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In the Book of Genesis, we are told twice, that God created humankind in God’s image, male and female God created them. In the second telling, the female is given the name Eve and the man, Adam and the story says that Eve is Adam’s counterpart, different yet equal.
I went to seminary, in large part, to seek an answer to both human and natural evil. Why do such horrific acts occur? I received no help from the theologians.
As an Anglican, my tradition held from our beginning that the language of the liturgy should be in the language of the people. The words and meaning must be accessible.
So my worship has always been in the only language I speak, English, as was true with my ancestors. I cannot imagine either saying or hearing the Mass in images I do not understand. That said, we Anglicans say the Mass in whatever language a people speak, and the Book of Common Prayer is printed in that tongue.
America is the most religiously diverse nation in the world, and every faith tradition deserves to be treated with respect. That is why the Founders protected religious liberty in the Constitution. Ridiculing or mocking a faith tradition undermines that respect often in heartbreaking ways. Last month, when a Sikh teenager had his turban set on fire by a classmate, the school initially dismissed the action as a childish prank. Incidents like these do not just harm the individuals involved, they also threaten the sanctity of religion itself.
What Islam Really Says About Violence, Rights and Other Religions
Gomaa, Fadlallah, Mubarak, Khan, Siddiqi, Ellison, others | On Faith
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