THE EDITOR, Madam:
THE PROPHETS, apostles and most of the Church fathers do not support Peter Espeut's view on "the intrinsic goodness of man". This view is more the product of Humanist thought, particularly manifested in modern "sinless" sociology and psychology and New Ageism, than it is of Christian theology.
For the moment, I am not arguing that Christian theology is right and the opposing view wrong, but Mr. Espeut writes as a deacon of the Roman Catholic Church who should take the trouble to get his theology right.
The prophet Jeremiah, whom I presume knew more about these things than either Peter or me since he was sanctified to be a prophet before he was born, very plainly said, "thus says the Lord 'the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?'"(Jer 17: 9)
David declared in confession, "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."(Psalm 51:5) In the Hebrew, "iniquity" conveys the idea of perversity and lawlessness. Was David expressing a unique personal condition or the condition of humankind in general?
Paul declared that the natural state of humankind is to be "dead in trespasses and sins", unless made alive by the Lord Jesus Christ.(Eph 2: 1) and described the unregenerate as "slaves to sin". Rom 6: 16, 17). Sin has been abolished in humanist thought, but what the writers of scripture meant by sin is perhaps best summed up by the apostle John: "...sin is lawlessness". And, if Paul is correct, we are by nature sinners and therefore not intrinsically good.
This does not at all lead to the "absurd" conclusions that if humankind are not intrinsically good then a wicked God made them wicked and human life has little value in itself. The Fall, as Scripture and most Church Fathers insist, fundamentally corrupted human nature and God's good Creation. The knowledge of good and evil speaks of a deeply contradictory and divided human nature. But the presence of an iota of evil renders human nature less than good. Goodness is the absence of evil. And Jesus Himself told a rich young man who called Him "Good Teacher", "no one is good but One, that is, God".(Matt 19: 17)
Humankind are so valued and loved by their Creator that the Good God became a Good Man to save sinners (not "good" people). "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us". "When we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son". When we were dead in trespasses and sin [ God] made us alive together with Christ" (Rom5: 7,10; Eph 2: 5).
The Bible could hardly be accused of presenting a view of the intrinsic goodness of man. We may freely choose not to believe what it says, but there it is.
It is the Roman Catholic Church, not Calvinism or anything else in Protestantism, which historically has had the darkest view of human nature. Her institutions, rituals and dogmas have to an extraordinary degree been designed to fix human sinfulness, often through pain penance, indulgences, pilgrimages, monasticism, the mass, and many more than can be listed here. Deacon Espeut's enlightened view is a remarkable departure which could well be considered heretical by his Archbishop.
I am etc.,
MARTIN HENRY
Kingston
