Stories relating to religion seem to have captured center stage these days.
There were the horror stories coming
from Australia about sexual abuse in the Catholic church community
around Victoria. The Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, said the figures were "horrific” - investors said the number of victims could be as high as 10,000.
News about Catholic
priests abusing children is not new because it has been going on for
a long time all over the world. But what is alarming about all this
is that not much has been done about it, apart from the fact that the
police now and then takes some of these pedophiles in custody and eventually to court.
Let us not forget that Catholicism is not only a religion but also is embodied in a country called the Vatican -- but has any government of
the countries where these horrors of child abuse have happened dared to warn the Vatican
that they would break diplomatic relations with them if they failed to
clean up their act? No, they have not.
Catholics who consider
themselves Christians should bear in mind that Jesus said: “But
whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it
would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and
he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
How are we going to make sure that many priests still happily swinging the incense around during Mass are not secretly breaking that command and continue to be a danger to society?
How are we going to make sure that many priests still happily swinging the incense around during Mass are not secretly breaking that command and continue to be a danger to society?
Given that the reputation
of Catholics in general is at stake maybe the time has come for
Catholic worshipers around the world to take matters in their own
hand and start pointing their finger at the Pope and his cohorts at
the Vatican for the mismanagement of the Catholic 'corporate'
structure.
Staying within the context
of religious news - it is also important to focus on the overblown
Muslim reactions, which included vandalism and the killing of
innocent people, in response to the latest Western video and
cartoons about the Prophet Mohammed.
Let's be honest about it - these reaction really made a 'mountain out of a molehill' and one starts to wonder who could be behind all this.
Let's be honest about it - these reaction really made a 'mountain out of a molehill' and one starts to wonder who could be behind all this.
Instead, Muslims would probably be well advised if they listened more attentively to the advice given to them by more moderate
Muslim leaders like Mr. Erdogan of Turkey and Mr. Morsi of Egypt and
shown some more restraint and respect for the fact that many nations
around the world adhere to the democratic principal of freedom of
expression, which does not exclude anyone or anything.
Another Muslim
voice advocating moderation was Ahmed Aboutaleb, the Mayor of
Rotterdam, the largest city in the Netherlands. He said that Muslims
must respect the right to freedom of expression and speech, but
should also feel free to use it - without resorting to violence.
On the other hand cartoonists around the Western world would also do well by showing
more restraint and respect for the sensitivities of other cultures
and religions around the world. Freedom of expression, yes,
provocation no.
Possibly a more productive
suggestion one could give the Muslim community around the world, given the terrible atrocities taking place in Syria, is to direct some of their
efforts to stop Muslims fighting against Muslims in Syria.
Muslims could also focus their attention on the recent Iranian leadership decision to restrict Iranian
women from attending certain university courses, simply because they are
women.
The above once again
underscores beyond any doubt the difference between organized
religion and spirituality, religion being man made and spirituality a
relationship between a person and God, which others can't see.
By their acts organized
religion also shows that it is mainly focused on self interest and
consequently has the ability to create strive as a result of
conflicting interpretations of religious doctrines and scriptures. On the other
hand Spirituality is a source of inner peace. "Not by might, nor
by power, but by my Spirit said the Lord" (Zechariah).
Unfortunately, as it is
written, changing peoples perception about the fakery of 'organized'
religion won't be easy. People who have the wisdom and gift to
distinguish the difference between religion and spirituality are
limited: "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty,
not many noble, are called." (1 – Corinthians).
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