Ecumenical Info

Religion in America?

February 2005

By Rev. Michael Demkovich, O.P.

The media doesn't get it. They are in denial. Too often they wrongly think that separation of Church and State means the elimination of Church from State. In a religiously illiterate society the positive role of religion risks being lost. Ignorant journalists and sensationalist reporters just don’t grasp the significant contribution of religion. When I read some articles or see some reports I am alarmed. At times its laughable but more often I find it tragic. It demonstrates the real need for a sustained and broad public conversation on the valuable contributions Religion makes to society and to the common good. This is an important part of Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue.

Not only are the three great Religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam positive contributors to history and culture but other religious traditions continue to play key roles in peoples lives. Sadly this is overlooked by the media. So, here is our challenge: How can we help the secular media in their religious education? It seems to me that just as we must safeguard our civil liberties, so too we must also defend our religious liberties. We need to hold one another accountable, to ask that we fairly and honestly respect the legacy of Religion.

Recently I had lunch with the Archbishop and representatives from the Islamic Cultural Center. Without a doubt they were individuals of faith caught by the same concerns for peace that haunt us all. It is in the shared reverence of genuinely religious minded people that we humbly meet the Almighty. Over a simple meal we each sensed the rightness of what is best in each others religious heritage. In the Covenant of Abraham, there is found a common respect and a common heritage that we share with our Muslim and Jewish neighbors. It is this promise of Faith in God that calls forth the best in us. It is why here in New Mexico we have known the cultural richness of Muslims and Jews from the Iberian peninsula, who rode with Coronado seeking a new life. It is the role of Religion to unite a people, and in modern pluralistic society, the greatest threats come from cynical secularism and militant fundamentalism. They fail to appreciate religion and fall short, stopping at the limits of their false understanding. They fail to understand or respect what truly religious minded people bring to society. Society and History have inherited much good from the religious ideals that inspire us all. People who genuinely believe in the presence of God contribute to a larger vision of the human project, in art, culture, and life. To ignore, or trivialize, or manipulate this faith vision is dangerous. Today the role of religion is a positive force, if we know it rightly. It summons forth care for the needy, justice for the oppressed, and freedom for those held captive.

New Mexicans are a deeply religious and spiritual people. Even the state’s capital reflects this “holy faith” dimension. The religious traditions of the Ancient Ones, of the Spanish Missionaries, and of various cultures living here today, tell of the deeply religious soil that feeds the southwest soul. We are diverse people, yet our religious visions keep us bound together. For almost 30 years the Jewish Catholic Dialogue of New Mexico has been a witness to the value of the truly great religions. One of the oldest such dialogues in America, it has fostered a healthy appreciation of our religious differences, at the same time providing a poignant reminder of religions role in society. It fosters the kind of dialogue, in quality and depth, that the modern media is unwilling or incapable of providing. On March 1, 2005 the Jewish-Catholic Colloquium will hold its 12th annual day of dialogue. It will address the unique reality of Catholics and Jews in America under the theme “Looking Back, Going Forward.” Professor Anna Maria Cardinalli-Padilla and Rabbi Joseph Black will explore the contribution religious music has made to American life. The luncheon’s guest speaker, Fr. Ernie Falardeau, will recount the rich history of the Jewish Catholic Dialogue in New Mexico, a history he helped to write. For more information, or to make your reservation, call Betty Kohlman at 505.299.3807.

Religion plays an important role in society and we must do our part to foster the kind of sustained, respectful, and genuine dialogue to guarantee it remains safe from the abuses of cynical secularism and militant fundamentalism. As Ecumenical Officer I invite you to learn more about the great religions that are part of New Mexico and help those who are religiously illiterate recognize the value of Religion. Every Catholic really should read Vatican II’s, 1965: “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non Christian Religions.” This document is also called Nostra Aetate (since it begins “in our time”). It is a wonderful document on the Church’s understanding of the other great religions telling us,

The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men (n.2)., it is available online at the Vatican website here Vatican website.