FAITH AS IT IS

by John Paul Philips Christopher Marlowe's controversial play The Jew of Malta  is a powerful cautionary story about the dangers of allowing religious intolerance to take root. Through the tragic story of the Jewish merchant Barabas, we witness the cycle of violence that can erupt when one group persecutes and dehumanizes another over differences in faith. As Catholics, we need to look at this 16th century drama and use it as a mirror to reflect on our own potential for hatred and cruelty towards those outside our religion. The Christian rulers of Malta justify stripping away the Jewish population's rights and wealth solely due to their religious identity. As Barabas accuses, "What, bring you Scripture to confirm your wrongs?"  History has shown time and again how religious differences have been twisted to justify unspeakable acts - the Crusades, the Inquisition, modern extremism. We must reject the misguided notion that anyone who believes differently is less deservi...

 Above all, the film Sara'S has gone out of its way to depict the family as a Christian family. The Bibles, the rosaries, and the exclamations "Holy Mother of God" loudly portray the family to be devoutly Christian. 'Abortion' in the film is treated as a 'religious superstition' that needs to be overcome. However, the film is miles away from addressing the real issue of abortion. The film has failed to touch the crux of the topic, "is there life in the womb?". As a member of the Christian community, I was expecting the "Christian" mother-in-law to make a classic filmy statement, "please don't murder the baby", and the "protagonist" to say something about the baby being a clump of cells, however, the film failed to do even that. The film revolves around a young woman, an aspiring film director named Sara. Since childhood, Sara has not wanted to give birth. She meets and marries Jeevan who shares the same desire. S...