The comments related to Judaism, in part:
If Jesus had opted for the "lesser of two evils," Christianity as we know it would not exist. Jesus would never have found the strength to challenge the deep systemic problems within the Judaism of his day. He would never have found the strength to heal lepers, the most rejected of all outcasts in Jewish society at the time. He would never have found the strength to heal the paralytic and pronounce his sins forgiven. He would never have found the strength to not only forgive the woman caught in adultery, but to turn the whole situation around and transform it into a referendum on her accusers. He would never have found the strength to tell revolutionary parables like that of the Good Samaritan, or to drink water and share the Gospel with a Samaritan woman.
And the comments related to Islam, in part:
It seems that Sr. Chittister's primary concern is avoiding more violence, and with this concern I can sympathize. But it would be wrong to deny the sanctity of a man who clearly was killed out of hatred for his faith just to avoid more violence. What would that say about our Church's commitment to faith and truth? As I've already pointed out, I also think it's a bad idea to do anything to appease violent Muslims. What kind of message do we send if we refuse to recognize a martyr for who he is because we don't want to provoke violence from Muslims? We send the message that violence can quiet us and lead us to attempt appeasement, that we will give them what they want if they kill enough of us. We send a message that we are ready for them to make more martyrs who we will not recognize as martyrs. It would be far better to send a message to the Muslim faith that we believe one of their people killed one of our priests out of hatred for his faith, that we're going to recognize his faith and that he was killed for it, and that we expect better from them. We expect to be tolerated and respected as we have tolerated and respected them.
As I've gone back over these two posts, it's occurred to me that I may have seemed overly antagonistic toward both Judaism and Islam, and that I may have also seemed overly triumphalistic as a Christian. I've received no e-mails or comments saying as much, and it may be that I'm being a bit too critical of my own writing, but I want to make it absolutely clear that I did not intend to be antagonistic toward either religion, nor did I intend to depict Christianity in a triumphalistic manner.
I should begin by saying that I have become less than enthusiastic about all organized religion. My criticism is certainly not reserved for other people's faith traditions, and in fact I make an effort to avoid criticizing other people's traditions and to focus instead upon reforming my own faith tradition. For instance, earlier this month I condemned the Polish Catholic bishops for their part in the persecution of Polish gays and lesbians. I also wrote a scathing letter to Fr. Frank Pavone for his extremist position on abortion, the division he's bringing to the Church and to America, and the profanation of his priestly ministry. I believe that organized religion is a positive institution that can be misused in very negative ways, and when I see it being misused I tend to react to that misuse very frankly and sometimes rather harshly.
I also want to point out that I don't believe in discrimination against people of other faith traditions. Earlier this month, I blogged about Starbucks committing an act of religious discrimination against a Wiccan employee in New York. Now, it's important to understand that Wicca, as one of the faiths outside of the so-called "American mainstream," is among the religions that American Christians least understand and least respect. Wiccans are frequently libeled as Satanists, and any number of immoral and frightening behaviors are attributed to them. But I know better, and I don't put up with discrimination against Wiccans or people of any other faith tradition. There are better ways to discuss our differences than by promoting discrimination, intolerance, and fear.
Finally, I want to emphasize how much I respect both Judaism and Islam.
I believe that the Jews are our elder sisters and brothers in faith, and that we are all children of one God. I condemn and reject all of the anti-Semitism that has been perpetrated against Jews by Christians over the centuries, and I accept the understanding of Reflections on Covenant and Mission which holds "that Jews already dwell in a saving covenant with God" and that "their witness to the kingdom [of God], which did not originate with the Church's experience of Christ crucified and raised, must not be curtailed by seeking the conversion of the Jewish people to Christianity." As someone with Jewish ancestry, I have only the most profound respect for the Jewish people. My comments were only meant to point out problems in the Jewish system at the time of Jesus, most of which have been resolved since then. In fact, in many ways, Jews have surpassed Christians in fidelity to the principles of justice, mercy, and love. If my comments have offended any Jewish readers, I sincerely apologize.
To Muslim readers, I would like to say that I have deep respect for Islam and that I believe it is a religion of peace which appeals to a great variety of people, as is evidenced by its growth -- it is, after all, poised to replace Christianity as the world's most populous religion. In my comments, I was referring very specifically to radicals and terrorists who are Muslims, who distort the Muslim faith to support their radical agenda and acts of terrorism. Even today, we Christians have radicals among us who distort our faith to support their radical agenda; and even today, we Christians have terrorists among us who have blown up abortion clinics and night clubs in the name of our God. And sadly, our past is even more violent than our present, and our own violent past is no doubt part of the reason that some Muslims have turned to radicalism and terrorism in the present. I look forward to working with Muslims in pursuit of a nonviolent future, and I apologize if anything I have written has offended any Muslim readers
If in the course of my writing I have ever offended Jews or Muslims, or people of any other faith, I sincerely apologize. I firmly believe that people of all faiths are striving to know, love, and serve God in the best way each of us knows how, and I pray that God will bless all of us who are on this journey together.
