Posted on 05/10/2009 6:05:11 AM PDT by VRWCTexan
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Pope Benedict XVI .... calling for more understanding between Christians and Muslims.
He encouraged Christians and Muslims to oppose terrorism. "Muslims and Christians, precisely because of the burden of our common history, so often marked by misunderstanding, must today strive to be known and recognized as worshippers of God, faithful to prayer, eager to uphold and lift by the almighty decrees,"...
...At the mosque, in a meeting with Muslim leaders, he called for a "trilateral dialogue" including the Church to help bring Jews and Muslims together to discuss peace
(Excerpt) Read more at jta.org ...
Seems to me this is characteristic of the Roman Catholic approach to holiness through morality. The Muslims have a vigorous moral code, ergo they just need a little more guidance to get to the Kingdom of Heaven. (Never mind that that code is one twisted sister.)
Ben, please step away from the holy wine.
I just read the full text of the Pope’s address at the mosque in Jordan. He did NOT mince words. This is one courageous and deeply thoughtful Pope. He went into the heart of darkness and preached God’s word.
“...so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 NIV
If we see Muslims becoming Christians from that witness, I’d believe that this is what that is. Otherwise color me a doubting Thomas.
I get the sense that Muslims scoff at the Pope as much as they do at anything else in the Western world.
Good ! - Thanks
Outside of a man’s mind, how can more than one God exist?
If there truly is only one God, and a Christian and a Muslim and a Jew say a prayer, what happens?
What, the Pope is ragging us Christians about opposing terrorism now too? Well I guess I'll oppose it then.
Good for the Pope. Unlike our Muslim in chief capitulating to a potentate
What is so hard for him to understand? Islam dominates non-Muslims.
What a Muslim knows through his source of “revelation” is where the road forks. For the revelation received through the false prophet is at odds with the Way, the Truth, and the Life. While Islam mimics true religion in many aspects, it is an obvious counterfeit, inspired by hateful jealous spirits who are insane with the envy of our redemption and salvation.
So in summary, a Muslim does indeed worship the same God as Jews and Christians through natural theology, through the right use of his reason. While what he knows of God via false revelation is indeed false, and stands in contradiction to everything we know to be most true and beautiful about God.
Of course the Muslims scoff at the Pope. They have a chip on their shoulders and take offense at anything.
The Pope’s job, as is ours as Christians, is to speak the Truth in Love. It is God’s job to open hearts and ears and plant the seed, not ours, and not the Popes. How can we control THAT? And how can we measure it?
At some point the dust has to be shaken off the feet and the pearls ceased to be cast. Individual witnesses to individual Muslims may or may not proceed well, but “as a group” they take to it very unkindly.
Looks like someone forgot the purpose of the Great Commission: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Excellent summary!
I think this was essentially what the Pope was saying and why he was inviting them to consider reason. Interestingly, the Muslims seem to have realized this, and many of them are furious with his speech - they wanted an “apology,” which of course he would not and did not give them, and in fact he repeated much of the essence of the Regensburg lecture.
If a person, regardless of their faith or the name they use for God, prays for God’s help, who would hear them?
Could false god even exist, outside of someone’s mind?
Who created those people that believe in a false god?
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