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."
Or was it a JOOOOOOOO?
It's always the Jooooooooos!!!!
I concur. Laura Ingrham has been discussing it all morning. I believe I mentioned it.
"Thank goodness the Catholics protected the Bible so that you have one to read."
ahh. Well then thank you for your library. The Gospels were not invented by the Catholics.
I hear that nonsense all of the time like somehow that absolves Catholicsm from the evils of interpretation it purveys.
It is not the responsibility of the Catholic clergy to tell me how to interpret the Bible.
I will not be spiritually subvervient to any man (who are sinners) as required by the Catholic church.
Men are too weak to have such authority.
Seek Christ for yourself. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your studies of the Gospels and let His words speak to you as an individual and a saint, and a disciple, of Christ.
I have a copy of the book, yes it is outstanding.
How enraged are they? Are they doing violence, maybe cutting themselves and flogging.
Viva il Papa!
I'm glad he's been candid and well seen and heard!
"Thank you."
Your welcome.
The difference between Judaism, Christianity and Islam is as follows: Judaism speaks about national salvation - namely that at the end of the story, when the world becomes a better place, Israel will be in its own land, ruled by its own king and serving God. Christianity speaks about the idea that every single person in the world can be saved from his sins, while Islam speaks about ruling the world. I can quote here in Arabic, but there is no point in quoting Arabic, so let me quote a verse in English: ‘Allah sent Mohammed with the true religion so that it should rule over all the religions.’
The idea, then, is not that the whole world would will necessarily become Moslem at this time, but that the whole world would be subdued under the rule of Islam. That is the plan, in black-and-white, of the Iranian regime.
This is why [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad seeks nuclear weapons. The faster we realize this the better.
600 years later,,,,,
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE!
I would be truly surprised if every single one of those young men were not NOT also throughly trained in hand to hand and weapons qulaified with all kinds of Good Toys. There are probably 20 of them patrolling in plains-clothes, or nearby in full tactical gear, for every one carrying a halberd (and I sure wouldn't want to face a halberd in the hands of someone who knows how to use it)
Good insight. How is it that you are fluent in the language? Why is it that they cannot see their being the religion of hate? Did they agree with Hitler?
Let me get this straight... these Muslim "scholars and clerics" want Pope Benedict to apologize for what Manuel II was quoted as saying back in the 14th century? The Muslims should've taken it up with him at the time. Nonetheless, I admire Pope Benedict's comments. It's enough to make you want to turn Catholic. ;-D
Not even in a suit of armor!
Qaradawi is unhappy that the pope dare contradict his position on the use of violence As to what the pope said about Mohammed, he said nothing. He only quoted the emperor, implying of course that Muslims had resorted to such violence since the beginning, a historical truth that Muslims want us to forget.
But actually, I was being serious. Your analysis of the situation with regard to the two religions illuminates that there is another front in the WOT besides the military one. I see this as the Pope opening up that other front. The Pope, to me, is saying that, 'We (Muslims and Christians) need to have an "intellectual" battle regarding use of force in the name of religion. I, by this speech, have initiated the "intellectual battle", now "Bring it on!"
It will be even clearer that the Pope has launched this "intellectual battle" when the MSM begin to attack him for making the statement. You will see comments like, "Why did the Pope say this? It gained nothing. It will only infuriate people that we cannot afford to upset right now."
I cannot tell what exactly the muslims are upset about. Surely it cannot be the historically factual statements about how islam spread or Mohammed's injunctions in the koran to spread islam by violence.
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