Religion of Violence / Religion of Greed

Uber-megachurch pastor Joel Osteen may be the only person left who has not commented on the fallout from Pope Benedict's speech.  But the brand of the Gospel preached by Rev. Osteen -- little talk of sin, lots of talk of financial prosperity -- informs my reaction to the fallout; in particular, to any suggestion that the violence of some Muslims must be attributed to the faith tradition they proclaim. 

The fact that Rev. Osteen's congregation has become the largest in the nation, having taken over a major sports arena, tells us something about the state of American Christianity.  So does the fact that Time magazine saw fit to devote its current cover to the question, "Does God Want You to Be Rich?"  So does the fact that the vast majority of citizens in the most intensely consumer-driven society in history are quick to identify themselves as Christians. My intimate knowledge of greedy Christians (including myself) does not lead me to dismiss Christianity as a religion of greed.  It simply brings to mind G.K. Chesteron's famous saying, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried."

It is beyond dispute that a deplorable amount of violence in the world today is the work of Muslims.  And yes, many find explicit justification for their acts in certain passages of the Qur'an, just as many wealthy Christians grasp for more wealth while reciting "the Prayer of Jabez."  I'm not an expert on Islam by any stretch of the imagination (though I confess that I enjoyed Karen Armstrong's "Islam: A Short History"), but when I'm tempted to label Islam based on the headline-making work of its followers, I need to ask whether I'm ready to label my own faith based on similar criteria.

Rob