"Weblog: Anti-Persecution Book Said to Denigrate Holocaust, Muslims, and Immigrants"

Are anti-persecution activists really bigots? A new Italian book, Antonio Socci’s The New Persecuted: Inquiries into Anti-Christian Intolerance in the New Century of Martyrs, makes many claims that evangelicals have been hearing for years: Since the time of Christ, about 70 million Christians have been killed for their faith—45 million of those occurred in the 20th century (Socci’s numbers mainly come from the World Christian Encyclopedia).

Here in the U.S., evangelicals’ concern for religious liberty worldwide has garnered praise and government action. In Italy, however, Socci’s book is being attacked as bigotry. Historian Alberto Melloni says Socci is trying to minimize the Holocaust. “The statistics he cites are largely meaningless but the effect is to make the Shoah [Holocaust] just one detail in a century of massacres,” Melloni told London’s The Guardian. “It is part of an effort by some in the Catholic church to stop the Shoah being the most important event in the 20th century.” Tommaso Debenedetti says the book is part of Italy’s right wing movement against immigrants. “The right is reversing the argument” by casting itself as the victims rather than the oppressors, Debenedetti said. Others complain that the book demonizes Islam, and the Italian newspaper La Stampa argues that martyrs aren’t really martyrs if they’re killed for political reasons (well, there goes almost every one of those 70 million—including those persecuted under first-century Rome.)

Since Weblog can’t read Italian, it’s hard to tell whether Socci has, in fact, taken hard statistics on religious persecution and used them to make dubious arguments. But from the comments in The Guardian, it seems like the real issue is with the statistics, not Socci’s analysis of them. (The one English article Weblog found with Socci’s byline doesn’t raise such red flags.) If, in fact, the Christians killed because of their faith in the 20th century outnumber Jews killed by Hitler, does that mean saying so minimizes the Holocaust? No more so than talking about the millions who died in Stalin’s purges. Does talking about the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities under Islamic regimes make one anti-Muslim? Not necessarily; and evidence of such persecution is incontrovertible. Still, these arguments are worth watching. How long until people start arguing that the murder of millions of Christians worldwide isn’t that big a deal because of the Crusades and Inquisitions?

U.S. military takes more active role in freeing Burnhams; many Filipinos begging U.S. to stay American soldiers are finally entering Abu Sayyaf territory, though they still won’t be legally permitted to fire at the guerrillas unless shot at first. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz made the deal yesterday as Wolfowitz, the second-highest official in the Pentagon, visited the country. “There was consensus that training will be intensified and pushed forward to the company level,” acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable told reporters. “It implies that this is closer to the action.”

Wolfowitz explained that it’s still considered a training exercise. “We are not talking of sending in U.S. troops to do the job of the Armed Forces of the Philippines but on improving its capability to do the job itself.”

Meanwhile, Filipinos are pressing for the U.S. military to stay and continue its efforts after the scheduled July 31 pullout date. “We are uneasy with the thought that the Americans who are giving us moral and civic support will be leaving after their stay of six months,” said a petition circulated by a group of Catholic priests. “We are insecure with the thought that their absence will bring us back to [square] one. Please, Madame President, prolong the Americans’ stay with us.”

The Associated Press finds similar sentiments among other residents of Basilan Island: “When members of your armed forces came over here, there were no more killings,” said accountant Inocente Gonzales. “We’d like them to stay longer.”

U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) is also in the Philippines this week, calling for more action to free kidnapped missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham. He says political gameplaying over exactly how involved U.S. forces can be is ridiculous. “This is not the time to nitpick,” he said. “We should be encouraging each other and try to help each other. … Terrorists are killing Americans and terrorists are killing Filipinos. Terrorists are killing anyone who wants a democratic society throughout the world and this is the time we should stand together.”

Courts & law:

Landlord sues over faith rights | Civil Rights Commission claims he discriminated against unwed couple (The Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio)
Supreme Court to rule on its tough cases | Decisions on school vouchers, door-to-door evangelism expected any day (USA Today)
Church faces suit by EEOC | The lawsuit alleges that the leadership of Mount Carmel Baptist Church retaliated against three female workers by firing them after they complained about a church official making repeated sexual advances. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Arkansas schools okay churches’ use | The action was taken by the Clinton School District in Clinton, Ark., to settle a discrimination lawsuit brought against it on behalf of a coalition of churches in the city. (The Washington Times)

Politics:

Religion weighty in Ala. gov. race | Campaigning for religion and against gambling has become the Republicans’ chosen route to political salvation (Associated Press)
GOP seeks to ease curbs on churches in politics | House Republican leaders intend to pass the legislation this year, and it is part of a broader GOP effort to resuscitate the Christian conservative movement that helped propel the party to power in the early 1990s. (The Washington Post)
Proposal to define marriage for U.S. | Response so far is cautious, even muted, given the polarization that often surrounds the issue. (Deseret News, Salt Lake City)
‘Let monarchy marry Catholics’ | The leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has spoken out about the historic ban on any heir to the throne marrying a member of his church. (BBC)
Addict turns into activist | Bill Whatcott has become Saskatchewan’s most visible and vocal anti-gay, anti-abortion activist (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

Church life:

Faith goes undiminished in quest for a new church | Cottonwood congregants are joined by others in Cypress who denounce the city’s condemnation of their parcel for a retail center. (Los Angeles Times)
New Episcopal bishop voices liberal views | The Rev. John B. Chane, installed Saturday as the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, told a Washington National Cathedral audience yesterday the church is “guilty” in its complicity with institutional slavery and narrow-minded in its attitudes toward women and homosexuals. (The Washington Times)
Also: Driven by conviction and compassion | Washington’s new Episcopal bishop is willing to take risks (The Washington Post)
Also: Bishop promises focus on social justice | Leader of Washington’s Episcopal diocese delivers first sermon in new role (The Washington Post)
Also: Ancient ritual consecrates bishop to lead D.C. diocese | 3,000 Attend Ceremony In National Cathedral (The Washington Post)
Religious group irked at being booted from IHOP | Customers have been complaining about being bothered by the church members (The Tampa Tribune)
Eviction bid by church | A single mother of four has been threatened with eviction from the Assemblies of God campsite in Busselton, Western Australia – two days after a court ruled she could stay. (The Sunday Times, Perth)
Gay priest row hits Archbishop tipped for Carey’s post | Rowan Williams admitted that he has ordained a practicing homosexual. (The Guardian, London)
The Lord and the ring | David Smith is an Anglican priest and boxing instructor (Sydney Morning Herald)
Ex-minister wins hearing | Church of Scotland is to convene a special committee to consider the case of a former minister who resigned more than four years ago amid controversy over an alleged affair with a married elder (The Scotsman)
Honoring a life devoted to worship | The Rev. Nettie Finney will celebrate her 100th birthday and 68 years as leader of a South Baltimore church. (The Baltimore Sun)

Catholicism:

Bush, cleric discuss Russia’s Catholics | Russian Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz said he was struck by how well the president was informed about difficulties facing Catholics and other religious minorities in Russia. (The Washington Times)
Pope appeals for Romanian Catholics | Wants government to speed up the return of properties seized by the country’s former communist regime. (BBC)
The man behind the Pope | With the Pontiff ailing, his secretary gains power (Time)
Ailing Pope delays Croatia visit | September trip now scheduled for spring 2003 (Associated Press)
Ordination is symbol of faith—and change | Carmelite’s rigorous training reflects the order’s effort to develop healthy priests (Los Angeles Times)
Magician priest wants patron saint of magic | Don Silvio Mantelli expects a favorable answer from Rome within the year. (BBC)

Mormonism:

Methodists debate rebaptism of converts from Mormonism | At Salt Lake City meeting, some propose resolution “[not] to declare non-Christian a church which understands itself to be Christian” (Salt Lake Tribune, link thanks to HolyWeblog.com)