Christian Martyrs are not Terrorists, Sister Chittister!

(Hat tip to Julie D. for this one!)

I do not often see eye-to-eye with Nate Nelson. One look at his heading and lead ad should tell you why. However, Mr. Nelson get's this one exactly right!

Decide for yourself:

Perhaps my biggest problem with Sr. Chittister's column, however, is that she compares Fr. Santoro's martyrdom with the "martyrdom" of Muslim terrorists:

In the third place, the world is already dealing with a passle of Islamic fundamentalist martyrs for the faith, called jihadists, all of them almost universally condemned by moderate Muslim communities and leaders everywhere. The world doesn't need Christian ones, too . . . From where I stand, this does not seem the time to elevate the present political situation to the level of religious warfare by incorrectly declaring our own dead, like those of Islamic fundamentalists, to be "martyrs." All we need is to trigger another century of Crusades by beginning a competition of martyrs.

It was at this point that I was genuinely angered by Sr. Chittister's column, and it is over this that I demand, in the name of all Christian martyrs, a retraction and apology from Sr. Chittster and the National Catholic Reporter. How can Sr. Chittister possibly compare the martyrdom of Fr. Santoro -- as she did, explicitly -- to the murder-suicide committed by Muslim terrorists? Fr. Santoro was kneeling in his church at prayer when he was shot by a Muslim radical; Muslim terrorist "martyrs" end their lives by exploding bombs attached to their bodies in order to kill non-Muslims, usually Jews or Westerners. There is no comparison, and the Muslim men and women who commit murder-suicide are not "martyrs," they are terrorists and murderers.

Some might argue that Mr. Nelson could be motivated by the same pole-star that drives Andrew Sullivan. I don't buy it. He took a brave risk in condemning the work of a Catholic with whom he's probably agreed with in the past. He demonstrates the spine I've come to expect from Fools. I salute him for his due dilligence in defending Christians and the Faith.

Self-hating Catholics such as Sr. Chittister do not serve Christ. They serve only their own distorted image of who they believe he is. Therefore, they serve only their own distorted image of what they believe his Church is. Ensnared in her illusions, Sr. Chittister can evidently no longer tell the difference between a Christian martyr, who surrenders his life for his faith, and the Muslim terrorist, who murders innocents with his own suicide. Her remarks are beneath contempt. She owes all Christians and people of goodwill an apology. If I were her editor, I would expect her resignation letter on my desk immediately. Unfortunately, I doubt her editors at NCR will show that kind of courage and common sense. No, they'll cower behind the "Freedom of Speech" and allow her to disparage her co-religionists with impunity.

Pray for rabid Foolables like Sr. Chittister and her NCR compatriots. They need all the wisdom and mercy they can get!