You have got to be kidding...

In the last few days, let's make it weeks... in fact, the reality is that this has been going on longer than we care to say, radical Muslims have been killing non-Muslims (largely) at a rate that is appalling. 

No where have I read that Christians are out killing non-Christians in retaliation.  No where.

So up pops Sister Joan Chittister, noted progressive Catholic, with this... well... stupidity:

The priest, Fr. Andrea Santoro, an Italian recently transferred from the diocese of Rome to Turkey, was looking forward, his letters say, to beginning a new phase of his priesthood -- outside a big city, outside of his own country, outside the West. By all accounts, Andrea Santoro was a good man, a good priest, the kind who does the daily work of the priesthood with warm and gentle openness.

But Fr. Santoro got caught in the crossfire of global politics. He happened to be the one standing there when a Muslim boy, agitated by the growing anti-Christian, anti-Western climate around him, simply walked into the church where Fr. Santoro knelt in prayer and fired two shots, point-blank, into his chest.

The boy, his father said, has mental problems and has been seeing a psychiatrist.

So far, so plain. But then I noticed something in the article that set off an alarm in me that went all the way back to the Crusades.

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, newly confirmed president of the Italian episcopal conference and vicar of the diocese of Rome, presiding at the Santoro funeral, called for opening the cause for Santoro's beatification and canonization of the Italian missionary "as soon as possible."

In the face of the tragic death of so good a man, the sentiments are understandable. Even inevitable.

But then Cardinal Ruini said something else. "I am persuaded," he added, "that all the elements of Christian martyrdom are present in the sacrifice of Fr. Andrea." That's when I got concerned.

The essence of Christian martyrdom, defined between the persecutions of Nero (64 A.D.) and the reign of Decius, brooked no doubt. Martyrs were those who, in the face of civil and official persecution and death, refused to renounce the faith, to apostatize, to recant, to offer sacrifice to idols or worship to emperors. They were killed by the state because they refused to denounce the Christian religion in order to follow the state religion. They were not killed by someone who happened to be unduly anti-Christian that day.

But, even so, what's wrong with a little exaggeration and word-smithing in a eulogy? Ordinarily, perhaps, nothing. Everybody knows hyperbole when they hear it. So it's a little poetic to call for Santoro's canonization but is it really a problem?

In this case, at this moment in history, it may be more dangerous than we think.

Sister Chittister (say that fast about 6 times... if you can) goes on to make the case that Cardinal Ruini's words may lead to religious warfare or worse, may "trigger another century of Crusades by beginning a competition of martyrs".

Let's set aside for the moment the implication made that Muslims were completely innocent during the Crusades (follow this link for a different take).

The notion that words spoken at a funeral of a God fearing Catholic priest might in some way lead to Christians killing Muslims, absent anything today that would suggest this kind of irrational fear has any merit, is simply fodder for moonbats and moonbat wannabees.

And some believe she's hit the nail on the head.

I'm sitting here stunned by the stupidity.

Comments

[matt]

"you know how the Religious Left love to espouse the virtues of free speech, tolerance and the need for diverse perspectives...

Sigh again..."

Sounds like this arm of the religious right does too! Say the above quote six times (if you can) really fast and it might sound like hypocrisy.

[Rick]

So matt... is this a drive-by post or will you be back? I suspect the former.

I'm far from virtuous and the good Lord knows I've been guilty of hypocrisy a time or two. But maybe you can cite on my blog (feel free to use the Google search provided over on the right) where it is that I champion diversity, where I speak glowingly of tolerance or where I cry loudly about free speech.

We'll wait.

Now go over to Mike's place or any medium frequented by the religious or secular left and count the times you'll see the references to the same.

We'll wait.

Then count the amount of times they break the code they're championing.

That matt... is hypocrisy.