Many years ago, I learned German and was eventually able to work in Germany over summer break. For the last 10 years I have spent 1-2 months working in Essen, Germany and except the first couple of years, when I was still struggling with properly understanding the language, there hasn’t been one year when I haven’t heard of a sexual scandal involving priests of the Catholic Church. I am not Catholic, but in Germany, I worked for a foster home and retirement home complex owned by a pro-catholic organization, where these cases were heavily debated by the employees. I have heard many stories as I worked there, on TV, or told by my co-workers but I cannot testify to their authenticity. The story that I want to talk about is one told to me by a retired Catholic priest that would occasionally drop by for dinner and a chat. During our rare but lengthy conversations, we debated the problem of sexual abuse within the church and what he told me was shocking at the time. I come from an Orthodox…
Living in America my entire life, I have seen a lot of tragedy. One of my first memories of something significant is 9/11. Seeing those giant planes plunge into a symbol of America broke me; even if I didn't understand why at the time. I am part of the last generation who will remember 9/11 as the event it was, not a memory from a textbook. And as this year begins to come to a close, I fear for those who are in that place I once was. The number of atrocities I am witnessing seems to be increasing, while those in charge seem to be more concerned about their internet presence and lobbyists than promoting any actual change. At this time last year, I remember being on the phone with a friend in tears as she couldn't contact her family at her home church in Sutherland Springs in South Texas after a man waltzed in and began shooting. Over twenty people - eight of which being children - were ripped from their families and the media created a circus. Dehumanizing the victims and pushing a…
Strict controls of religion in England and Japan, and the Freedom of religion the US constitution guarantees The histories of both England and Japan tell us that their national securities and independence had conflicted with the religious freedom of their people. The history of US tells us that deciding and acting political issues independently from organized Church or religious institutions is essential to protect the religious freedom.
Declaration of Independence (1819), by John Trumbull from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gain Political Independence from Religious Authority in England As a Japanese living in the US, I view that the development of congressional politics in England as the political elites gradually limited the royal and religious authorities and gained own economic and political freedom while sacrificing the religious freedom and many lives of Catholics in their kingdom. Let me explain in details. In medieval Europe, Pope claimed the Papal supremacy and exercised…
The Church, specifically white, masculine, evangelical Christianity, has been a driving force behind colonialism, white supremacy, and Christian nationalism. The church has sought to erase any and all culture that does not align with its beliefs sought to hold power over women, force Black, Indigenous, and other people of color to assimilate, and excommunicate the LGBTQIA+ community. This same Church claims to follow the teachings of Jesus, but if you ask me, I don’t think the Church today looks very much like Jesus at all. In fact, most Christians are more like the Pharisees - making up rules to exclude others, casting judgments - and less like the people Jesus spent his time with. Growing Up Southern Baptist When I was a kid, the church was about community. I thought of the people within this community as family. I was young and unaware of the inner workings, the hierarchy, the patriarchy. I just enjoyed the Easter egg hunts and church dinners and tried to be kind - like Jesus. Wasn’t…
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