Is there any limit in thinking theologically?

Tonight, we started the seminar on "Pastoral Theology". Dr. Victoria Yeung conducted this seminar. She whined that Pastoral Theology was a minority subject in the College. It could only be offered as a seminar held in term breaks. To be sure, this branch of theology is relatively new in the Catholic Church because pastoral care has always been the turf of the clergy. Had such a theology existed, it would have been a preparatory course for priests, giving them directives to handle pastoral work. After Vatican II, the Catholic Church has developed a new way to look at herself. Greater responsibilities have been opened up for the laity because they are the People of God. The clergy are only servants of this People. As a result, there is a newer understanding of the subject-matter, the objects and methodology of this discipline.

Pastoral Theology analyses and interprets the contemporary society theologically, tries to understand it better before offering practical directives to make Christianity relevant to the world. To press her point home, Dr. Yeung made use of the recent Japanese disaster as an illustration. She said that Japanese people would naturally ask the Church in Japan whether this disaster was God's punishment. Here, I beg to differ. Of course, people are free to ask questions. But sometimes, people ask the wrong question and it would be futile to try to answer it. The word "theological" has been abused.

To apply the Ockham's Razor, we don't need to apply the concept of God in order to understand the Japanese disasters. The disaster is explicable simply in terms of economics and politics. The management tried to cover up the flaws in the maintenance of the nuclear power plants. The tsunami exposed them. Period. We don't need God to explain these human flaws. Applying the concept of God in this case does not throw light upon our understanding of our salvation. Therefore, I think it is an abuse of theology.
Since ages immemorable, people have made use of disasters to challenge the idea of a merciful almighty God. They argue that if God is merciful, why does He allow innocent people to suffer? Either God is not merciful or He is not almighty. Therefore, when 911 tragedy happened, many people, including Christians, asked where God was. When South Asia tsunami claimed the lives of 260,000 victims, many people asked where God was. Again, these people have asked the wrong question. Why should God enter into these pictures?
Rather, I would ask what Christians have done to help the victims. Show me your charity. Then I know that you have faith, that you believe in God. Theology is to make sense of the Christian faith. The best way to make sense of this faith is to practise charity in time of disasters and not to ask irrelevant questions. Examining current issues with a theological perspective is an admirable attempt. But if it does not yield insight into our salvation, I prefer withholding my opinions and let experts in other areas have their say.

Dear Lord, allow us to humbly contemplate Your will. Allow us to see the universe in a grain of sand. Amen.