My latest in PJ Media:
Few Americans even know that there was a jihad attack in Corpus Christi, Texas last week. But Michael Mulvey, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Corpus Christi, is well aware. Last Thursday, a 20-year-old Muslim migrant from Syria named Adam Salim Alsahli, according to CNN, “attempted to rush the security gate with a vehicle.” Then, after “security deployed a barrier to stop the vehicle,” Alsahli “exited the vehicle and opened fire…and naval security forces returned fire.”
Alsahli was “neutralized.” After his attack, officials “identified various social media accounts, which initial reports indicate are likely associated with the shooter….Online postings by these accounts expressed support for ISIS and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).” But you can relax now: the Roman Catholic Bishop of Corpus Christi has condemned the attack, so all is well.
As far as we know, Mulvey had nothing to do with the attack, but nonetheless, as Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported, he announced Thursday: “I condemned the act of terrorism that was perpetrated this morning at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. These acts of violence are heinous, but they will not undermine our resolve to work for peace in our hearts, and our society. Our prayer is with the sailor who was injured this morning.” CNA noted that Mulvey “pledged to be a force for peace in the face of evil.”
Well, that’s a relief. You know that concerned citizens all over the country were on the edge of their seats, wondering whether the Catholic Bishop of Corpus Christi was going to applaud or condemn the attack. Now he has come down on the side of the angels, we can all relax and go about our business.
Mulvey’s statement was similar to dozens of condemnations of jihad terror attacks that politicians and other public figures have issued after jihad massacres all over the world in the last few years. It is unclear what moves them to make these statements. Did anyone really think that Michael Mulvey, a Catholic bishop, might be in favor of Adam Alsahli’s jihad attack?
Are there people out there who suspected that Michael Mulvey helped Adam Alsahli buy his gun or otherwise prepare for his jihad, and were such suspicions so persistent that the good bishop felt it necessary to clear the air? Does Michael Mulvey think that his condemnation will stop future jihadis from carrying out their attacks, for fear that the local Roman Catholic bishop will condemn them?
If Michael Mulvey is sane, which presumably he is, then he knows that the answer to all those questions is no, and so there was no reason whatsoever for him to issue his condemnation except to signal his virtue. Mission accomplished.
There is much more. Read the rest here.
DHazard says
I can do that too; “There should be no compulsion in religion”. Case closed, everybody loves everybody and the lion lies with the lamb. Ignore all the screaming and please keep that rationality in check.
gravenimage says
Here’s a Relief: Corpus Christi Jihad Attack Condemned by…Catholic Bishop
…………….
Well, this is lovely.
Now, if only Muslims would actually do the same…
Gray says
Robert asks, rhetorically and presumably tongue in cheek, whether anyone could really think that a Bishop of the Church might be in favour of a Jihad attack on the Church? Well, I for one would not be all surprised if any Bishop of any of the mainstream Churches came out in favour of jihad attacks on his own Church. The present Pope’s apparently boundless and uncritical admiration of, and support for, Islam is especially worrisome. So how about this for an episcopal press release, after a future terrorist attack on a Christian house of worship in the West causes extensive damage and loss of Christian lives: “Of course we all regret these attacks on Christians and our Church property by Muslim extremists, and our thoughts and prayers are, as always, with the victims and their families. However, at the same time, we must all remember that Islam is a peaceful religion, and we must not judge an entire belief system by the actions of a few extremists, those sad, lost souls who have perverted the principles of one of the great, Abrahamic Faiths. We must also acknowledge the hurt and anger felt by our Muslim brothers and sisters, as they suffer never-ending indignity and discrimination in our land, while their ancestral homes have been razed by the forces of Western Imperialism. So remember Brethren, it is not for us to judge and condemn the righteous and entirely justified anger of our Muslim brothers and sisters, however much we might regret the way in which they have expressed that rage. But I have spoken to the Diocesan insurers, and been assured that most of the rebuilding works on the destroyed Churches will be covered by our policies. I know you all join me in rejoicing for this. God is indeed good and bountiful. But our Lord counsels his followers not to judge others, and, in our Lord’s own words, ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’ Forgiveness is our prime duty as Christians, as we seek to purify ourselves in the pursuit of our own salvation. In this vein,I have been in touch with my good friend, the Imam for our district, and assured him that our thoughts and prayers are with him and his people, as they grieve their own loss of life.” This is not intended as a criticism just of the Catholic Church hierarchy. I, for one, can easily imagine similar sentiments being expressed by people in leadership positions in all of the mainstream Churches in the West. Seems to me they are all pretty lost, especially regarding Islam, and it is very, very sad. Maybe the God of the New Testament deserves much better?
James Lincoln says
Gray,
Your hypothetical “episcopal press release” will eventually be proven to be frighteningly accurate…
gravenimage says
Not too far off.
Here’s the Episcopal Bishop of St. John’s Episcopal Church, the historic Church which was burned by rioters in DC. She is *enraged* that Trump would visit the Church, but seems fine with it having been torched in the first place:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/politics/cnntv-bishop-trump-photo-op/index.html