Terrorism bringing Us Closer To God: Pell

Taken from The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia, 06.04.2007
BY Linda Morris

ISLAMIC terrorism has prompted Australians to re-examine their religious beliefs and has perhaps given God a higher media profile, the Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, has said

In a traditional Easter message likely to provoke church moderates and Islamic leaders, Australia's most senior Catholic cleric also took aim at the growing Christian green movement, saying Jesus had nothing to say on global warming.

Cardinal Pell is regarded as a hawk in the Vatican for his repeated public challenges to Islam on terrorism and religious freedom.

The god of the Koran or the gods of Eastern religions were "radically different" from the "one true God" proclaimed by Christianity's holy festival, he said.

"God often struggles for press coverage in Australia but He has been doing better lately - perhaps because the violence of a small number of Islamic terrorists has prompted us to rethink our religious beliefs, or absence of belief."

Acknowledging uneasiness over the climate, Cardinal Pell said Jesus was not an "insurance broker" meant to protect the world from trouble.

"We are told El Nino has disappeared but the drought is not over in most parts. And we have the threat of global warming. It is to be hoped the one true God will accept all those carbon credits.

"Neither did Jesus say anything on global warming, although he said much on the struggle between good and evil, meaning and fear, love and hate."

He called on Australians not to judge: "Jesus calls us to address the challenges in our own hearts, families and communities before we moralise about distant worlds, where we are usually powerless."

Taking a different tack on climate change, the Anglican Primate, Phillip Aspinall, said the drought reminded Australians about the fragility of life, and dry waterways, parched farming land and even the withering of gardens were "ready and immediate symbols of death".

But Easter brought the promise of life in the face of death. It was possible that the water crisis contained the seeds of future life and managing the waterways more effectively, the archbishop of Brisbane said.

"The God of the Bible acts in unexpected and surprising ways to create life and new beginnings where all looks dead and lost."

The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, singled out the modern-day slave trade, human trafficking, as evidence of human sinfulness and the need for reconciliation with God.

Jesus's death freed humans from slavery to sin, when they failed to live up to God's standards for life and relationships, Dr Jensen said.

"Human trafficking of men, women and children to be economic slaves or sex slaves or child soldiers exists today. People are still treated as objects and possessions to be bought and sold. This is also a scar on humanity. We must support those who fight against it," he said.

The president of the Baptist Union of Australia, Dr Ross Clifford, also invoked the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade. He called on consumers to black-list goods produced by slave labour.

People were also slaves to "legalism, consumerism, unjust employment regimes and practices that accelerate climate change", Reverend Clifford said.

"When Jesus frees us from our spiritual bonds, he empowers us to share the good news of freedom with others."

The president of the Uniting Church of Australia, Gregor Henderson, said this Easter he was praying for the peace of Jerusalem and that Israeli and Palestinian leaders learn from those of Northern Ireland.

"Easter is the most fitting time for peace to shine through. Christians believe the life, death and resurrection of Jesus brings us peace with God and, through commitment to the peaceful vulnerable courageous ways of Jesus, gives us the opportunity of peace with each other, across all our human divisions."

Brian Houston, the national president of Assemblies of God in Australia, said the message of Christ's resurrection was pivotal to Christianity. He criticised resurrection sceptics.

"For close to two millennia people have tried to discredit the truth, most recently in a documentary that claims to have found Jesus' sarcophagus, Mr Houston said.

"Jesus died and rose from the grave for all humanity. Spectacular? Yes. But more importantly, it was supernatural."