Faith in the World after 11 September

The events of 11 September cause us to re-evaluate the priorities of faith in Western society. The tragic events caused not only great human suffering at a personal level but also a recognition that money has an exalted place in capitalist society, the archaeological remains of Western society are its financial institutions. As Scripture from a variety of religious traditions teaches, those who love money more than ‘the other’ find themselves in a world with no friends. Injustice and inequality divide the world, more than religious or cultural identity, because of the ongoing human suffering that they provoke. St Francis offers a model of inter-religious dialogue in an era of crusades by offering peace and service to the stranger. In the end shared humanity needs to overcome unequal resource distribution and the ideological misuse of religion by fundamentalists of all traditions.