BISHOP RICHARD WILLIAMSON
When I flew to New Mexico three weeks ago I sat next to an evangelical Christian who seemed to dislike everyone who did not attend his congregation in Toronto. I thought that his God must do really shabby work to have more than six and a half billion humans on this planet and only a few hundred who will be saved from the fires of hell. I found myself in the curious position of defending the Roman Catholic church, which this guy figures is a cult. Can you have a billion people in a cult?
Yesterday I wondered about that defense after hearing that Pope Benedict reinstated an excommunicated conservative bishop who is a Holocaust denier. In an 1989 sermon preached in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Bishop Richard Williamson said “Jews made up the Holocaust, Protestants get their orders from the devil and the Vatican has sold its soul to liberalism.” As recently as last November he gave a television interview in which he declared that there were no Nazi gas chambers. If he had said this in Germany he could have been charged with a hate crime.
After Williamson was reinstated German bishops and the German chancellor immediately protested and now the pope has asked him to recant his anti-semitic statements. But if these are still his beliefs, why on earth would Pope Benedict want him in a leadership position? Obviously this coerced recantation will have a hollow ring to it. Surely there should be a do-over on the reinstatement of this dangerous man. Excommunication was a good choice.
It is essential that we keep the doors of dialogue open with other expressions of Christian faith, and I have benefitted greatly from Roman Catholic friends, theologians and religious communities. That said, I find some of the choices of the current pope to be truly questonable and a threat to Christian unity and interfaith dialogue.
Your thoughts?
3 comments:
This very topic became a war right here in our home a couple of years ago. (much smaller scale, but still) I have to be a bit vague, but I encountered anti-semitism at a Bible study group I had innocently asked to become a part of. Within three sessions I realized that this particular Bible Study was not for me. I had felt suspicious at first but really couldn't believe I had heard right during the first two sessions. On the third night I felt horrified at the prospect of someone seeing me leave the home I was at, in case anyone thought those sentiments were my own. I thanked them for letting me attend because I had pretty much invited myself, then as gently as possible let them know that I didn't feel I could attend their group as my beliefs were very different from theirs. They tried to console me and offered to help guide me into a better understanding of Christianity. In their words I was a "Babe at the breast". They were very sure with the right education and patience on their part I would see the light. They prayed for me. The really tricky part though came later when the family in question kept inviting us to their home, through our children. Our children are still angry with us to this day that we eventually had to be much firmer in our choice not to socialize with these people. The war got ugly and I couldn't quite believe that my husband I were being 'stalked' by this couple. It was very difficult to untangle myself from these people. I can't imagine if my religious leader, especailly while I was a child, had held those views. There is alot of brainwashing involved and even though I was not inclinced to listen to these people, I can imagine what it would be like if they were my family and in order to belong I had to get with the program.
Anti-semiticism is a pernicious evil in our society, often perpetrated by "true believers." It is a grim reminder of our need for vigilance and commitment to religious tolerance. Glad you escaped.
I am still shocked that there are people still out there who believe that the Holocaust is a made-up story! The concept baffles me. And to think that this bishop was recognized by the pope makes me furious. What is he thinking?!
Both Jeff and I come from Catholic families, and both families think very differently from what is handed down by the Pope. I wonder sometimes how much power and authority the Pope actually holds anymore. I do look forward though to the day this pope is replaced, not that I hope for this one's death, but I do think the Catholic Church needs new life.
Post a Comment