National Catholic Reporter
Subscribers only section
October 13, 2006
 

Letters

Violence against the Earth

From its earliest days I have been a reader and supporter of NCR. It has consistently taken on the basic issues of the church in America. Especially important has been its support of projects concerned with social justice, an issue of ever-increasing significance in the last half of the 20th century. The basic issues have, however, shifted as we move into the 21st century. The dominant issue now for America, the Western world, even possibly for the larger community is no longer a question of the integral human community but of the integral Earth community itself.

Just now the violence of humans against Earth is the larger moral as well as the larger religious issue, since Christianity is founded on belief in the universe (and of Earth) as divine manifestation as well as the incarnation of divine presence. The damage done to Earth is an assault on the basic structure of our faith, which begins with belief in the universe before there can be any belief in the incarnation. That the church and church writings have been slow to make and emphasize this point in recent years is profoundly disappointing to many of those most devoted to the church and to its mission.

(Fr.) THOMAS BERRY
Greensboro, N.C.


Israeli withdrawals

In Charles Davis’ article, “Urgently needed: a new Mideast policy” (NCR, Sept. 8) many valid, cogent points were raised. However, I must strenuously object to one misguided principle.

Mr. Davis wrote, “The United States must stop supporting an Israeli policy of seeking security by attempting to dominate its neighbors and occupying territory beyond its 1967 borders.” Both parts of that statement are misleading or worse. Israel clearly doesn’t want “to dominate” its neighbors nor does it want to occupy others’ lands. If there is another example to equal Israel’s willingness to relinquish conquered lands, I’m not aware of it. Israel has withdrawn without threat of arms from the Sinai, Gaza and Lebanon twice. Israel has offered to withdraw from other lands as well, but there was no partner willing to meet them half-way. The second Camp David talks were illuminating. The government of Ehud Barak agreed to withdraw from over 90 percent of the so-called West Bank and compensate with other lands to make up the total area reluctantly conquered in 1967. Yasser Arafat folded his tents and slipped into the night. For scraps of paper Israel has relinquished control of lands many times greater than it presently holds. They’d give more but Arabs won’t even sign the papers.

Yes, reassessment of strategies and tactics is indeed a worthwhile agenda but not at the expense of the only pro-American and democratic state in the region. Israel has a long track record of making ambitious sacrifices for peace, but future sacrifices must be reasonable. The 1949 cease-fire line was not a reasonable facsimile of a border.

(Rabbi) JOSEPH EHRENKRANZ
Fairfield, Conn.


Community service

Joe Feuerherd reported on the Senate Finance Committee’s study of not-for-profit health care (NCR, Sept. 22). The article left the unfortunate impression that Catholic health care’s reporting of the benefits it provides the communities in which it is privileged to serve is a recent innovation. The article also suggests that this innovation was a response to the recent Senate Finance Committee inquiry. In fact, the Catholic Health Association has been concerned about reporting community benefits since the late 1980s. It was in 1989 after a period of discussion within the ministry that the association published its first “Social Accountability Study.” In the years that followed, Catholic Health Association developed a partnership with VHA Inc., a health care provider alliance, to develop programs and resources that assist in planning and reporting community benefits. For more than 10 years there also has been a partnership between Catholic Health Association and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging with regard to reporting the community benefit of long-term care services.

While the Catholic health care ministries’ commitment to community service has been a hallmark of its presence in communities since before the founding of our nation, telling the story of that service has not been something that came easily. Our call was to serve the Lord and help people and not publicize our good deeds. The current inquiry has made clear that in today’s environment it is going to be critically important that the ministry effectively utilizes Catholic Health Association resources to report its community benefits.

(Fr.) MICHAEL PLACE
Des Plaines, Ill.

Fr. Place is vice president in charge of ministry development for Resurrection Health Care and is past president of the Catholic Health Association.


Name-calling

We need to be open to criticism especially when it is given by our so-called enemies. This gives us opportunity to examine our consciences. It was uncalled for and rude, though, for President Hugo Chávez to call President Bush a “devil.” I wonder if our president opened the door for such name-calling when he used the expression “axis of evil” a good number of times. It would be well for us to heed the criticism made at the United Nations. President Chávez is not the first to say that President Bush’s administration has imperialistic designs. President Chávez further stated that President Bush “was trying to preserve the current pattern of domination and exploitation of the peoples of the world and to impose democracy militarily in Iraq and Iran.” We know our president often states he wants democracy spread throughout the world. Do we have the right to force our way of life on others? I am sorry to say the administration is reaping the consequences of its foreign policy, which is the loss of our credibility and respect by other nations.

(Sr.) ARLENE WELDING, SSSF
Nashville, Tenn.


Reforming corporations

I loved the article “The monk and the corporate CEO” by Retta Blaney (NCR, Sept. 22). I worked in management for a large home health care agency in the New York area. In work sessions we often had difficult decisions to make regarding the “right” thing to do for the patients we serviced, our work force, our vendors with whom we contracted for different services, and the company’s bottom line. One constant with professionals in the health care industry is: There is a “reasonable expectation of performance.” Meaning, in collaboration with other health care providers with whom we were in competition, regardless of how bad things were, certain principles were never compromised. You knew what you had to do and what to expect. I remember asking why there were no standards, no “reasonable expectation of performance” in the corporate world.

In corporate America everything depends on who’s at the helm, which is not always a good thing as we’ve learned. Shouldn’t the public be able to expect that corporate business entities entrusted with their money, property and goods also operate with a common “reasonable expectation of performance”? KeySpan CEO Robert Catell should be commended on what I call his “cutting edge reform of the business/corporate world.” Thank you KeySpan. I will go out of my way to support you. Thank you, Ms. Blaney, for an uplifting tribute to a changing corporate culture in America.

JEAN McQUAID
Cutchogue, N.Y.


The detainee law

I hope you will take the time to rewrite your editorial “Patriotism’s new profile” (NCR, Sept. 29), as the president appears not only to be getting what he was asking for regarding torture but those courageous Republicans essentially gave in. The detainee law will also give the president the authority to do as he chooses. The Republican Party is leading this country toward a hellish time across the world for which our children will have to suffer, let alone so many others in other countries. Is it any wonder that Islam is growing in adherents as they see what a “Christian” nation and government is willing to do? May God have mercy on us.

DAVID MURRAY
Cedarville, Mich.


Benedict’s remarks on Islam

Pope Benedict finds himself in hot water with many Muslims as a result of his recent speech at Regensburg University. Muslim countries do have legitimate concerns regarding the pope’s apparent bias against Islam. First of all, as the powerful Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the pope led the effort to keep Muslim Turkey out of the European Union on the grounds that the inclusion of this non-Christian country would strengthen the forces within the European Union who favor the policy of separation of church and state so necessary in a pluralistic society. Secondly, it was Cardinal Ratzinger who in 2000 authored the arrogant Vatican document Dominus Jesus, which was delivered by Pope John Paul II and which claimed that Catholicism was the only true religion and the only means of salvation for all humankind.

Equally disturbing is a textbook for some 5 million students in Saudi Arabia that states that “every religion other than Islam is false” and that “whoever dies outside of Islam enters hellfire,” according to Nina Shea (The Washington Post, May 21). Ms. Shea concludes that these textbooks “will only harden and deepen hatred, intolerance and violence toward other faiths and cultures.” Could she not say the same for the aforementioned Vatican document?

DONALD D. MEYER
Labadie, Mo.

* * *

Maybe it’s time for the pope to re-invite his old mentor, Fr. Hans Küng, for another visit so they could discuss Islam in all its modern faces.

R.J. REINKOBER
New Brighton, Minn.

* * *

Pandering to Islamic bad behavior is a bit like giving in to a child’s temper tantrum, not a sound policy under any circumstances. I was unable to identify any speaker for the Muslim community who focused his remarks on what Pope Benedict said in contrast to the fact that he said it. Obviously the truth hurts so they changed the focus of the argument. I find the avoidance tactic intellectually disgusting. That is not to say that Christians have clean hands in this issue; certainly ours are not. However, that does not either support or condone Islamic reactive behavior. The issue is that we must be in meaningful dialogue if we are to coexist, and that means both sides need to hear rational discussions that will most likely hurt, without emotionally reacting. If there is to be any meaningful exchange between Christianity and Islam, Muslim religious leaders should speak out loudly and clearly against the destructive street behaviors of their followers.

MICHAEL G. GROSHONG
McMinnville, Ore.


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National Catholic Reporter, October 13, 2006