'But if the salt'

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Notes: The author, a priest from the diocese of Quebec, reflects on a visit he made to the site of Auschwitz-Birkenau where he saw the cement block foundation of the camp barracks. "The bricks that make up those foundations, that build our society's capacity for mass murder, do not spring up overnight. They are laid gradually through many small actions and omissions of action -- ancient prejudices we fail to question, careless generalizations spoken to a friend, a family member or fellow practitioner whose discriminatory perspectives we will not confront. Over time, these acts and these failures to act accrue and solidify. They form the foundation upon which greater works of darkness can stand. In the aftermath of January's massacre at Quebec City's Grand Mosque, much has been said about the role that the media and identity-politicking politicians have played in cultivating a public discourse where discriminatory rhetoric is normalized and where violent acts become thinkable. It is right that this is so". "In the aftermath of such horrific violence, it is cathartic for us to repeat the words, 'Never again'. As time passes, as the outward appearance of those hateful acts seems to rot away, we may be tempted to believe that this evil has been closed down and emptied out. But it happened. It can happen. It can happen again".

Subjects: Good and evil; Good and evil - Anglican Church of Canada; Prejudices; Islamophobia - Canada; Islamophobia - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Mass murder - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Mass murder- Quebec (Province) - Quebec City; Violence - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada