In today's first reading St Paul is dealing with a difficult problem The offering of food to idols was very common in Corinth. It was clear, of course, to Paul that idols were simply non-beings. Paul, therefore, appealed to the older Christians to forego their "right" to eat such food lest they inadvertently damage the faith of people whom Christ loved so much that he died for them. Out of that same love Paul declared that he would be willing never to eat meat again.

Behind Paul's warning to the more formed Christians about their rather complacent attitude lay a conviction that knowledge must be tempered by love lest it lead us astray. There is no such thing as neutral or abstract knowledge. In Christian life the characteric knowledge is a loving knowledge of a God who knows us and loves us. That loving knowledge will inevitably extend to our fellow men and women and will influence our conduct and actions.

Perhaps the best summary of the authentic Christian attitude to knowledge can be found in the words of the Scottish Christian philosopher, John Macmurray: "All meaningful knowledge leads to action and all meaningful action leads to friendship." From his other writings it is clear that for Macmurray "friendship" means love.