The Columbia, Nationality and Religion

[heidi]

I don't know why this bugged me, but it did.

This picture was on the front page of The Miami Herald yesterday morning. A cross, marking the place where they found remains of one of the Columbia crew, and flowers placed at its base.

Why a cross, when there's a 2 in 7 likelihood that the person whose remains were there was not a Christian? Ramon was Jewish, and as I understand it (Madhuri can correct me, I'm sure) Chawla was Hindu.

While I certainly respect the dedication of the searchers, who spent their time searching for something to be able to bring to the families of those killed, I can't help but find their mode of marking, well, problematic. I won't say offensive, because I am sure it wasn't done with any negative feelings, but possibly simply out of ignorance.

I've gone to churches before - I've gone to Catholic and Protestant-denomination funerals - but the marker where a Jewish man lays - or has laid - should not be designated with a cross.

It contrasted sharply in my mind this morning with the fact that NASA has made a concerted effort not to drape any of the coffins bearing remains with the US flag alone, as Ramon was an Israeli citizen. They, at this point, don't know whose remains are in those coffins, and the consideration shown is remarkable.

I just hope that even though the original intentions may have been good, if it's learned that Ramon's or Chawla's remains were at that location marked with the cross, that the cross is removed and replaced with something more appropriate.

Comments

[sternel.livejournal.com]

I agree, the marker should accurately reflect the beliefs and heritage of the person who so briefly rested there. But until that's determined, someone at least in that moment realized that *something* should be there. Perhaps it was a bit thoughtless. But perhaps, too, the person just didn't know what else to do. While I have left the church I was raised in, I catch myself very often falling back on the rituals without realizing it. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened here, and I have no doubt that something befitting that astronaut will be put up as soon as they determine who it was.

we're all learning. and it's the things like this that teach us.