Guest Editorial by Fr. John A. Cramer
As a resident of Dearborn Heights, I have been following with great interest the events related to the planned, cancelled and re-planned protests that involve our area. As a Pastor, I have been involved in the inter-faith dialogue that has taken place as well. As a United States Armed Forces veteran, I have considered the constitutionality of the events that have so far taken place. As a student of history and philosophy, I have seen some patterns emerge with regard to how the events related to the protests have unfolded here in our community.
Our Savior Polish National Catholic Church - Dearborn Heights
When I learned of the planned protest outside of the Islamic Center of America organized by Mr. Frank Fiorello and the Order of the Dragon based in Port Huron, MI, Pastor Terry Jones had already planned on coming.
On the surface, this looks like a disagreement about the role of religion in the public sphere, with the stated reason for the debate being about wanting to avoid the influence of Sharia on US Civil law at any level. The lengths that Pastor Jones goes to, however, I believe, show a deeper problem that dates back to the founding of our country, and even before.
As a Polish National Catholic priest, I have an historical perspective that allows me to see a pattern that began with the Puritan settlers in New England in the 18th Century. In many of the colonies, notably Connecticut, Roman Catholics were viewed with great suspicion. I bring up Connecticut because they actually had a law that in order to hold any public office in the colony, one had to swear an oath against the Bishop of Rome—the Pope.
Today, this seems almost ridiculous considering the fact that many Roman Catholics hold public office. There were two reasons for this law at the time though:
- To avoid Canon (Catholic) law entering into the public sphere and
- So that the ruling class (the Protestants) would be able to keep power against the influx of immigrants from Ireland, who were predominantly Roman Catholic.
It is this fear of losing power and control to a new class of people that prompts many to take drastic action.
In the history of the United States, there have been very few Presidents who do not fit into the Puritanical descendent mold. John F. Kennedy is a notable exception. As a public figure, he broke the mold in the early 1960s in allowing the nation to see Roman Catholics in a new light… that they weren’t a force to be feared. It was now clear the Canon Law would not make its way into US Civil Law. In breaking this mold when he did, women and African-Americans also began to enter the public sphere. Today we even have an African-American president. There are still some who feel threatened by this, as can be seen with the whole ‘birther’ controversy.
Again, when fear is the motivating factor, drastic action is sometimes taken.
We now fast-forward to September 11, 2001. When our nation was attacked by Al-Qaida and Muslim extremists, it shook the very foundations of our psychological sense of security as a safe nation. The face of the attackers was Middle-Eastern. Suddenly, American men and women, some of whom have been here for generations, were viewed with suspicion… be they Muslim or not. We then, at some dark level within ourselves, associate every Middle-Eastern person with wanting to do something to undermine our nation…whether we admit it or not. Without personal experience to counter this, it is easy to fall into the trap of blaming every person of Middle-Eastern heritage, and even every person who professes the Islamic faith, of having sinister motives.
This is where the fear that Sharia could overrule US Civil Law comes in. As time goes forward, we will see that Sharia will be as much of a non-issue as Canon Law is upon our civil legislators. The fear that Pastor Jones is playing upon is this fear of losing power to a new class of people, masked in religion.
The question then becomes, what do we do to have harmony in a pluralistic society? I believe that the first answer to this is what is already happening here in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, and that is to get the spiritual leaders of each community together in dialogue. Myself, I am a member of the Dearborn Area Ministerial Association (DAMA), which I am told had it’s beginning on September 12, 2001, when a Muslim cleric called a Christian pastor and they began a conversation. More and more spiritual leaders were invited and today we have a very diverse group who meet each month, and most of those who met with Mr. Fiorello on April 16, 2011 (myself included) are active members.
Secondly, each and every single one of us must open our minds to the fact that we harbor prejudice. This is a fact. Once we recognize that, we can work to keep our minds and hearts open to those whom we don’t quite know or seem quite different from us.
We also need to move out of our comfort zone and get to know people in our community whom we would not normally be drawn to because we consider them to be ‘different’ from us. Now—this does NOT mean that we have to change what we believe about our faith or our opinions on anything, really. What it means is that we need to accept each other on a human level with the respect and dignity that God gave each of us when we were created. This even means that we may have to agree to disagree at times.
As we live through the events that are unfolding in our community, we need to all be respectful of each other. While in this nation we do indeed have freedom of speech—and I took an oath 22 years ago to defend it myself, and I still am—we also have a duty to be respectful. Speaking ideas that some may not want to hear is our right… our obligation as citizens of a melting pot is to do it while respecting the dignity of each human person in our society.
…
Rev. John A. Cramer is the Pastor of Our Savior Polish National Catholic Church in Dearborn Heights
Related Stories
- Community Debates Response To Terry Jones
- OOTD Cancels Protest – Condemns Pastor Terry Jones and Prophet Mohammed
- Daddy, I Saw the Mayor Do Something
- Mayor O’Reilly Explains Actions While Praising Community
- Diversity and Peace
- A Christian Response – Comparing Bible and Koran
- The Evolutionary Hermeneutic and Dearborn
- Dearborn Rejects Extremism – Jury Find Jones a Threat to Peace – Arab American News
- First Amendment Applies to Terry Jones – Lansing State Journal
- ACLU Says Jones Ruling Was Blatantly Unconstitutional – Dearborn Patch
Rev.Cramer…can only say one thing…AMEN….
Rev. Cramer, I agree with the “respect” aspect of your comments but questions come to my mind and they are: Why did they kill Jesus? Why did they kill John the Baptist? Why did the Roman church want to kill Martin Luther? Would not a little more dis-respect toward Hitler by the Roman church have saved the lives of millions?
When Jesus lashed out at the money changers and the political church leaders of His day, was He not dis-respectful? When you see the world-wide hate and bloodshed as a pestilence, should you not speak out too? Jesus said “I came not to bring peace” He said,”They will hate you too.”
The Muslim also has a responsibility to shun that which is evil and when he does not do that we must like Christ, go in the Temple, turn his tables and chastize with the whip of the word and physical action as did He. “Go ye and do likewise” To love thy neighbor is not always sweet and fancy free, is it? Thanks Jack
Jack,
I see the point that you are making. However, the story of Jesus and the money changers in the Temple is the one time [and only time that we have recorded] that He showed any type of anger whatsoever. Truth be told, He had been preaching this for some time, and it could be argued that He did this as a last resort, and that was the only way that they would be able to see the truth of what they were doing. This is not DISrespect, but respect by reaching them where they were. With regard to killing Jesus, Christ Himself was silent most of the time and did not defend Himself, as He knew what He had to do. In fact, when one of His followers injured a Roman soldier with a sword, He healed the soldier. With regard to John the Baptist, he was beheaded at the request of the wife of the King who was, arguably, pushed into a corner with the situation. It was the woman’s sin that killed him. With regard to the Roman church’s desire to kill Martin Luther, the Roman Catholic church has a long history of not making Christ-like decisions and protecting the system.
Bottom line in all of this is that we must always treat our fellow human beings with the respect and dignity that we all deserve as being created in the image and likeness of God. The shape that this takes will be unique to the situation of the individual at the time. It may not be sweet, but if it is done with love (sometimes tough love) then it is from God.
As for the Muslim accepting responsibility for his/her actions, I did not differentiate that in the article, nor do I now. EVERYONE is held to the same standard of respect for his/her fellow human being. Being an Abrahamic faith, Islam actually demands the same standard of respect. If one reads the Hadiths with regard to the questionable verses in the Qu’ran regarding the interaction of Christians and Jews with Muslims, one sees that these were situational with regard to deep corruption in the Christian and Jewish communities at the time… they were told to avoid friendships etc… in order to avoid becoming corrupt themselves. So… in essence… all of humanity is called to the same standard of behavior here.
Thank you for your interesting reply Rev. Cramer. I think we have to be careful in saying “Jesus did this only one time” when we are told, “even the whole world would not have room”.
Jesus, according to the Jews, was a dis-respectful, ragtag rebel who would not keep His mouth shut as were his spirit-filled followers.
If we today, sit in the high seats of honor and prestige, loved and respected with our flowing robes and fancy artifacts of gold and silver, spewing words of peace and love while the bloody world reels in pain, can we really call ourselves followers of Christ?
John the Baptist was already in jail before the king’s wife gave that deadly order. He was there because he dared to dis-respect the king by rebuking him for sin. He was also very disdainful of the Jewish leaders, remember at his baptismal site how he execrated them.
Let us not use “respect” as a tool of complacency; a fear or a cover-up of truth, please. Pontius Pilate respectfully washed his hands of guilt, he thought, when he ordered Christ to be crucified for the Jews. Stephen administered proper respect to the Jews when he told them the truth which cost him his life. I could go on and on in this vein, couldn’t I?
I am familiar with the Hadiths, especially the section on Muhammad’s Wives. I also know about Salman Rushdie and his novel “The Satanic Verses”. Then there is the gentleman stabbed to death in Holland. The best thing we can do for the Muslim here in America who really is seeking peace and knows little about the Islamic background, is to be honest, please! The very elect will be decieved, let it not be us.
Thanks Jack
Have we failed America, Christians
Romans 13: 1-2 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God, therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God.”
In other countries, people receive their “rights” from the government. Under the U.S. Constitution, the government receives its “rights” from the people. “We the people” created the federal government to serve our interests.
WE ARE NOT “SUBJECTS” OF OUR GOVERNMENT
OUR GOVERNMENT IS “SUBJECT” TO US
We have the responsibility to obey the laws enacted by our government but we also have the God-given, inalienable right and responsibility to make sure those laws are lined up with our God-given comandments.. “Be ye subject to the governing authorities” means just that. In America, under the U.S. Constitution, “We the people” are the governing authority.
WE PLACED OUR GOVERNMENT BETWEEN US AND GOD
THIS IS NOT WHAT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION IMPLIES
To be Christians we must believe that the word “Christianity” holds what the world needs.
if so, can we be sitting by, allowing God-less, immoral people and programs to be in control of our government?
WHAT ABOUT THE FAVORED TAX EXEMPTIONS?
WILL THE PEOPLE GIVE WITHOUT THEM?
Costly yes, how many temples full of dead mens’ bones may be transformed? Think of the valuable voting bloc created by a new “Christian Party USA” of active Christians. Could we match the day of Pentecost….three thousand ?
In God’s name, what have we to lose?
Thanks JACK