How far am I responsible for hundred-year-old crimes committed by people not my coreligionists in a place that neither I nor any relative of mine has ever been?
The Canadian Residential Schools are in the news again. The remains of 215 children have been uncovered at a Roman Catholic-run school in Kamloops, British Columbia. So far, as I understand it, no cause of death has been established. So it’s too early to deal out condemnation. But in the current cultural climate, we can see where the discussion will be headed.
Apart from the fact that the Residential Schools operated in Canada, I have no connection whatsoever to them. Like many Canadians, I come from 20th-century immigrant stock. Three of my grandparents were immigrants to Canada, one arriving from the Netherlands in the 1930s, and two from Germany in the 1950s. My Canadian-born grandfather was from an old Nova Scotian family, just about as far away as you could get from the Residential Schools (most of which were in the West).
I want to consider this question biblically, remaining wary of the pitfalls of such things as Critical Race Theory, and also of any reactionism against it.
Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Previous governments of the country I belong to have committed great wrongs, yes. I am not personally guilty of any of the crimes committed, but I ought to feel broken-hearted and even ashamed over them. Their crimes stand as a testament to the sinfulness of man and the degree to which sin has taken hold in my country. Similarly, I am broken-hearted and ashamed over the wrongs my country commits today. That list is long indeed.
Also, where there have been historical wrongs committed, while it is not reasonable to always expect a righting of wrongs, gestures of apology are certainly appropriate, and, where possible, we can perhaps hope to see something more substantial (such as commitments to restore traditional languages, or funding to develop infrastructure).
Any help thinking through this would be much appreciated.
The Canadian Residential Schools are in the news again. The remains of 215 children have been uncovered at a Roman Catholic-run school in Kamloops, British Columbia. So far, as I understand it, no cause of death has been established. So it’s too early to deal out condemnation. But in the current cultural climate, we can see where the discussion will be headed.
Apart from the fact that the Residential Schools operated in Canada, I have no connection whatsoever to them. Like many Canadians, I come from 20th-century immigrant stock. Three of my grandparents were immigrants to Canada, one arriving from the Netherlands in the 1930s, and two from Germany in the 1950s. My Canadian-born grandfather was from an old Nova Scotian family, just about as far away as you could get from the Residential Schools (most of which were in the West).
I want to consider this question biblically, remaining wary of the pitfalls of such things as Critical Race Theory, and also of any reactionism against it.
Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Previous governments of the country I belong to have committed great wrongs, yes. I am not personally guilty of any of the crimes committed, but I ought to feel broken-hearted and even ashamed over them. Their crimes stand as a testament to the sinfulness of man and the degree to which sin has taken hold in my country. Similarly, I am broken-hearted and ashamed over the wrongs my country commits today. That list is long indeed.
Also, where there have been historical wrongs committed, while it is not reasonable to always expect a righting of wrongs, gestures of apology are certainly appropriate, and, where possible, we can perhaps hope to see something more substantial (such as commitments to restore traditional languages, or funding to develop infrastructure).
Any help thinking through this would be much appreciated.