*“Sanal Edamaruku would not have dared to offend Muslims”!* * * <http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GHS_kjfMRpY/T7Oy_mkXtcI/AAAAAAAAAKw/vpCE3dgfGtA/s1600/SundayIndianBishop.jpg> * * *Targeting of Edamaruku has created an impression that the Church is intolerant of any * *rationalist viewpoint?* This is incorrect. We are not opposed to rationalist perspectives. In fact we encourage them. We never claimed that the dripping cross in Vile Parle was a miracle. It is quite possible that it has a natural explanation. Edamaruku’s comments were thus unwarranted.
*So why is the Church and Christian community upset? * We are not against him for expressing his opinion. The community is hurt by his highly derogatory utterances. He has charged the priests of having created the dripping cross to make money. To the best of our knowledge, no money has been collected by any priest. Besides, priests do not build churches. It speaks volumes about his ignorance. He has also made unwarranted statements against the Pope and the Church. *But aren't you overreacting by filing police cases against him? Even Jesus preached tolerance and forgiveness?* The police cases have not been filed by the Church but by Christian association members who are loyal to it. He has no right to hurt other people’s sentiments. He has made these and other unwarranted statements out of ignorance. The least he could do is apologise to the Catholic community. But he has no remorse. He dared to make these remarks only because he knows that Christianity preaches tolerance and so he can get away with it. Would he have dared to make any uncharitable remarks against the Muslim community? *Is there a process in the Church for identifying what is a 'miracle' and what is just a natural phenomenon?* Yes. There is a lengthy scientific process to be undergone before any official pronouncement is made. In this case, the Church did not make any pronouncement. As a rule, the Church is slow to attribute supernatural causes to extra-ordinary phenomenon we observe in life. As far as possible it tries to explain such phenomenon by natural causes. *Do you think Edamaruku made such comments for cheap publicity? * I do not want to attribute any motive. May be he felt that he was launching a crusade. Whatever be his motive, the approach was unacceptable. COMMENT: A copy and paste job from The Hindu -- DEV BOREM KORUM Gabe Menezes.
