STUDY ISLAM, POPE TELLS CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

DeutschePresse via Bloomberg no url | 11/29/02

[NativeNewYorker]

Vatican City (dpa) - Pope John Paul II urged Catholic scholars to pay more attention to Islam, Buddhism and other religions Friday, saying better knowledge could foster inter-religious dialogue during ``these difficult times.''

Addressing academics gathered to celebrate the 375th anniversary of the Ponteficia Universita' Urbaniana, a Roman Catholic University in Rome, the pope said it would be ``desirable if the university distinguished itself from other educational establishments in Rome and paid special attention to other cultures and great worldly religions, starting with Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.''

Studying other cultures and religions would help dialogue at a time when ``a clash of civilisation appears, at times, inevitable.''

``Violence, terrorism and war only build walls among people,'' the pope said, ``your university is a school of universality.''

[Momaw Nadon]

Is this from The Onion?

[thinktwice]

Will Heaven forbid Catholics going to war to defend the faith?

[sheik yerbouty]

I think the pontiff is slippin'.

[onedoug]

Pacificism facilitates evil.

[per loin]

Western scholars need to study Islam from an adversarial viewpoint, and develop the "knowledge base" needed in the ongoing war with Islamic propagandists.

[CARepubGal]

Bingo!

[Dajjal]

ping

[KKing]

I can't understand why so many waste time trying to get the Infidels (that would be me and other non-Muslims) to understand Islam?

This article is all I needed to read about Islam

Yeah... its a bit biased, but he does back up the facts with Quran and Hadith passages.

[pgkdan]

pay more attention to Islam, Buddhism and other religions Friday, saying better knowledge could foster inter-religious dialogue during ``these difficult times.''

I don't understand this garbage at all. Why do we need "inter-religious" dialogue at all? I thought we were supposed to bring them the Good News and evangelise them, I didn't think we were supposed to dialogue.

[Aquinasfan]

I thought we were supposed to bring them the Good News and evangelise them, I didn't think we were supposed to dialogue.

Do you know how to evangelize people without engaging in dialogue?

[Askel5]

And it doesn't hurt to read up on what some -- like Chesterton on Buddhism or Belloc on Islam -- have to say in the process.

The Western Energy that Dethrones Tyrants

[EaglesUpForever]

The Pope and Bush agree on this: give Islam every last benefit of the doubt. We managed to coexist for 50 years with Saudi Arabia, we shouldn't let the worst elements destroy all contact.

That said, I'm always astounded how seemingly naive our leaders are towards Islam.

[chnsmok]

Thanks.

[Palladin]

That does it for me. The old guy is senile. He's being propped up by aides and mouthpieces, like Strom Thurmond.

What ever happened to the doctrine that the Catholic Church is the one, true, holy, universal, and apostolic church? When did the world's "other great religions" achieve equal status?

[Palladin]

'Moderate' Muslims need to step up

A growing conflict between some conservative Christian leaders and the Bush administration over whether Islam is a "peaceful religion" or a militaristic faith with designs on world domination is threatening the cozy relationship between the White House and some of its most loyal supporters.

Conservative Christians are not about to stop supporting the president, but they are disturbed that he keeps saying things about Islam they do not believe are true and, in their hearts, do not believe he believes.


Paul Weyrich, a longtime conservative political force in Washington, has co-authored an essay called "Why Islam Is a Threat to America and the West." In it, he quotes extensively from the Koran and rebuts the president's contention that this "great religion" is mostly peaceful: " … the real nature of Islam is a religion of war and conquest. Those who argue that the threat comes only from 'Islamic fundamentalism' or 'Islamic extremism' misportray the nature of Islam itself.

War against the unbeliever is as central a doctrine and practice of Islam as the Virgin Birth, the Trinity and Christ's Resurrection are central to Christianity. Islam cannot abandon jihad and remain Islam. The word 'Islam' does not mean 'peace,' it means 'submission.'"


Weyrich also notes that more Christians are being martyred today than at the height of the Roman persecutions, and "most of them are dying at the hands of Islam."


One can sympathize with the dilemma faced by President Bush. He needs some cover in the Muslim world in order to prosecute the war on terrorism. But he also needs to forearm Americans by warning them about the intentions of our enemies.


There is a way of doing this without getting into a theological argument similar to the unanswerable question about the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin. The theological battle must be taken to the Muslim world.


The president should consider calling for "moderate" Muslims to clean up their own house. Such demands are being made by Roman Catholic laity on their hierarchy in the wake of priests alleged to have sexually abused children. The president should ask Muslim political and theological leaders to go after their own, if they are, indeed, misrepresenting "true" Islam. We should not have to clean up after the mess they have made.


The problem in the Muslim world is not only theological. It is also the failure of governments to meet minimal human needs. Despite massive infusions of petro dollars, most people in nations run by Muslim authoritarians are poor and illiterate. Their poverty is not the fault of the West. As with the Cold War, dictators change the subject and blame their people's misery on "outsiders" and the rich nations of the West. If people realize they have been robbed of enjoying a real life, not by America, but by their own political and theological leaders, the people might overthrow those leaders. That is why they seek to keep their people in intellectual, theological and political bondage - so they can remain in power and live well.


In his essay, Weyrich worries about "fourth generational warfare," which means that war will no longer be determined by states but by cultural and other concerns. And he worries much about "invasion by immigration." Just as the Palestinians want to undermine Israel from within through homicide bombings and a "right of return" that would flood the nation with people determined to bring down the Israeli government and kick out all Jews, so, too, does Weyrich believe America's enemies have placed their fanatical warriors in this country to eventually wreak havoc and destabilize our economy and political system. That is a stated goal of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda organization.


Pressuring "responsible" Muslim leaders to police their own house will help in two ways. If they do it, it will demonstrate there are true moderates who believe in pluralism and tolerance. If they don't, it will expose their real motives. Either way, Americans will benefit.

[txzman]

This makes perfect sense. They don't study the Bible, so there is lots of time for other reading.

Many Catholics may be different, but all I have seen is a long downward spiral from when I left the RCC at 16. My faith and religious life are joyous today, but with no credit due the Catholic Church where I spent 16 years in school and study.

[Palladin]

Oops! I accidentally cut off Cal Thomas's byline. But of course, you probably all knew this was from Cal, who is one good Christian conservative who understands what "Islam" is all about. Cal could teach the Pope a few things!