What do we mean by "constructive discussions?"

We would like to emphasize witness "for" rather than protest "against ." The distinction and its consequenes have been desribed poingnantly in the following excerpt from an essay by Fr. John Main, which we here paraphrase:

Perhaps the primary cause of modern confusion and alienation is that we have lost the support of a common faith in humanity's essential goodness, reasonableness and inner integrity, indeed in any common faith at all. Where humans find their community, their community of thought, and of feeling (and find it or concoct it they must) is much more likely to be in self-recrimination and prophecies of doom; or in protest, which is usually a protestation against and seldom a witness for." ( from John Main, Word Into Silence, Paulist Press, 1980, p. 24)

Discussions of conflicts between extreme positions on controversial subjects do all too often lead only to confusion and alienation. We cannot and will not avoid controversial subjects, but will try to emphasize what can be said positivey about them. For example, whatever created our universe in the first place may or may not be directly involved in the ongoing creation, but it is the ongoingness itself that interests us most. There is currently no convincing scientific story of how life on earth got started. Perhaps there will some day be one. But however it got started, it is quaities such as the uniqueness yet also kinship and interdependence of all living creatures that may hold lessons for how we should live our own lives.

In general, we will try to explore those aspects of the relationship of science to religion that may help us live fruitfully together through mutual understanding, tolerance of differing points of view, and commitment to global compassion and community. In this, we seek your help.