Bridging Divides of Faith, Within and Between

I don’t know whether or not the Justice Department has anything on this former Republican congressman they’ve now accused of aiding terrorists. I do know their conviction record is pretty poor when it comes to actually proving their accusations against so-called terrorist sympathizers.

It’s also a little curious that this gentleman from Michigan, former congressman Mark Siljander, is an evangelical Christian writing a book about closing the rift between Christians and Muslims. We know the Justice Department is supposed to be apolitical, but “supposed” hasn’t always meant “is.” I don’t know what the congressman may have done, but a little skepticism is in order. Many in the political class have benefited since 2001 by pointing fingers and creating fear of Islam wherever the faith may exist.

Wishing to dampen animosity toward our Muslim brothers seems to me an appropriate Christian sentiment. I applaud Mr. Siljander for his instincts in that direction. What surprises me -- and seems distinctly contrary to the ways of Jesus -- is the desire by some Christian leaders to fan the flames of distrust between the two faiths. I’m not advocating adding their holy book as an equal to our sacred documents any more that I would suggest such status for the Book of Mormon, but in the minds of Muslims the God they worship is the same one we worship. Abraham, Moses and Jesus are among their greatest prophets. Why not start with that fact and try to build bridges? It might save lives.

Speaking of crossing divides, I had this fantasy recently of conservative and progressive Christians sitting down in a negotiation aimed at finding two contemporary issues we could share to strengthen the nation’s moral fiber. Actually, it’s not really a fantasy; I’ve actually done this with Evangelical friends. I let them go first and right away they toss abortion on the table. I say yes, I’m very troubled by abortion and I think those of us on the left have not been forthright enough in telling our secular allies “no, we have to step back from abortion on demand. It can’t always be a matter of the mother’s choice. The right must be carefully circumscribed and not casually used for birth control.”

Now it’s my turn. I place war on the table. Like abortion, I say, the use of war must be carefully limited to only the most extreme situations. Look at our current war: hundreds of thousands dead, millions displaced, rampant ethnic cleansing, and really no improvement in the standard of living for the people. As Christians, I tell my negotiating partner, you must do like us on abortion and stand up to your secular allies and tell them unnecessary death does not fit in Christian morality.

But they’ll have none of it. Somehow they’ve massaged Christ’s message until war becomes an easy fit. They would prefer making gay men loving each other a greater sin than the death of innocents. I don’t get it. The world seems upside down. It’s the kind of world in which advocating better relations with Muslims might get you arrested.