Posted on 09/15/2006 7:40:18 AM PDT by Froufrou
Religious scholars and clerics across the Middle East are raging about Pope Benedict XVI's comments on Islam, which he made during a speech in Germany this week. Some are demanding that the pope apologize to the world's Muslims.
This is the latest of a series of rows over non-Muslims' views on Islam, although previous arguments have involved less prominent individuals than the head of the Roman Catholic Church, whom Catholics see as the direct spiritual descendant of the Apostle Peter - and whom some regard as God's representative on earth.
From the Egyptian Brotherhood in Egypt to Islamist clerics in the Gulf, from shari'a judges in Lebanon to top religious figures in Turkey, senior Muslims have criticized the pope's speech at the University of Regensburg in Bavaria on Tuesday.
Some have called on Muslim governments to sever ties with the Holy See and to expel Vatican representatives from their countries. A scheduled papal tour to Turkey in November also is drawing flak.
It's not clear whether critics who have slammed the pope have read the full transcript of his 3,700-word address, but what they have seen or heard is enough.
Specifically, Pope Benedict cited a 14th century discussion on Islam and Christianity between a learned Persian and the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus.
He quoted the emperor as saying to the Persian, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
The pope told his academic audience that Emperor Manuel II had then explained why spreading faith through violence was unreasonable, that "violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul."
He also quoted the emperor as saying, "Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats ... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death ..."
In his scholarly discourse, the pope said Manuel II had argued that it was "unreasonable" to spread faith through violence.
Benedict spoke at some length about God being "reasonable." Quoting the verse from John's gospel in which John writes "In the beginning was the Word," he noted that the Greek word for "Word" - logos - also means "reason."
"John thus spoke the final word on the biblical concept of God," the pope said.
He concluded by saying that Christians invited "our partners in the dialogue of cultures" to reason.
The translation of the full text of the speech, as prepared for delivery, has been made available by the Vatican.
A Vatican spokesman said Thursday the pope wanted to "cultivate an attitude of respect and dialogue toward other religions and cultures - obviously toward Islam too"
"What is at the pope's heart is a clear and radical refusal of the religious motivation of violence," said spokesman Federico Lombardi.
Among those condemning the pope's words about violence and Islam were the head of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization based in numerous Arab countries which gave birth to the Hamas terrorist group in the Palestinian territories.
The pope also was criticized by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian-born scholar based in Qatar and regarded as the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. Qaradawi has come under fire for praising Palestinian suicide bombers and for calling on Muslims to fight against U.S. forces in Iraq.
Qaradawi was quoted as telling al-Jazeera television that the pope should "apologize to the Muslim nation for insulting its religion, its prophet and its beliefs."
seriously.
I'm curious about how you make these connection.
I would hope you would elaborate.
Thank you in advance.
The link between the KT and Switzerland is well documented and not secret at all. There are huge statutes to the KT in Swizterland in basically every town square.
I don't know if you recall the history, but the King of France owed the KT a bunch of money. The KT were vulnerable at that time because they jsut lost a major battle to the Muzzies. The pope was similarly in a bind and living in Paris.
The pope was a nice guy, but weak, and the King pressured him into allowing "examinations" (torture) of the KT leadership. They tortured out some B.S. that was subsequently recanted publically, but the damage was done, and the King had an excuse to order a round-up of the KT one Friday the 13th.
(The RCC has since apologized for this and admits it screwed up, BTW. The confessions were clearly B.S.)
Anyway the KT were tipped off, presumably by people in the RCC, and largely scattered. The fleet went to Scotland and mixed in with a powerful trade union of the time that happened to be bankrolling a rebellion -- the brick masons union, which we now know as the York Rite Freemasons (NOT the Scottish Rite, incidently, they're French.)
One group went to Portugal and became the Knights of Christ.
And the last group went to a local disputed mountain area. Just so happens that the same French King who just pissed off the KT wanted those mountains for his own. Well, he was met by calvary and the farmers had been organized into modern troops. The French were soundly defeated.
The knights in the mountain group were wearing the KT uniform (either the white on red or red on white. Red on white was for the "officers.")
Suddenly also banks sprung up there. The KT were, at heart, bankers. They developed a system of cyphers that were essentially travelers' checks that pilgrims could safely carry to the Holy Land and only they could use by use of secret number.
And thus the KT founded Switzerland.
And provide the Swiss guards today to the pope, all being forgiven on both sides.
(The bit about the Int. Red Cross is a coincidence; although the founder (a York Rite Mason, himself) no doubt drew on the symbol on purpose.)
could you provide any citations?
Thanks
huh?? of course not, we all interpret it, individually, personally as guided by the Spirit. We also have Bible Study adn Pastors who do lead us, but we learn together, we are not dictated to, and we are free to find the fellowship/church/pastor that is right for us.
I study many different Bibles and read many, different interpretations. I research original translations. I benefit from the ideas and concepts of many.
In Bible study we debate, and exchange opinions about the meanings of different passages and how they apply to our lives.
Exactly. Think of it as a sort of late-medieval can opener.
I am not forcing you to accept my interpretations, I am informing you of my beliefs.
I expect you to only follow your belief. I do not judge your eternal salvation, I cannot.
I am glad you are a believer.
BTW: I believe the original men who did the original writing of the Bible and later translations were divinely inspired.
I can think of two items that would NOT go in the blank:
WTC Bombings; and
Rocket attacks on Israeli schools using rockets loaded with ball bearings.
I had someone ask me a question I really couldn't answer. I don't really know the persons politics because I never ask people that.
And I quote: "Has there ever been an army that did not kill in the name of God? A war not fought in the name of God? If it is OK to kill in the name of one God, why not in the name of any God?"
They want to kill us all. I want to kill all of them first. Questions?
This is historically inaccurate:
From your Google search:
THM: Thank you for talking with us Alan. Since this is a long distance call, let me cut to the chase. You are the co-author of a book, which puts forth a new theory regarding where the Knights Templar went after their suppression. You claim that place was Switzerland. Did the Templars found Switzerland?
Butler: Well of course if you really want to know the ins and outs of this conundrum you will have to read The Warriors and the Bankers, written by Stephen Dafoe and myself.
For the real history of Switzerland:
Thank you, Opus.
Thank you, coon2000.
Muslims have been blowing up Christian churches for as long as I've been noticing. It's just that you rarely ever hear about the attacks in the news.
Of course we all know that in the Bible, Jesus says,"Thou art Peter, and upon thy profession of faith, I wilt build my church...."
What man who stands between you and God taught you that?
The outrage is stupid.
Muslim rage is not relevant to me.
As a matter of fact, Mark Levin said something very similar tonight. :o)
The Pope and the Catholic church do not lead Christianity, they are not the representives for all Christianity. They are a cultish organization that claims for themselves divine authority over men. Nowhere in the Bible does it grant men such authority.Can some of my learned friends here help Mister Felton understand his error?
Ping. :)
See #154.
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