Rev. Ed Rodman.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- I was curious about former Civil Rights activist and Episcopal priest Rev. Ed Rodman's view of terrorism, and how he thinks our definition of terrorism has changed since he was demonstrating for racial justice in the 1960s. Rodman counseled the Weathermen and terrorist factions of the Black Panthers against using violence to bring about social change.

He says terrorism hasn't changed at all. The terrorism of 1960s America -- the bombings, the killings, the beatings -- is the same as today's terrorism. It's the same tactic -- acts of violence aimed directly at hurting people -- since humanity began.

He understands that "one person's terrorist is another's patriot."

“An advocate and a change agent has a face, is public and transparent, and is willing to take responsibility for their actions,” he said. “A terrorist is anonymous and only takes credit for their acts, not for the consequences of their actions.”

He tries to teach his students at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., that public policy and social advocacy happen within a political context. Who gets defined as a terrorist and who gets defined as an advocate can depend on who has power and who wins a battle.

"What do you do when the President of the United States on your behalf bombs Iraq or sets up Guantanamo Bay? That's where my class starts...making the case for nonviolent resistance as opposed to violence."

The third choice, he says, "is to give up and go fishing. That's what most people do."