The Pope's speech in Germany last week, in which he quoted a medieval ruler who said Muhammad's innovations were "evil and inhuman"
The Pope infers that Islam is evil and inhuman, then when his statements is challenged, he doesn't apologize for the statement, but only for the upset his statement has caused.
These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought."
If they did not express his personal thought, why were they included in his comments without a clear denunciation of the tone of the quote. His initial statement, and the clarifications that follow make it appear that this Pope does subscribe to this point of view.
It is beyond argument that some Muslims are evil and inhuman. The same can be said about some members of any faith. The history of the Catholic church is awash in actions that have to be considered evil and inhuman. It is highly flawed to consider any faith by the action of the most objectionable of those of claim their action are driven by their beliefs.
Just as Christians don't want to be defined by Matthew Hale or Godfrey of Bouillon, defining Islam by Bin Laden or any number of other radical Muslims is a mistake that a Pope should be wise enough to avoid.
And when his wisdom fails him, he should then have the grace to offer a sincere apology that clearly separates him from the statements of the past.
UPDATE
The other religious wacks speak out.
"you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. ... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose head tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (killed by) the sword."
Islam forbids drinking alcohol and requires non-Muslims to pay a head tax to safeguard their lives if conquered by Muslims.
The Pope has sure done a great job of raising the dialog of the religious debate between Islam and Christianity, hasn't he.
Tags
Islam Christianity Benedict XVI
4 comments:
Wouldn't they have been better off if they would've hired say, a good Lutheran to be the Pope?
The Pope, in a speech, references a dialog by a 14th century emperor that all Mohammad brought new was "evil and violence" and Islam responds with evil and violence.
Who would have thunk it?
Bad Pope. Bad.
But Islam didn't respond at all. Islam is a creed, not a body that can repond.
Now, some people, who claim to follow the Islamic faith did respond with anger ( I have not yet seen any evil or violence, but there is clearly capicity for it ), but the overwelming majority of Muslims did not.
Still some think that painting with a broad brush is a good idea.
I prefer to say that the Pope is ignorant. Because if he knew that Muslims believe in Jesus and the same one God of Christianity he would mention that instead.
Muslims believe that Jesus is a prophet of God as well as Muhammad. Moreover, they believe that the God is one.
It is really weird that he was talking about mind and religion. Is that praying to God without any “poker” a stupid idea?
If we believed that the God has created mankind is it difficult to believe in anything beyond our mind?
The Pope instead should have told Christians that Muslims do believe in all prophets of God (Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and all others sent by God to humans).
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