2008 Woodie Awards
The Hypocrisy of Sectarianism
Religious conflict is inevitable and hte nOrthern Irish must reframe their conflict in non-religious terms.
Jami Furo
Issue date: 3/17/06 Section: Opinions
Religious turmoil is a problem that will continue on this planet as long as there are people with beliefs. There will be major rifts between peoples of contrasting faiths, and sometimes, those spaces are filled with violence and terror.
One of the most infamous examples of this type of unrest is the sectarianism in Northern Ireland. Catholics and Protestants in Ireland have found themselves in a constant state of bitter feuding for centuries, especially since 1922 when Northern Ireland gained its independence.
Both sides of the argument are Christian. Both are Irish in nationality. So what is it that they have to fight about?
The truth is that it had little to do with denomination. The feud is political. Most Catholics support nationalism, whereas most Protestants support unionism. It is to the point where the terms are used interchangeably in Northern Ireland-Catholics equal nationalists and Protestants equal unionists. It is a type of civil war within Northern Ireland that does not require organized armies or militias. It does not require generals or heads of state or uniforms.
What it requires is teenagers in the streets with weapons. It requires fellow citizens to be pitted against each other in violent outbursts. It is more than a political debate. It is war, and it has been waging for years.
They fight in the name of their denominations, and that in itself is already a serious problem. As a Catholic, I know that we disagree with some elements of Protestant denominations. However, at the end of the day, we are all Christian. We all have the faith that, if we repent and believe in Jesus Christ and his teachings, that we will spend our eternity in heaven, and that all others who believe the same thing will be there, too.
I also want to know where in the Bible it says that Christians should fight amongst each other. I want to know where it says that we should incite violence against our brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to know where our loving and merciful God supports that. Oddly enough, I have never read that passage.
One of the most infamous examples of this type of unrest is the sectarianism in Northern Ireland. Catholics and Protestants in Ireland have found themselves in a constant state of bitter feuding for centuries, especially since 1922 when Northern Ireland gained its independence.
Both sides of the argument are Christian. Both are Irish in nationality. So what is it that they have to fight about?
The truth is that it had little to do with denomination. The feud is political. Most Catholics support nationalism, whereas most Protestants support unionism. It is to the point where the terms are used interchangeably in Northern Ireland-Catholics equal nationalists and Protestants equal unionists. It is a type of civil war within Northern Ireland that does not require organized armies or militias. It does not require generals or heads of state or uniforms.
What it requires is teenagers in the streets with weapons. It requires fellow citizens to be pitted against each other in violent outbursts. It is more than a political debate. It is war, and it has been waging for years.
They fight in the name of their denominations, and that in itself is already a serious problem. As a Catholic, I know that we disagree with some elements of Protestant denominations. However, at the end of the day, we are all Christian. We all have the faith that, if we repent and believe in Jesus Christ and his teachings, that we will spend our eternity in heaven, and that all others who believe the same thing will be there, too.
I also want to know where in the Bible it says that Christians should fight amongst each other. I want to know where it says that we should incite violence against our brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to know where our loving and merciful God supports that. Oddly enough, I have never read that passage.