On September 18, 2017, Bishop Barron spoke to Facebook employees at their headquarters in Menlo Park, CA, on “How to Have a Religious Argument.”

Addressing people in the public square is very much at the heart of the mission of Word on Fire. Bishop Barron has also addressed secular institutions like Google and Amazon. 

At Facebook, Bishop Barron was grateful for the opportunity to discuss the intersection of faith and reason. He emphasized the importance of authentic faith, which is grounded in evidence and rational engagement, rather than mere acceptance or naivete. Bishop Barron critiqued the limitations of scientism and advocated for a public discourse on religious truths, drawing inspiration from Saint Thomas Aquinas’ method of engaging with diverse philosophical traditions. He encouraged the audience to seek understanding and to challenge religious individuals to present their arguments publicly. Ultimately, Bishop Barron stated that authentic faith and reason can coexist and lead to meaningful dialogue.

Every day, millions of people argue about religion on social media. The comboxes of religious and atheist sites are among the most visited and the most heated in the virtual space. But what Bishop Robert Barron finds interesting is how few people really know how to have a good religious argument. There is a lot of energy, lots of sharp words, and lots of strong feelings expressed. But rarely do we come across productive, rational argument about religion. Bishop Barron paves a way forward, showing how we all, believer and nonbeliever alike, can share better religious discussions.

The human mind is in a restless search for truth. Helping people open their minds to find the divine Truth is at the core of the mission of Word on Fire. Consider making a gift below to help us bring more people to Christ.