FIRST PERSON: Religion doesn't kill people: It's man who does
Why the eff are you Catholic? Fr Leon Pereira reflects on violence and truth
I was walking in Leeds with my friend Martin, when we were surrounded by a gang of Asian youths, who looked neither friendly nor sober. This was about 15 years ago, when I was a student at the university there. I assumed they were going to make trouble because Martin was (and remains still) white. "Stick with me, homie," I joked. "I'll protect you."
-
Fr Leon Pereira
As it turned out, the lads were more interested in me, the Asian out of the two of us. Then it came. His words, and he left me in no doubt how seriously he meant them, were, "Is you Muslim or Hindu, yeah?"
I had the flabber taken out of my gast. I thought, Gosh! How do I answer this one? I couldn't tell if they were Muslims or Hindus themselves, so who could tell what they thought the right answer might be.
But I remembered the words of the Lord, Whoever denies me before men, him will I deny him before the Father. So, honesty being the best policy, I stammered: "I-I-I'm a Catholic."
His friends had to pull him off me as he raged (I remember there was a lot of spittle going on): "Why? Why the f— are you a Catholic??!"
Should I tell him, Because the apostle St Thomas came to India 2,000 years ago and converted my ancestors, or, Because this is the church Jesus Christ, true God and true man, established on the foundation of the apostles.
In the end, a quick getaway seemed more expedient, for I had reason to believe he was not truly interested in inter-religious dialogue.
I wasn't all that surprised that the Hindu-Muslim tensions which have plagued the Subcontinent should have been transplanted to Britain.
The troubles between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland have long been played out in bars in Boston, and football pitches in Glasgow. But religion does not kill people. People kill people.
One only needs to look at history to see that non-religious people are just as bad, if not worse. Stalin killed 43 million, Hitler 21 million, Pol Pot a modest 2 million, and Mao a whopping 73 million.
People kill people, and rely on any justification.
But a system without God is likely to be even more ruthless, and more prone to treating humans as objects and means to an end.
But to return to that lad's question: the truth is I am Catholic because I believe it is true (the best reason for believing anything!), and, to quote GK Chesterton, to get my sins forgiven.
Fr Leon Pereira, OP, is the prior of Holy Cross Priory, in Leicester.
3 Comments
by Allan Hayes, Leicester
Wednesday, June 30 2010, 11:24PM
“Dear Fr Pereira,
Please do not try to turn this into a God/No God, a religion/no religion contest.
At bottom it is inhumanity that kills.
But religion can incite inhumanity: consider the Crusades; the two thousand year persecution of the Jews by the Catholic church - leading to the Holocaust; the Thirty Years War between Catholics and Protestants.
It is by caring for one another and emphasising our common humanity that we might reduce killing and live better together.”
by Robbo the Yobbo, Leicester City
Wednesday, June 30 2010, 3:15PM
“Religion itself is not the cause of many of these troubles around the world. When primitive tribes want to fight, pretty much any pretext will do.
And David, the answer is "nobody", or perhaps "those prone to misquote".”
by David, Great Easton, Rural Leicestershire.
Wednesday, June 30 2010, 2:34PM
“Religion may not kill people but it is undoubtedly the cause of many troubles across the world. I won't bother listing them but just look where there is conflict and you'll find religion not far behind.
And who said, "money is the root of all evil"?!!”