In his commentary “Violence against Christians and the waning of reason,” published in the May 10, 2019 Catholic News Herald, Bishop Robert Barron myopically focuses on violence against those of the Christian faith. It is inconceivable to me that he completely ignored violence against Jews and Muslims. (Read the commentary)
First of all the bishop talks about both the 20th and the 21st centuries. In this context, how can one totally ignore the Holocaust, when six million Jews were exterminated by Hitler? In terms of more recent history, how does one not mention the Jewish temple that was attacked in Pittsburgh? Last year saw the most Jews killed in anti-Semitic attacks in decades, according to the New York Times. Also not mentioned was the mass murder of more than 50 Muslims in the mosque attack near Christchurch, New Zealand.
Bishop Barron also talks about the “cultural and media elites” and specifically mentions Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as they apparently referenced the Christians killed in the Sri Lanka bombings only as “Easter worshipers.” Well, exactly who celebrates Easter? And who, besides President Donald Trump and Fox News, uses the term “elites”?
There is way too much violence in the world today – and a lot of it seems to be addressed at worshipers in churches, temples and mosques.
I am concerned that a person of the cloth who, while eventually in his commentary says that “let us reason together,” chooses to omit the killings of Jews, Muslims and other religious groups.
Larry Heyl lives in Asheville.