Posted on 05/14/2004 10:17:14 AM PDT by Campion
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican (news - web sites) warned Catholic women on Friday to think hard before marrying a Muslim and urged Muslims to show more respect for human rights, gender equality and democracy.
Calling women "the least protected member of the Muslim family," it spoke of the "bitter experience" western Catholics had with Muslim husbands, especially if they married outside the Islamic world and later moved to his country of origin.
The comments in a document about migrants around the world were preceded by remarks about points of agreement between Christians and Muslims but they seemed likely to fuel mistrust between the world's two largest religions.
The document said the Church discouraged marriages between believers in traditionally Catholic countries and non-Christian migrants.
It hoped Muslims would show "a growing awareness that fundamental liberties, the inviolable rights of the person, the equal dignity of man and woman, the democratic principle of government and the healthy lay character of the state are principles that cannot be surrendered."
When a Catholic woman and Muslim man wanted to marry, it said, "bitter experience teaches us that a particularly careful and in-depth preparation is called for."
It said one possible problem was with Muslim in-laws and advised future mothers that they must insist on Church policy that children born of a mixed marriage be baptized and brought up as Catholics.
If the marriage is registered in the consulate of a Muslim country, the document said, the Catholic must be careful not to sign a document or swear an oath including the shahada, the Islamic profession of faith, which would amount to converting.
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
The document highlighted the contrasting approaches the Vatican has taken in recent years toward Islam, which has emerged as a strong rival for souls, especially in Africa.
Pope John Paul (news - web sites) has broken ground in dialogue with Muslims and even prayed in a mosque in Damascus. He won plaudits in the Muslim world for his strong opposition to the Iraq (news - web sites) war.
But Vatican officials and leading Catholic prelates have expressed increasingly critical views about the spread of Islam and the challenge this poses for Catholicism.
The Vatican's top theologian, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said earlier this week the West "no longer loves itself" and so was unable to respond to the challenge of Islam, which was growing because it expressed "greater spiritual energy."
The migration document also discouraged churches from letting non-Christians use their places of worship.
This issue arose last month when Muslims in Spain asked to be able to pray in Cordoba cathedral, which was once a mosque. A senior Vatican official said this would be "problematic."
As you can see I wasn't limiting it to this, but to other threads and articles you've posted.
The "I look at you Catholics as my mission field - my cross to bear" comment is indicative of the attitude of condescension. It's insulting, particularly from someone with so little knowledge, much less appreciation, of Catholicism and of the great work of this Pope.
I don't think anything I've said was an attack.
Call it criticism, opposition, whatever you wish; the point is still the same:
When our passion is focused so strongly on criticising others, on what we oppose, then what we are for is lost and devalued.
When you criticise - with such ignorance - my faith and all it has done for me and millions of others you only make me appreciate it more. And you make even more clear to me that whatever religious teaching motivates you to this effort, I am grateful not to be part of.
It's up to God to use me if He so desires.
Even in ways you do not intend. And for that I can be grateful.
From now on I will try to refrain from making quipping comments in responding to Catholics. I didnt realize there wasnt a patron saint of humor.
"When you criticize - with such ignorance - my faith and all it has done for me and millions of others you only make me appreciate it more.
I don't question yours or any other Christian's faith. Thats not my job. I do criticize leaders who fail to properly lead their flocks. I happen to think the Pope is in error in saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God. You must believe he's correct. I guess I must be ignorant of Catholic teaching since I dont recall any such teaching.
Most Catholics dont like to criticize the Pope regardless of whether hes right or wrong. This is what makes you a great Catholic.
If this includes condecension, thank you.
I don't question yours or any other Christian's faith.
I was using "faith" defined as: the body of teaching, dogma and doctrine of a religion.
I do criticize leaders who fail to properly lead their flocks.
I must have missed your posts concerning your own leadership. Perhaps you will post their writings comparable to Evangelium Vitae or Fides et Ratio so we can properly contrast the quality of the bodies of work of both our church's current leaders. I'm sure I can count on you for this.
I happen to think the Pope is in error in saying
You will forgive me if I don't look to HarleyD and his sources for accurate knowledge and understanding of this pope's teaching.
I guess I must be ignorant of Catholic teaching
If your comments on this site concerning Theotokos, the trinity and hypostatic union, the doctrine of infallibility and sola fide/sola scriptura are examples, then your statement above is true and includes ignorance of the creeds of orthodox Christianity as well. Maybe you'll consider joining me on the sidelines during serious apologetics discussions.
Most Catholics dont like to criticize the Pope regardless of whether hes right or wrong. This is what makes you a great Catholic.
This is either another joke, more condecension or another example of ignorance. You pick.
You have others?
You must have.
A beautiful document. You may wish to send a copy to Catholics for Choice
You must have. [ missed your posts concerning your own leadership ]
Perhaps you could point me to them. Who are they anyway and what is your church?
Evangelium Vitae A beautiful document. You may wish to send a copy to Catholics for Choice
Cute. What opus shall I send them from your church's leader?
No. I'm bored today. I'm just yanking your chain. :O)
But you'll be delighted to know that I read through the Evangelium Vitae.
"Perhaps you could point me to them. [posts on my church leaders]"
Yikes! You don't really expect me to go through all these posts do you? If you do a search on Poster by HarleyD you will find some.
Who are they anyway and what is your church?
Now you sound like the Captain of the Guards quizzing Hans Solo in the prison chamber.
I attend a Southern Baptist church but I'm a Reformed Baptist holding a Calvinistic viewpoint. (I'm part of the GRPL) I enjoy John MacArthur's and would say my viewpoints follows his interpretations the closes. Since Protestants don't have a formal Pope here is a link to John MacArthur's views on Abortion
Is all of this consistent and in conformity with the principles of the church you belong to?
I enjoy John MacArthur's and would say my viewpoints
Same question, and is he a leader of the church you belong to?
The reason I attend the Southern Baptist church is because it was one of the few churches in the liberal area we live in that actually taught Bible memorization and preached from the Bible. There's more commonality in Protestant churches than the Catholics like to give us credit for.
BTW-Judging from the quickness of response I take it you didn't read the sermon. It's not as elequent as your version but it gets the point across.
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