I've noticed a similar phenomenon going on in the world of secular politics as I've noticed going on in religion, especially in the United States. It's known as polarization. And, so I take the title from the political campaign slogan of Richard Nixon, the man who was President the last time I saw so much political polarization. As I see it, the basic problem which Richard Nixon had was that he accomplished what his predecessors of the other party had not been able to do. He opened China, he ended the war in Vietnam, and he ended the miliraty draft. And so, the other party became almost obsessive about him - and some still are. If he were still alive, he could probably share some things with President Obama.
And in the world of religion, there is similar polarization going on in a number of denominations - and between denominations. Worse, some groups seem to make accusations in one direction when there is history to show that they could make those accusations into a mirror.
And I think about three men I greatly admire, some of the greatest theological minds our world has seen: Venerable Solanus Casey, Archbishop Fulton Sheen and Father Thomas Merton. All three were Romal Catholic clergy, but all three were comfortable working with people of other faiths - and did so with no intent to convert them. Father Solanus was a Capuchin priest simplex known, among other things, for the soup kitchens he founded. Bishop Sheen was known for his work in radio and television. Father Merton was a Trappist monk whose diverse circle of friends included the Dhalai Lama. And they all spoke about unity without unification.
Can you imagine what could be accomplished if we could come together to work together?
