Blogger Priest

We can certainly make the distinction that both Judaism and Islam signify “natural” religions because of the espousal of one true God. Christianity signifies a “supernatural” religion due to the revelation of this one God as “Trinity.” However, Bishop Schneider grants Islam as a religion no credit on this point. He only admits that an individual Muslim might incidentally or let me interject “accidentally” worship the true God with a natural faith.

While left unsaid at this point, such an assessment would also include the modern Jews. By contrast, many of us were taught that what the Scriptures condemned were those Jewish religious leaders (the Pharisees) who rejected the truth out of malice. However, for many of the Muslims and Jews today the issue is one of ignorance. Despite the apologetics of St. Paul, he never condemned his fellow Jews as idolaters. They worshipped the true God. Bishop Schneider might concede this but then contends that Judaism after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD becomes a distinct religion from what came before. Even though Islam cannot genuinely claim the Hebrew trajectory of faith; he would deny it for Jews as well.

While Jews and Muslims alike call upon Abraham as their father in faith, Bishop Schneider would have us believe that God is deaf to their entreaties. His focus is entirely upon Christians as spiritual children of Abraham.

Bishop Schneider directly contradicts Pope John Paul II who taught in 1999 the following:

“We Christians joyfully recognize the religious values we have in common with Islam. Today I would like to repeat what I said to young Muslims some years ago in Casablanca: ‘We believe in the same God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection’ (Insegnamenti, VIII/2, [1985], p. 497). The patrimony of revealed texts in the Bible speaks unanimously of the oneness of God. Jesus himself reaffirms it, making Israel’s profession his own: ‘The Lord our God, the Lord is one’ (Mk. 12:29; cf. Dt. 6:4-5). This oneness is also affirmed in the words of praise that spring from the heart of the Apostle Paul: ‘To the king of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen'(1 Tm. 1:17).”

Filed under: Uncategorized |