A Brief Respite From A Tragedy Too Sad For Words

The pain from the horrific atrocities committed by ISIS against the 21 Coptic Christians was given a small, brief respite by a refreshing article (click here) written by Ramez Atallah (click here and look at the bio attached to the link there). 

In his article, Atallah gave a heartfelt tribute to fellow Christians who became martyrs as well as a sincere request for prayers on behalf of the Christian population there and Egypt itself, his home. But two of the most important parts of the article were his analysis of the attack and his recognition of the what Egyptian Muslims are doing to help the Christians there. Atallah writes this:

Those Islamic extremists clearly intended to provoke the 10 million Christians in Egypt to rise up violently against their Muslim neighbors. But the loving and caring response of Muslims all over the nation softened the blow that many Christians felt.

What Atallah saw in the cruel massacre conducted by ISIS is similar to what some saw in the 9/11 attacks. That the purpose of both attacks was to provoke violence against the larger group these terrorists often asymmetrically associate themselves with. Some feel that Bin Laden wanted the West to go to war against Islam to draw more Muslims into the fray. And so it is with ISIS and its brutality against Christians.

But that is not what the respite is in this article. The relief comes in his next sentence. For there he talks about how Egyptian Muslims have compassionately rallied around their fellow countrymen. 

Such a report provides a break from much of the us vs the world articles that have come from certain groups of Western Conservative Christians. For I've seen too many Conservative articles describing our plight as being that of fighting for our very survival against domestic atheists and foreign Muslims. Such articles take for granted the effects that Western Imperialism and violence have had on Muslims living in the Middle East as well as on other Muslims who feel solidarity with their suffering brothers and sisters.

But also it seems that the writers of such articles are deprived of both personal experiences with Muslims and awareness of the experiences of others who have been helped by Muslims. That many Muslims in Egypt have stood with the Christians there is not a surprise to me. After all, this is not the first time that Egyptian Muslims have stood by the Christians. In addition, I've read stories told by Western journalists who have been greatly helped by Muslims who took risks in providing aid. And not only that, I've had Muslim friends and students when I taught. One of my favorite former students is Muslim. She was not one of my favorites because of academic abilities; she was a good student, not a great one. But she was one of my favorite students because of the kind of person she was. She went into teaching and I wish that my kids could have had her as a teacher. One of my former colleagues is Muslim. And he wasn't just a colleague, he was a friend. 

In addition, I've protested with Muslims as well. As with any group, Muslims are not monolithic. But I have found kindness in many of my fellow protesters who are Muslim.

My experiences tell me to expect the kind of treatment which Atallah reported. And perhaps before many of us Christians judge Islam based on the actions of a relative few of its violent "representatives," we need to break out of our own small world to both learn of the experiences of others and gain some experiences of our own regarding the kindness which many Muslims display to people. Such may help us gain real insights into the conflicts in the Middle East. 

Now all of that does not imply that we must agree with what Islam says about Christ. Christians and Muslims have significant religious disagreements. But those differences do not mean that neither group can bless and teach the other. And proof of that is found in Atallah's article here.

ONIM For April 28

Christian News

• Embracing Religious Contradictions To Proclaim Christ Crucified: Tolerance And Coexistence -- Reformation 21
• Celebrating Earth Day: Natural Wonders Show Us Why We Must Care For Creation -- Huffington Post
• David Cameron's Constituency Office Calls Police On Food Bank Campaigners Bishop Of Oxford And Reverend Keith Hebden -- The Independent
• Cliven Bundy Syndrome: Why Christian Conservatives Think They Are Above The Law -- Salon
• What Christians Get Wrong About Hell -- The Week
• Unleashing The Word: Freeing The Church From Biblical Studies -- Political Jesus
• Popes John Paul II and John XXIII Declared New Saints -- Christian Today (UK)
• Broad Support For David Cameron's View of Britain As A Christian Country -- Christian Today (UK)
• Business As A Mission: How Is Business Penetrating China's Vast Unreached Populations With The Good News? -- Christian Today (UK)
• The Trouble With Touchy-Feely Faith -- Christianity Today
• Died: Glen H. Stassen, Baptist Ethicist Who Pioneered 'Just Peacemaking' -- Christianity Today
• Israeli Military's Call-Up Of Arab Christians Labeled 'Intimidation' -- Christianity Today
• China To Have World's Largest Christian Population By 2025, Religion Expert Says -- The Christian Post
• Immigration Reform Not Dead, Boehner Says; Over 200 Evangelical Pastors To Push House Republicans -- The Christian Post
• More Compassionate Evangelism Needed In Latino Church, Says Hispanic Leader -- The Christian Post
• Why Cliven Bundy Wasn't A Religious Hero -- Religion Dispatches -- Religion Dispatches

World News

• Learning Specialist Who Questioned Reading Levels Of North Carolina Athletes Is Resigning -- Yahoo Sports
• Jersey Man Shot In Face And Blinded By Police Faces 30 Years In Prison -- Truthout
• Someone's Handing Out Leaflets In Eastern Ukraine Telling Jews To 'Register' -- Yahoo News
• Video: Ukrainian Synagogue Firebombed -- Liberty Unyielding
• Arkansas Residents Discover They Can't Stop Pipeline From Crossing Their Land -- Earth First
• Animal Rights Activist Sentenced To 30 Months In Jail For Having Bolt Cutter In His Prius -- Green Is The New Red
• Coal Company Cuts Off Ex-Miners From Their Benefits -- Climate Progress
• Princeton Study: U.S. No Longer An Actual Democracy -- Talking Points Memo
• Defamation Claim Against Russian Opposition Artist Is Dismissed -- Russian Legal Information Agency
• North Dakota Finds Itself Unprepared To Handle Radioactive Burden Of Its Fracking Boom -- Climate Progress
• Dutch Fighter Jets Intercept 2 Russian Bombers In Their Airspace -- CNN
• How Did Canada's Middle Class Get So Rich? -- Yahoo Finance
• Northeastern Overturns Students For Justice Suspension -- Mondoweiss
• New York Teen Gamer Latest Victim Of 'Swatting,' Police Say -- Yahoo News
• Israeli Boycott Case: Court Strikes Out Part Of Racial Discrimination Lawsuit -- The Guardian
• Russian Jets Make Repeated Crossings Into Ukraine Airspace -- Yahoo News
• The Betrayal Of The Navy's Seal Team 6 -- Washington Times
• 100% Of California In Drought -- Yahoo News
• Georgia's Leader Warns West Not To Alienate Russia -- Yahoo News
• Spain Looks To Prosecute Bush Officials -- CBS News

Pick(s) Of The Litter

• Prosecuting Black Victims -- Black Agenda Report
• 10 Images Of Jewish-Muslim Unity That Go Beyond The Headlines -- PopChassid
• Chomsky: The U.S. Behaves Nothing Like A Democracy -- Salon
• US Insists Going After Reporters Who Publish Leaked Information 'Not Violation Of Press Freedom' -- RT

Writing History To Rationalize Anything

While celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary in Boston, MA., history became a topic often discussed. This was due in part to the land and sea Duck Tour we took along with walking the Freedom Trail. And one of the lessons we learned was that those who report the news have something in common with those who write history, both can have agendas.

Two such historical events that illustrate this point are Paul Revere's Ride and the Boston Massacre (its site is pictured on the left). We learned that Paul Revere's Ride was not as dramatic as Longfellow's poem would have us to believe. When challenged on the historical accuracy of his poem, Longfellow replied that he was a poet, not a historian. Similarly, the name "the Boston Massacre" implies that more people were killed than the five who lost their lives. But both events were hyped with the latter being used by some colonists to inflame passions against the British.

But not all of our history has been exaggerated. While walking the Freedom Trail, we visited the U.S.S. Constitution (pictured below). Multiple tour guides were quick to describe the ship as Boston's only undefeated team (33-0). With its sides being made from Georgian oak, cannonballs either bounced off or got stuck in the hull limiting damage to the ship during battle. As the ship's reputation grew, would be opponents would sometimes forfeit, that is surrender before the fight began, in order not to become another victim.

Another piece of history that was more honestly reported was what was said about the Puritans. The Puritans came to this country seeking religious freedom. Unfortunately, they didn't practice the Golden Rule in this manner as evidenced by how they treated Quakers. In fact, the Puritans could also exhibit a high degree of intolerance against their own who were seen as religious slackers.

But there is another kind of history. It consists of under or unreported stories from the past. I noticed on Boston's Duck Tour that little to nothing was said about the plight of the indigenous peoples, who witnessed the landings of the Pilgrims, and for good reason. Our forefathers ethnically cleansed the land of these Indians. The attacks on the native population in New England were often done in the name of God as the Puritans saw themselves as the New Israel who were to take possession of Americas as their own Promised Land while regarding the Indians as the early Israelites did the Canaanites. Neglect in reporting this history also shows an agenda.

But why would those having an agenda use history? It is because history plays a significant role in how people live in community. History can give us reasons for either hanging together during tough times or making joint sacrifices to meet challenges. And history can obligate us to continue what was started by others. In any case, a certain level of conformity and following orders are necessary and history can justify such obedience. This means that a favorable history would be binding on individuals and groups in contrast to a troubled one.

Thus, we see why those who are more patriotic want to idealize our past. For the more exceptional our Founding Fathers are perceived to be and the more we think they have given us, the more obligated we are to follow their lead. We can also see why an honest reporting of facts would be threatening to those who are patriotic. In fact, troubling past actions are rarely acknowledged unless one is under duress. We only need remember how German civilians who lived through WWII never fully admitted what their country had done to the Jews and others until invading armies made them visit the extermination camps. Perhaps this can explain why we still show a serious disconnect with our nation's treatment of the American Indians since we were never forced to face our atrocities against them.

The history of provision is important in the covenants described in the Bible. Adam was told of the Garden of Eden before God commanded him not to eat the forbidden fruit. God told Abraham how he brought him out of the land of Ur and gave land to him and his descendants as the reason for why he should obey God. The Ten Commandments start with God having brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt and slavery as the reason why they should obey the Commandments. And in Romans 12, Paul tells us that it is the mercies of God that obligates us to offer ourselves as sacrifices.

The question that American Christians must face is whether attributing our freedoms to the Founding Fathers borders on idolatry. For the higher the regard we have for our nation's Founding Fathers, the more their perceived provision obligates us to follow them. And the more we feel indebted to them, the more our loyalty is divided between honoring them and worshiping and following Jesus.  Some attempt to resolve this conflict by making the story and message of our Founding Fathers an extension to the Gospel. But in so doing, not only must they depend on a strongly filtered history of our nation's founders, they must change the Gospel message to make it conform to our nation's founding documents.

But there is one more point at which an inflated esteem for the Founding Fathers could conflict with Christianity. The more we admire the Founding Fathers, the greater difficulty we will have in fully acknowledging their sins.  And difficulty in recognizing their sins can become a refusal to confess our own. It is here that our admiration for the Founding Fathers and our reluctance to admit sin will allow us to continue doing wrong including those sins that have caused the most destruction.

The inflated self-esteem of those who settled this country gave them permission to visit atrocity after atrocity on America's indigenous peoples. The idea that we are a city on the hill allowed our nation's first European residents to live and grow rich off the backbreaking labor of Black slaves. And when we buy their view of themselves, we continue in committing their atrocities. We invade country after country or overthrow one government after another or install and support harsh dictator after harsh dictator because we feel entitled to exert our will over any country we can. As one friend so callously put it without reflection, it is what America does. So while we rightly condemn governments like Syria's for its deadly attacks on dissidents, we remain silent on the government of Bahrain and its suppression of dissidents because its present government is useful in meeting our strategic goals. And the first reason we assume that we have the right to rule the world is idea that we have a unique history that puts us above all other nations. But the irony is that as our perceived uniqueness moves us to imitate so many examples of history's past empires.