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I’m jumping a bit ahead in my writing about religion and Catholic faith to touch on something that people find uncomfortable particularly in this modern age.

If one claims to be a Christian in general and a Catholic in particular there are several things that are required beliefs. The defining belief is the divinity of Christ. No less critical is the existence of the Devil and Hell.

People like to think that due to the modern world that such things as Devil’s and Satan can’t be real, that no reasonable person can choose to believe in such a supernatural concept. One doesn’t want to deal with the ridicule of such a belief, particularly publicly expressed. After all its one thing to believe in Christ, there is history that shows his existence but to believe in a fellow with a pitchfork and horns out to novel you, that’s just a story to frighten children.

CS Lewis talked about this very thing in Screwtape #7:

We currently live in an age where people believe in psychics, witchcraft and various unseen forces. I can drive down the street in Leominster or Worcester and see the shingle for psychics advertising their services. I have wiccan friends one who is a wiccan priest. You see all kinds of books on harnessing various forces. Science Fiction fans talk of all kinds of planets that might be inhabited by all sorts of creatures; yet all these same people would look as if you had 4 heads if you suggest that the devil or hell exists. (more…)