A friend recently commented to me that she feels that I have wrongly included “Rants” in the subtitle of my blog—she says that she can’t foresee me ranting about anything. Well, this post may in fact be my first rant. I’ve seen enough in the news and in certain quarters of the Catholic blogosphere this weekend to inspire a good rant. Let me explain.
As you might have guessed already the topic lurking in the back of my mind has to do with the recent uproar over the remarks the Pope made in his lecture at Regensburg. Sorry, but I’m not able to sympathize with those—whether Muslim or other—who have taken offense at what Benedict said. How could I? I have at least read the address, which is something that the offended parties obviously have not taken the time to do. Perhaps they lack the mental acuity to focus on an academic address. One that I might add is rather brief and to the point as far as academic addresses go.
Interestingly, a great furor didn’t arise over yet something else within the Pope’s lecture, not a quote but just as good: he reported that a colleague had once said there was something odd about their university; namely, that "it had two faculties devoted to something that did not exist: God." There you have it. In the same address the Pope says that nothing new, only the evil and inhuman, came from Mohammed, and that God does not exist. Why am I not furious? Maybe I’m guilty of reading intelligently, and expecting others who read it to do so with a spirit of open-minded tolerance. As an editorial at the Times of Malta expresses:
What the Catholic Church and all Christians expect is that Muslim countries show the same degree of tolerance which members of the Muslim faith are generally shown in the West. This is what the Pope's message is all about: violence goes against the very essence of religion.
Something I said in a comment at a Catholic blog holds true and is worth repeating: the Pope was addressing intelligent people, academics who would understand that in his quote he was no more taking a jab at Islam than he was denying the existence of God in the other reference. Benedict’s lecture wasn’t being addressed to an unreflective, politically motivated audience. Neither was it addressed to yokels and philistines as a source of fueling their hate.
Nevertheless, along comes the press, always looking to incite something else that may sell more news or attract additional web traffic. When it comes to the media anything goes, be it left, right, or in between. Attracting readers is the motivating force—the more sensational the story, the better. Greed is the motivator, even at the cost of humanity.
Now here’s where it turns into a real rant for me. It’s not that an offense was taken by the Islamic world at the Pope’s words. Neither is it that his apology isn’t good enough in many Muslim quarters or that senseless attacks have occurred. Unfortunately there’s nothing surprising in any of that. However, what really sets me off is the reaction that I see among many of the so-called faithful-to-the-magisterium in the blogosphere. Some bloggers devoted much of their entire Sunday to it, sometimes resorting to profanity, and even ending up disagreeing with the Pope on the matter of his apology. It's the same phenomenon seen in the press: fuel the flames; incite the rage.
All weekend visceral comments poured freely on the topic. I thought about quoting a few, but you can read them for yourself, just don't get sucked into fighting. It's a losing proposition at arguing with these folks; you'd fare better wearing a crucifix in Mecca. Sadly, on some blogs there were even comments that bordered on racism—certainly religious bigotry—and others that proposed violent reprisals. The problem with hate is that it is a weapon one wields by the blade. If you're not careful you might find that you're no different from your opponent. So while the bloggers who tout themselves as truly orthodox Catholics were busy running pictures of the ugly, wild-eyed, hate-mongering protesters they and their commenters were busy being the same ugly, wild-eyed, hate-mongering bunch they were busy accusing.
Christian people, what is going on? Are you so easily manipulated by the real evil at work? Can you not see the spirit of divisiveness? Whatever happened to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?” Inciting further hatred in the hearts of the faithful is hardly listening to what the Spirit says.
So what are we to do? I’ve seen it suggested on more than one blog that we pray, and I’m all for that. However, it’s going to take a little bit more. For starters, a good deal of repentance for trying to stir up hatred and violence is due. This is a real opportunity to dialogue with members of the Muslim faithful, especially in regard to why the offense was taken in the first place.
We have to remember that our faith is about healing and reconciliation. The Crusades are long over. Maybe it's time to talk about getting over it, especially on our part, but don't count on changing any radical opinions. There's more going on in radical Islam than just religious concerns. It's about the economics of oppression and decades of imperialism and puppet governments. People in the third world are pissed off with good reason. Unfortunately the powers that want change have seized upon the religion of the masses and turned it into an instrument for violence.
We have a better chance to dialogue with our fellow Catholic brothers and sisters who have swallowed the bait of joining in on the fighting. Please, this is exactly what the Pope was talking about in his address at Regensburg. There can be no room for irrational violence—faith and reason are inseparable. The law of God is established, heaven obeys, and thus it shall be for all time.
I can’t let myself get upset by people who are falsely representing the faith any more than I can let myself be upset at the press telling its lies to the world. However, honestly, I have been upset this weekend, and I’m not alone in that. Though I'm doing what it takes to reconcile myself to God. I, for one, am choosing to listen to the voice of reason. If reason is in you, join with me—let it show in your actions as James teaches in this Sunday’s epistle. The time is ripe to follow the true religion of peace.
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