Lehigh faith leaders share perspectives on justice

Despite their different religious backgrounds, four Lehigh faith leaders agree that justice is inherent to Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Rev. Dr.  Lloyd Steffen, Rabbi Steve Nathan, Imam Tariq Ameer and Father Stephan Isaac all spoke at “A Priest, a Rabbi, an Imam and a Minister sit down for a chat.” The event was organized by Lehigh’s Chaplain’s Office and the Center for Spirituality and Dialogue, to discuss what unites their respective religions amid current affairs.  

The panel, held in Linderman Library on Sept. 29, featured Steffen — the university chaplain, a religion professor in the Department of Religion, Culture and Society, and the director of the Lehigh Prison Project and the Dialogue Center — alongside the university’s three associate chaplains. 

Common themes of caring for one’s neighbor arose throughout the discussion. Ameer said that according to the Prophet Muhammad, one’s neighbor is not just the person living next door, but they can be as far as 40 houses away. 

“(If) a Muslim goes to sleep full and satiated while their neighbor goes to sleep hungry, he is not from among us,” Ameer said. 

Nathan compared the concept of neighbors in Islam to Judaism. He said a neighbor is not just a person who lives on either side of someone, rather all human beings must work to provide justice for one another.  

Isaac described a similar belief in Catholicism, agreeing with both Ameer and Nathan. He said that the word neighbor has a really expansive and broad definition.

Isaac then discussed the importance of justice and action, and how prudence is essential. He said Catholics would refer to the ability to exercise good judgement as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

“We can have these beliefs, but unless we put them into action, it’s really pointless,” Issac said.

Nathan said people should pursue justice regardless of personal beliefs. He said justice is not meant just for one’s neighbor, friend or family, but for everyone.  

Nathan also said it’s important to not prioritize someone just because one may know them better and that it’s important to treat everybody equally. 

Ameer said Islam teachings say everyone should stand up for justice, even when it goes against their own interests. He read a passage from the Qur’an warning to not let personal desires lead one away from justice. 

“All believers stand firm for justice as witnesses for God, even if it’s against your own selves, your parents or your close relatives, be they rich or poor,” Amber said. 

When the panel opened for questions, Chase Barrick, ‘28, asked how the leaders relate their ideas of civil justice to state actions in international relations or war.

Isaac said wealthier nations have a duty to help poorer ones because they have the resources to help others prosper. He said he recognizes that cultural differences shape the definitions of “helping” and “good,” which can differ across regions. 

Isaac said despite cultural differences, the rights of all people should not differ from one country to another, whether it be the rights of women, the right to life, the right to exist or the right not to be oppressed by the government.   

Nathan agreed, noting there is a back and forth between respecting the laws dictated by a government and the laws of Judaism. He said while Judaism emphasizes justice and equality, maintaining those values has been difficult for Jewish people as a minority group.

Ameer also agreed, adding that while peace is always the goal, whether war being justified as self-defense should be determined on a case-by-case basis. 

Barrick said he asked his question and attended the event because of his interest in religious studies and ecumenism, which is the promotion of unity among all Christian churches despite denominational differences. 

He also said he was interested in the event because of his interest in Just War Theory, which is an ethical framework used to determine when war is permissible.

Barrick said an important takeaway from the event was the necessity of “recognizing yourself in the other.” 

A virtual audience member asked about the most significant differences between the religions. Steffen said the question was best answered through a specific example and raised the topic of abortion. 

“Father (Isaac) comes from a tradition that has spoken from the highest voices in opposition to abortion,” Steffen said. “In Father (Isaac)’s tradition, women are not ordained to be priests.”

He compared this with his religious denomination, the United Church of Christ, which supports  reproductive rights and allows women to be ordained.  

“We believe that every human life from conception until natural death is precious and created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore is deserving of protection, equal protection, born and preborn,” Isaac said. 

He said while some individual Catholics support abortion rights, there’s only one official Catholic view on the issue of abortion, which is the pro-life belief that a fetus has a fundamental human right to life.

Nathan and Ameer shared similar answers. Nathan said in Judaism, a fetus is generally not considered a full life, though there are differing interpretations across Jewish movements. 

Ameer said while Islam does not permit abortion, opinions vary and reproductive decisions are often made based on specific circumstances. 

After the event, Steffen and Ameer both reflected on the relationship among the chaplains. Steffen said the faith leaders work together well despite their differences. 

Ameer also said the Chaplains are not able to host events together as often as they’d like. 

Steffen said he thinks it’s important for the chaplains to model civic engagement amid the rancor in the world that often occurs between religious people. 

Lehigh’s Chaplain’s Office regularly holds religious and educational events, providing students opportunities to explore and practice their faiths on campus.

“Hopefully this event allows for students to see that there are some very much shared commonalities (across our religions), but at the same time, even those differences are not something that I have to be afraid of,” Ameer said.