X-Men and the Catholic Response to Racism
There's a lot of animosity currently plaguing our country. Racial injustice, civil unrest, it seems that society is demanding we take a side. The aftermath from the murder of George Floyd has been devastating to our economy, our peace, and most of all our humanity. The topic of racism and police brutality has invoked strong reactions from nearly everyone. There is hatred, aggression, and violence on both sides of the issue. Even though as Catholics we know racism to be one of the great evils on our current age, many of us are unsure how to respond to such evil. We agree that to think less of someone based on the color of their skin is in direct violation of God's love but on the other hand so is extreme violence and anarchy. Of course, these are the two extremes of the spectrum but the question still remains, how are Catholics being asked to respond? The answer to this question we find in an unlikely place: the X-Men. It's a perfect commentary on racial interactions in society.
Magneto & Professor X
(Image by:Joanna-Vu: https://www.deviantart.com/joanna-vu/art/Days-of-Future-Past-474766492)
One of the recurring themes of the X-Men universe is the constant struggle of the two races: humans and mutants. Fear is the driving force behind both sides. The humans fear the mutants because of they are different and do not understand their power; likewise, the mutants fear the humans because of they are out numbered and thus have the power to oppress them. What inevitably results is a vicious cycle of mistrust and violence between the two races. Even within the mutant camp there are divisions based in the two philosophies of Magneto and Professor X.
Magneto views the mutant race as superior and holds a great deal of hatred towards the human race. But while many other humans and mutants may be quick to write Magneto off as a major super villain Professor X takes to time to understand Magneto's views even though he strongly disagrees with them. When we look into Magneto's backstory we find that his life has been filled with endless tragedy and hardship. A survivor of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp during the Jewish Holocaust, Magneto's life is plagued with countless experiences of persecution and injustice due to his mutation. All of this pain and violence has led him to believe that the humans cannot be trusted and the only way for the mutants to survive is to eradicate the human race. All he's ever know is fear and violence. The tragedy of Magneto is that he can never break away from the pain of his past.
Meanwhile Professor X believes the mutant and human races can live together in harmony despite their difference. One of the defining virtues of Professor X is his ability to see the good in all people and his refusal to believe anyone is beyond help. Despite the fact that they are both mutant, Professor X and Magneto become enemies. But what sets Professor X apart from Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants is while Magneto looks at the differences in their philosophies Professor X looks for their similarities. Professor X sees what make he and Magneto the same. Despite all the pain Magneto causes Professor X he always treats Magneto with dignity and respect. He takes the time to learn Magneto's troubled past, understands why Magneto greatly distrusts humans, and why he acts so violently towards them. He never agrees with Magneto's actions because Professor X sees the dignity in every person, both human and mutant, and believes all should be treated not based on their genetics but on their humanity alone.
Focusing on What Makes Us Human
One of my favorite scenes in all the X-Men movies is in X-Men: Days of Future Past. At the end of the film the 1Magneto infiltrates the Sentinel robots programed to target mutants and rewires them to target humans instead. He has the President Nixon and his cabinet surrounded and delivers a speech to the world about how the humans were right to fear mutants. As he threatens to kill the men standing before him the camera cuts back and from from Magneto to the distant future where an older version of Magneto and Professor X take one last stand against the Sentinels. Old Magneto tells Old Professor X he regrets fighting against him but was happy to be united in the end. Eventually 1973 Magneto is stopped by Mystique and the future versions of Magneto and Professor X survive as the timeline was erased of all Sentinels. The theme of the movie is that anyone can change their course to construct peace and harmony if they simply take the time to understand those that are different.Like Magneto we have a people in this country who are struggling to escape the pain of their past. The long history of the mistreatment of African Americans has led many of them to believe they cannot trust whites. Our country has made great strides in correcting these wrongs; yet, the fear of violence on from both Black and White Americans keeps us from breaking away from the past and healing relations between the two towards a better future.
Looking Through The Eyes of Jesus
(Image source: http://outsidethecitywalls.blogspot.com/2012/05/sacred-heart-of-jesus-i-trust-in-you.html)
So how do we respond to all the racial injustices that are plaguing our nation? We must have the mindset of Professor X because it is the mindset of Christ Jesus. Like Professor X, Jesus never judged someone based on their genetic make up, ethnicity, or even the content of their character. As evident in scripture, Jesus always interacts with people based on the human dignity given to them by God. He goes deeper than appearance he looks at the heart. "Do not consider his appearance of his height of stature for I have rejected him. For God sees not as man sees, for man only looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).We see Jesus look at the heart of every person when he interacts with lepers, prostitutes, and tax collectors. All of these groups were view as the lowest of the low and subhuman but Jesus was not afraid to meet them where they were and hear their perspective. He even sought out conversations with the Pharisees, the group of Jews whom he disagreed with and who wanted to kill him. Even though he was God, he first sought to understand before he was understood.
Likewise, we too must follow the advice of the apostle James, "everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires" (James 1:19-20). Just how Professor X teaches Magneto in Days of Future Past to focus what makes Humans and Mutants similar instead of what makes them different, we too must seek the similarities we hold between our neighbor first before we can even begin to respond. And the one thing we all have in common is our human dignity.
What Does It Mean To Have Human Dignity?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "the dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God" (CCC1700). In other words, since every person is made in the image and likeness of God every person has dignity just by the mere fact that they exist. Due to this "the dignity of the human person implies and requires uprightness of moral conscience" (CCC 1780). This moral conscience is "present at the heart of every person and enjoins him at the appropriate moment to do good and avoid evil. It also judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil" (CCC 1777).Right now we are seeing a nation respond not out of dignity and love for neighbor but out of emotion, fear, and pain. The fact everyone has responded so passionately to the racial issues is definitive proof that our moral consciences, although misguided in some cases, are formed out of the dignity that God has bestowed upon us. As Catholics it is are duty to remind the world of this fact. We are being called to sacrifice our pride, our anger, and our fear in order to love our neighbor. We must view every person as holding dignity, just like Professor X, just like Jesus Christ, and treat them for what they are: not black or white, not police officer or civilian but as dearly beloved children of God. If we can train ourselves to see as God sees, the heart of every person, then we can begin to heal those chained to fear and the pain of our past, then God can begin to heal us of the pain of our past and his peace will eradicate our fear uniting us as one nation.
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