Catholic science teacher blog

July 2, 2025

Writing from a German airport

One of the topics we will be studying in the capstone is “The Problem of Evil” we will spend two days in Auschwitz.

In preparation we read a few books. One is called “Survival in AUSCHWITZ” by Primo Levi.

He describes the terror and cruelty of the camps and he says so well “We are slaves, deprived of every right, exposed to every insult, condemned to certain death but we still possess one power – the power to refuse our consent. We must walk erect without dragging our feet not in homage to Prussian discipline but to remain alive not to begin to die.”

I think it’s important to recognize when in difficult situations…in hardship…or in deep suffering that one can be physically enslaved or enslaved by circumstances, but be free in the mind and heart in the midst of a whole lot of suffering which often results from the evil choices of other human beings.

It seems that some human beings are able to maintain a free mind and heart in the midst of suffering while others are not. I think it is worthwhile to study the lives of these moral heroes like Maximillian Kolbe, our mother Mary, St. Rita or the saints in the concentration camps to determine what kept them free. Was it devotion to their children? Their family? Or to Jesus Christ?

Again the ability to suffer while staying free …that points to a truth that is likely relational and not empirical.