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From Xaverian Mission Newsletter, by Mary AktayAugust 2011
Sponsored by Odyssey Networks, a media consortium of 27 major
faith groups including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “9/11:
The Conversation We Never Had” was the lead initiative of New York’s interfaith
community to shift the emphasis from one of fear and mistrust to that of respect
for religious diversity and freedom. The event began the conversation we must
have about why now more than ever, ten years later, faith needs to be seen not
as the inciting incident; the problem, and the divide—but as the voice, the
fulcrum and the solution.
“Much of the hatred and permission to do violence against groups is galvanized
by a God view that suggests that whatever I hate, God must hate also,” said
United Church of Christ Bishop Yvette Flunder as she called upon the interfaith
community to do the “divine work” of bringing reconciliation and healing to a
post 9/11 world.
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reformed
Judaism spoke of many needed conversations. These include a re-assessment of the
Just War Theory in light of civilian casualties inflicted by modern warfare; the
economic and human cost of the two longest wars in United States history; and
religion’s acquiescence to politics. “What do religious communities have to say
about indefinite detention, about torture, about profiling?” He appealed to
faith communities to be the shapers of a better future for all God’s children.
“The world needs that now. Our children need that now. And God is waiting for us
to respond!”
Eboo Patel, Ph.D., Founder and President of the Interfaith Youth Core, used the
social science “magic triangle” methodology of increasing knowledge and
inclusive behavior to achieve “Social Cohesion” so that the bonds of our society
can’t be broken by radical elements from any group. “Nineteen people, when they
drive planes into a building, praying in Arabic—we view them as extremists, not
as representatives of Islam. That’s what Social Cohesion is about.”
Men and women of all faith traditions shared a meal and stories of diversity and
dedication. Rabbis, imams, priests and ministers mingled and socialized. A
Buddhist nun from New York and a Lutheran pastor from Berlin planned events to
commemorate 9/11 and were able to learn new ideas from each other.
Rabbi Burt Visotzky of The Jewish Theological Seminary told of his school
joining with the 96th Street Mosque to work together in the soup kitchen of the
Presbyterian Church on 114th Street. “Standing side by side, shoulder to
shoulder, we did something we knew that Islam, Judaism and Christianity all
think of as God’s work—we fed the hungry.”
Now, that’s something to talk about!
