish and to live by its tenets so long as they don’t hurt anybody or break any laws. And if Humanae Vitae simply reminded Catholic couples of the reasons they got married and reaffirmed the importance of marriage within Catholicism, then I’d be fine and dandy. What irks me, though, is that it goes a step further. His Holiness cautions about the ruination that may await a society that chooses to embrace birth control and comprehensive sex education. These auguries are mostly vague and just ominous enough to scare any young Catholic man eyeing the condoms at the pharmacy, but they speak to something that has bothered me about Catholicism in all the literature I’ve read produced by its most faithful adherents. It seems to have a terribly low idea of people. Setting aside the whole “we’re all sinners” business, which rubs me the wrong way too, the Church seems to think that only a divinely-ordered code of morality is able to stop us from being terrible, cruel savages. And this encyclical reinforces that notion to a degree that really just angers and nauseates me. It is also to be feared that the man, growing used to the employment of anti-contraceptive practices, may finally lose respect for the woman and, no longer caring for her physical and psychological equilibrium, may come to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as his respected and beloved companion. I mean, jeepers. The implication that men would just become these bestial wretches if they had access to condoms, coupled with the total denial of female agency (a running theme in this piece) is, frankly, gross. Because it presupposes that the only thing keeping this in check is the fact that many men think sex is just for baby-making, but if that were to change, they wouldn’t be able to control themselves. That without some measure of asceticism and absolute fealty to the Church, humans could never achieve their full potential. That’s the really icky thing. The Catholic Church isn’t telling prospective adherents that Catholicism will enrich their lives. It’s telling them that without the framework of the Church to keep them from going astray, they’re doomed. And frankly, I find that despicable. Also, fucking hell, separation of church and state, please! There are some really troubling statements here, such as: We hold those physicians and medical personnel in the highest esteem who, in the exercise of their profession, value above every human interest the superior demands of their Christian vocation. I sincerely hope I’m never in a medical emergency at the mercy of a surgeon who places their faith, whatever that faith may be, above the demands of their profession. I don’t want a doctor who thinks Jesus is against euthanasia to deny it to my suffering relative. Similarly, Humanae Vitae reaffirms that all abortions are illicit, even those needed for therapeutic reasons, and I can’t help but think about how ridiculous that is. Not even because it’s anti-abortion and therefore I disagree with it, but because it’s a terrible argument for being anti-abortion. To deny a woman an abortion, force her to carry a pregnancy to term that might leave her sterile or seriously sick or even dead, in the name of no argument except “I think it’s what God would do”? Fuck that. Fuck anyone who wants the government to be run by the principles of their little religion. And Fuck Pope Paul VI’s fearmongering and regressive, cowardly ideas. Humanae Vitae gets one star not because it is badly written, but because it has such a low opinion of humanity that it ultimately makes me sick. I have nothing but respect for anyone who follows Catholicism, but I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t just an especially elaborate method of that self-flagellation we humans seem to crave. My heart goes out to anyone who was raised in a tradition like this. And in related news, I officially joined The Satanic Temple today. As I was reading this encyclical, I just thought, wow, I believe in the exact opposite of this! Read it for free here. ____________________ Global Challenge: Vatican City