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Sign & sacrament

23 Feb 2014 - Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

It’s easy to love our neighbors when they are friends or family. It gets a little dicier, however, when our neighbor is particularly unpleasant or has wronged us. How do we reach out in love without duplicity or patronization and also keep ourselves out of the line of fire? Jesus invites us to sidestep the temptation of repaying violence or unpleasantness with more of the same and instead to do the unexpected. He calls us to be creative and take a fresh look at the situation and respond with our best selves. Does this mean we become doormats for another’s aggression or irrationality? No, but it does mean being willing to love, trusting that love can make a difference even if it is not returned in kind. For more “Sign & sacrament” material, search the Prepare the Word database by today’s scripture reading, a particular theme, or a special occasion.

Love Tolerance

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The inner word

30 Dec 2012 - Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Cycle C

On the roll call of virtues God’s chosen ones should practice, the Letter to the Colossians lists “bearing with one another”—it’s along the lines of “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In daily life “bearing with” can mean “putting up with” or “tolerating” or “carrying one another’s burdens.” Either way: The next time you encounter something or someone inconveniencing or annoying you, remember the occasions when you needed to “be put up with.” Think of situations when someone stepped in to help you. Remember that experience when you have a chance assist another when they’re weak.

Tolerance

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Quotes

13 May 2012 - Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others. —John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) All loves, if rightly ordered, are seen as capable of leading a person deeper into the mystery of divine love. –Wendy M. Wright, Heart Speaks to Heart

Tolerance Love

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Homily stories

28 Feb 2016 - Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

Not long ago a professor at a Christian college created controversy when she expressed her solidarity with Muslim students by wearing a hijab and stating that Christians and Muslims “worship the same God.” Though some, including the college’s administration, were shocked by the teacher’s statement, Catholics rallied to the professor’s side. Why? Because Catholics do believe that Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same God, even if our understandings of the manifestations and revelations of that God are quite diverse. When my daughter was baptized, the priest made specific reference to the “Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham.” He chose his words carefully because he wanted to make sure that my husband, a Bosnian Muslim, appreciated that our daughter was being baptized into a faith that had ancient and common roots with Judaism and Islam. Pope Francis stated in his Bull at the start of the Holy Year of Mercy, Misericordiae Vultus: “There is an aspect of mercy that goes beyond the confines of the church.” He urged Catholics to use the Year of Mercy as an opportunity to learn about Islam and other religions to “eliminate every form of close-mindedness and disrespect . . . violence and discrimination.” Mercy connects Christians to Judaism and Islam, both of which also consider mercy to be one of God’s most important attributes. As that college professor quickly learned, many are scandalized by such mercy. But it is that very mercy that the God of our fathers calls us to embrace.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

Mercy Holy Year of Mercy Islam Muslims religious tolerance

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Is religious intolerance on the rise this 9/11?

12 Sep 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

An angry God in this Sunday’s first reading complains to Moses that the Israelites have “turned aside from the way I pointed out to them.” Leaders of many faith traditions fear that some of the American people are being persuaded to turn away from the value of religious tolerance, especially when it comes to Muslims. From the debate over a proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero in New York City to a pistol-toting Florida pastor’s plans to ignite a bonfire of Qurans on 9/11, observers fear a rising tide of intolerance. Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove Outreach Center, a small Pentecostal church in Gainesville, Florida, has sparked worldwide condemnation for his plans to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The Vatican said Wednesday that burning the Quran would be an “outrageous and grave gesture," and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it would be a “disrespectful, disgraceful act.” Fearing violence, some Muslims are leaving Gainesville this weekend to avoid problems. Last week in South Florida, 13 mosque leaders issued a call to the region's Muslims for nonviolence in anticipation of high emotions over the desecration of Islam's holy book. In a rare example of a military official commenting on domestic affairs, Gen. David Petraeus, directing the military effort in Afghanistan, said Monday that the provocative act would hurt U.S. troops and play into the hands of extremists. Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghans protested in Kabul and burned Jones in effigy. The Gainesville Fire Department has denied Jones a permit for the event, but he plans to go ahead with it anyway. Known for posting signs proclaiming that Islam is the devil's religion, Jones says the U.S. Constitution gives him the right to publicly set fire to the Quran. In response to the ongoing controversy over the proposed Islamic community center near Ground Zero, a group of prominent Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders held an “emergency summit” meeting in Washington, D.C. Tuesday to denounce what they called the "derision, misinformation, and outright bigotry” aimed at American Muslims. “This is not America,” said Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the emeritus Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, flanked by three dozen clergy members and religious leaders at a packed news conference at the National Press Club. “America was not built on hate.” Source: Articles by CNN wire service, Liz Goodwin and Mitch Stacey for Associated Press, Dave Cook for the Christian Science Monitor, Jaweed Kaleem for the Miami Herald, and Damien Cave and Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times

Muslims 911 terry jones anti-muslim religious tolerance dove outreach center quran theodore mccarrick david petraeus florida gainesville

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Be sanctuaries of religious tolerance

22 May 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus assures followers that “in my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” In an initiative designed to counter religious intolerance, rights groups are asking U.S. churches to make room for Jewish and Muslim clergy to read from sacred texts in their sanctuaries next month. The June 26 effort, called "Faith Shared: Uniting in Prayer and Understanding," is cosponsored by the Interfaith Alliance and Human Rights First. Leaders of the two Washington-based groups said the event is designed to demonstrate respect among Christians for other religious traditions, particularly in the wake of Quran burnings in recent months. "As a Christian minister who is a pastor in a local congregation, it is important to me for our nation and our world to know that not all Christians promote hate, attack religions different from their own, and seek to desecrate the scripture of others," said Rev. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance. Tad Stahnke, director of policy and programs for Human Rights First, said he hopes the initiative will draw attention to religious freedom and counter negative stereotypes of Christian leaders making anti-Muslim statements. "We want to send a message to the world that Americans do respect religious differences and reject religious bigotry and the demonization of Islam or any other religion," he said. Source: An article by Adelle M. Banks for Religion News Service

Tolerance toleration human rights first interfaith alliance faith shared welton gaddy tad stahnke

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Quote of the week

12 Aug 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“The United States has a long history of religious bigotry.” --Stephen Prothero, religion professor and author, saying he’s not surprised that a mosque in Joplin, Missouri was destroyed by arson or that a gunman went on a shooting spree in a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Source: Religion News Service

religious bigotry religious intolerance sikhs wisconsin
Believers worldwide face rising religious intolerance

30 Sep 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Moses teaches Joshua an important lesson in this Sunday’s first reading: The Spirit of God cannot be controlled by religious authorities. “God’s prerogative is to bestow the Spirit wherever and whenever,” as Alice Camille says in this week’s "Exploring the Word." Religious believers throughout the world, however, face a rising tide of restrictions on expressions of faith, according to a new study which finds increasing intolerance in every region of the globe. In the one-year period ending in mid-2010, 75 percent of the world’s population lived in a nation with high or very high restrictions on religious beliefs or practices—up five percent from the previous poll—according to the study conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew tracked religious freedoms denied by government and cultural authorities. The increasingly hostile climate doesn’t come as a surprise to John Pinna, director of government relations for the American Islamic Congress. "As countries, particularly developing nations, search for stability, religious persecution is a tool for consolidation of authority,” Pinna said. “Furthermore, in the developing world, governments lack the capacity to protect vulnerable populations” from rogue groups that have their own political and religious agendas, he said. The Pew researchers found increasing intolerance in every region of the world. Government and social restrictions on religious freedom particularly tightened in the Middle East-North Africa region, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa, according to the study. Globally, restrictions increased not only in countries that already afforded few protections for religious freedom, such as Nigeria and Indonesia, but also in countries where citizens have generally enjoyed a high degree of religious liberty, such as Switzerland and the U.S., the study found. The study covered 197 countries and relied on 19 sources of information, including the U.S. State Department’s annual reports on religious freedom. Homily hint: The survey provides a context for discussing the fallout from the recent offensive video maligning the prophet Mohammed as well as examples of religious intolerance worldwide and in history. Source: An article by Lauren Markoe for Religion News Service

religious freedom pew forum on religion public life pew forum on religion and public life religious persecution intolerance religious intolerance john pinna

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Believers worldwide face rising religious intolerance

30 Sep 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Moses teaches Joshua an important lesson in this Sunday’s first reading: The Spirit of God cannot be controlled by religious authorities. “God’s prerogative is to bestow the Spirit wherever and whenever,” as Alice Camille says in this week’s "Exploring the Word." Religious believers throughout the world, however, face a rising tide of restrictions on expressions of faith, according to a new study which finds increasing intolerance in every region of the globe. In the one-year period ending in mid-2010, 75 percent of the world’s population lived in a nation with high or very high restrictions on religious beliefs or practices—up five percent from the previous poll—according to the study conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew tracked religious freedoms denied by government and cultural authorities. The increasingly hostile climate doesn’t come as a surprise to John Pinna, director of government relations for the American Islamic Congress. "As countries, particularly developing nations, search for stability, religious persecution is a tool for consolidation of authority,” Pinna said. “Furthermore, in the developing world, governments lack the capacity to protect vulnerable populations” from rogue groups that have their own political and religious agendas, he said. The Pew researchers found increasing intolerance in every region of the world. Government and social restrictions on religious freedom particularly tightened in the Middle East-North Africa region, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa, according to the study. Globally, restrictions increased not only in countries that already afforded few protections for religious freedom, such as Nigeria and Indonesia, but also in countries where citizens have generally enjoyed a high degree of religious liberty, such as Switzerland and the U.S., the study found. The study covered 197 countries and relied on 19 sources of information, including the U.S. State Department’s annual reports on religious freedom. Homily hint: The survey provides a context for discussing the fallout from the recent offensive video maligning the prophet Mohammed as well as examples of religious intolerance worldwide and in history. Source: An article by Lauren Markoe for Religion News Service

religious freedom pew forum on religion public life pew forum on religion and public life religious persecution intolerance religious intolerance john pinna

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Taliban attacks Pakistani schoolgirl for speaking out

14 Oct 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The author of the first reading praises wisdom this Sunday, considering “riches nothing in comparison with her.” Pakistanis from across the political and religious spectrum praised the wisdom and courage a 14-year-old girl who was shot in the head and neck by the Taliban for campaigning for educational rights for girls.Malala Yousafzai was shot as she left school Tuesday in an attack that outraged the nation. Yousafzai, who is in critical condition but expected to recover, had blogged about life under the Taliban after they occupied her home district of Swat in 2009 and she is known for her media appearances bringing attention to atrocities carried out by the militant group.Officials have offered a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the girl's assailants, but human-rights activists remain skeptical. “This is not the first time that extremist militant groups have carried out atrocities. I am pleased to see the strong reaction but fear that little will change,” said I. A. Rehman, the Secretary-General of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. A Taliban spokesperson said if Yousafzai recovers, they will attack her again, as well as her family.Homily hint: One of the gifts of wisdom is the realization that ideology, religious or otherwise, can never be used to justify acts of violence. This shocking story of religious intolerance can be used to remind worshippers of the blessings of liberty and also the wisdom of resisting vigilantism in any form. Sources: Articles by Scott Stearns for the Voice of America and Mahvish Ahmed for the Christian Science Monitor

taliban pakistan shootings intolerance i a rehman atrocities malala yousafzai

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