Posted on 09/18/2006 12:38:40 PM PDT by gopwinsin04
The pope blinked.
He picked a fight with Islam. Then he gave Islam a victory.
All of this was unnecessary. Pope Benedict XVI, an erudite theologian, decided he needed to play an academic game with Islam. In furtherance of open dialogue between world religions, he decided it would be helpful to quote a 14th-century Byzantine emperor’s disparagement of Mohammad.
The Islamic world, apparently lacking the pope’s sophistication, responded violently. The Islamic world still operates on a 14th-century paradigm. In the Palestinian areas, Muslims started burning churches. Priests disappeared in Baghdad. There were Catholic priests still operating freely in Baghdad?A nun, a defenseless woman, was shot down in Somalia. There are nuns in Somalia?
The pope must have done the math. Perhaps the Vatican’s chief of missions came to him and said, "Excuse me, Your Eminence, about this speech," and explained exactly how many of the Catholic Church’s people doing good works out in the world may be martyred for the sake of Benedict’s academic musings.
So the pope blinked. He apologized for upsetting everyone. He stopped short of acknowledging that his choice of material might have been insulting, but for a pope, anything approaching apology is remarkable. And now the Muslims he needlessly inflamed have been handed a victory.
Don’t get me wrong.I don’t believe in kowtowing to Muslim sensitivities.I don’t care why they hate us.There are some things that need to be said to the Muslim world. The hatred regularly spewed in the Arab media, the perversion of Islam by extremists and the silence of Muslim political leaders is reprehensible. They have allowed their religion and their nations to be hijacked by monsters. Having spent years living among Muslims, having encountered Muslims moderate, irreverent and extreme, it disgusts me how their political leaders have allowed, out of political cowardice and opportunism, the most extremist elements of their society to lead them around by the nose.
I don’t believe the response to Islamic terrorism should be anything less than vigorous and merciless military action. I think Guantanamo, secret CIA prisons and harsh interrogation techniques that stop short of actual physical torture are not only effective, but legal. I think a narrow majority of United States Supreme Court justices were out of their mind when they ruled that terrorists should have the status of lawful combatants, and court trials. I have no problem with their indefinite detention. This war is far from over. I believe drumhead trials and summary execution for terror suspects, when captured as unlawful combatants on the battlefield, would send a message our 14th-century adversary could understand.
I also believe that our follow-on benevolence and generosity in the Muslim world has sent an important message that is resonating and showing the Islamic world a way out of the 14th century. It clearly disturbs our enemy, which is why they have responded by murdering their own people.
I don't think the Pope blinked. He acknowledged the response, then said that he's sorry they reacted that way.
Well, he also said the views expressed were not his.
Not a huge blink, maybe, but he did back down a little.
Well, for my opinion regarding the "moderate" Muslims, just read my sig line...
The Herald supports organized crime. They are evil incarnate. Since reporting that Bush was beating Dukakis in Massachusetts, they have tried desperately to out-flank the Globe to the left.
His Holiness (not His Eminence) knows exactly what he is doing and he is letting the Muslim world know just what he thinks of them.
He said (1) that he was quoting Emperor Manuel II and that he did not necessarily agree with the quote - he said in the lecture itself that the quote was "brusque" - and
(2) he regrets that the people who misinterpreted him behaved so poorly.
He did not apologize for giving the lecture he gave.
That isn't backing down, it's pointing out the obvious. He was quoting someone else and said so.
Personally, I think it was masterfully done. He quoted a Byzantine emperor to universalize his comments, pointed out that Islam is exactly as it has always been and then acknowledged Islam's response for what it was.
The press will seek to egg this on and add more gas to fire but the Pope was brilliant.
He said that in the very speech in which he mentioned those views. He hasn't gone back on the lecture - he reiterated what he said in the lecture.
I hope youre right!
What an ignorant person.
BTW, where is an outlet or outlets where we can voice our opinions to the Moslem world. I hear lots of moslem opinion, but there seems to be no way to tell them exactly what we think of them.
Nor did he verbalize what his personal views are. He certainly didn't indicate that he views Islam as a peaceful religion that has made any positive contribution to civilization.
If it's a "victory" then it's a Pyhrric victory. I don't know what it is but I haven't seen the maturity and violent tendencies of Muslims seriously discussed before among many liberals I know as it has been today. It's as if some of them have finally reached the end of their rope.
I thought the pope's response was good. He's sorry that the islamic world is made up of fanatic idiots who choose to misinterpret everything. hehehehehehe!!! Mohammed was, is and always will be a pedophile pig that should have been beheaded instead of idolized. Sheesh!
Correct on all counts.
Aaaa! This writer obviously didn't read the lecture.
It is amazing how many people feel like expressing strong opinions about what the Pope said on only second hand knowledge of what he said (usually second-hand knowledge obtained through Muslim extremists who also haven't read the lecture.)
I'm sure he blinked because he did not want anyone killed because of his comments. But, we all know he was right the first time.Radical Islam must be stopped.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.