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I do not believe it is unpatriotic or disloyal to be critical of our nation’s policies in time of war or peace. Nor do I believe it is blasphemous or irreverent to be critical of the policies and practices of any religion.
Several of the regular contributors to this site are far more qualified than I to comment on the similarity or dissimilarity of the core themes in the messages of the world’s great religions. I can say that my own experience and study suggest that no matter the degree of similarity in message there are other differences which have enormous and far reaching influence on the way the message of the major faiths is understood and lived out.
One such difference is the political and cultural context in which the message is proclaimed. Within the Anglican Communion many African Christian leaders keep telling Episcopalians in the USA, that their African view of the Christian faith is strongly shaped by their colonial history and by the present reality of sometimes violent relationships with the Muslim majorities in their countries. I have seen and heard similar reactions in urban congregations embedded in turbulent neighborhoods, experiencing rapid change in the majority groups resident therein. The Scripture lessons read each Sunday are probably the same as those read in the settled, comfortable, churches on the other side of the city. Surprisingly, even the sermons and educational programs may be very similar. But, for people in the congregation, the filters for listening and the experiences for framing and interpreting the message are quite different.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is a political appointee, a prominent civic personage in English life. This anomaly of an established church means, that despite his lack of actual governmental power, the position of the Archbishop of Canterbury carries the same weight of political baggage as that of any high level political appointee in the American system. When the Archbishop says or does something really inept or stupid and the action has possible widespread implications for the nation, media frenzy erupts.
What Islam Really Says About Violence, Rights and Other Religions
Gomaa, Fadlallah, Mubarak, Khan, Siddiqi, Ellison, others | On Faith
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