Denver's Archbishop Chaput now joins Sydney's Archbishop Pell (whom I discussed here) as another courageous and honest voice on the subject of Christian—Muslim relations. Such candid views, ignored by their uninformed, and often craven peers——"elite" theologians, journalists, and politicians —— will lead to meaningful dialogue with Muslims, as opposed to disingenuous Muslim dawa (proselytization) sessions, or depressing orgies of non—Muslim self—flagellation———the sad, undeniable current state of affairs.

From the Denver Catholic Register:

...recently... I read a news story. The story reported an Islamic leader as suggesting that it was European Christians, never Muslims, who tried to root out those who didn't agree with them.

Perhaps the reporter misunderstood the speaker. Perhaps the speaker made an honest mistake. Both Muslims and Christians have committed many sins against each other over the centuries. In the United States, we have an opportunity to overcome that difficult history and learn to live with each other in mutual acceptance. But respect can't emerge from falsehood.

Catholics who do know history may remember the following:
Islam has embraced armed military expansion for religious purposes since its earliest decades. In contrast, Christianity struggled in its divided attitudes toward military force and state power for its first 300 years. No 'theology of Crusade' existed in Western Christian thought until the 11th century. In fact, the Christian Byzantine Empire had already been resisting Muslim expansion in the East for 400 years before Pope Urban II called the First Crusade — as a defensive response to generations of armed jihad.

Read the whole thing.

Andrew Bostom   8 17 06