Human and Divine...

Finally, for the church to speak with authority it must be both human and divine. An authority that speaks only with a divine voice lacks the authenticity that comes with human experience. So Islam and Mormonism, which are both based on a book supposedly dictated by angels, are unsatisfactory because their authority is supernaturally imposed on humanity.

On the other hand, a religion that is purely a construct of the human condition is merely a system of good works, religious techniques, or good ideas. Christian Science or Unitarianism, for example, is developed from human understandings and natural goodness. As such, both lack a supernatural voice of authority.

As Catholics we understand that God’s Word as Scripture was written by human authors and divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. Christ was the divine embodied in humanity.  And lastly, we have the Church preserved by laity and clergy, and by divine guidance. Human and Divine…