Posted on 05/09/2009 4:08:27 PM PDT by americanophile
AMMAN, Jordan, May 9 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI prayed Saturday at the King Hussein Mosque in the Jordanian capital Amman, Vatican officials said.
The trip to the mosque, the largest in Jordan, marked the second day of the pope's visit to the Middle East, the BBC reported.
Afterwards, Benedict addressed local Muslim leaders, observers said. Earlier in the day he visited Mount Nebo, which, according to the Bible, is where Moses saw the Promised Land before he died.
Vatican analysts said the pope is anxious to mend relations with Muslims and Jews on his eight-day sojourn to Israel and the West Bank, his first to the region as pontiff.
On Sunday, he is scheduled to celebrate an open-air mass at Wadi Kharrar on the east bank of the River Jordan -- the place where Christians believe Jesus was baptized. The next day, Benedict will go to Tel Aviv to begin four days in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, the BBC reported.
The Moslems put a mosque on what had been a Christian holy site. He prayed there because it was a Christian holy site, not because it was a mosque.
Note also the way the report says he’s so eager to repair relations with Moslems. You’ll note other reports cite that Moslem “moderates” are fuming that he hasn’t apologized for or rescinded his comments about Islam spreading by the sword.
>> I’m afraid he’s ushering in the AntiChrist <<
Then you’re the one with the problems.
Jesus hears us no matter where we are.
Even in a mosque.
That's not the point (I am making), but that to seek for acceptance from the world, or the Muslims or the Catholics even, is a sign of ecumenicalism that only furthers the cause of AntiChrist ... "See .. the Pope has no problem with this ... why should you?"
YOU might do that at a mosque. I have been inside the Dome of the Rock, and you can believe that I did not pray to the Muslim (faux) god.
The physical setting does not determine to whom one prays, does it? Then what about people in Auschwitz? Could they not pray to the Living God who was present in the midst of all that darkness?
I read that the Pope did not remove his shoes in the mosque, nor did he pray, but he remained quiet.
What is he doing in either a mosque or a synagogue? Since when do Popes go to mosques and synagogues?
Please keep in mind that he has flock there who are vulnerable to the whim of Islam.
Then where is the church militant, rather than the church brown-nosing.
...there’s a huge difference between praying to your God for deliverence when you’re a forced prisoner in a death camp, and voluntairly going to another religion’s house of worship and praying (which the Pope did not do).
It is moot. The distinction stands.
Turns out he didn’t pray there at all.
“That’s not the point (I am making), but that to seek for acceptance from the world, or the Muslims or the Catholics even, is a sign of ecumenicalism that only furthers the cause of AntiChrist ...”
While I understand your concern regarding too much Ecumenicalism. I don’t see this Pope seeking acceptance from the world or asking their advice on anything. I do see Obama et al though, use the “acceptance from the world” canard, to tear down everything we hold dear in this country.
In his quiet, direct manner, the Pope continues to send a message against religious and civilizational violence. He uses - a dialogue of cultures - not religion (because as we all know, they go into the ‘burn and kill mode’, when that happens) which places him on a more diplomatic level. When he was in Ankara he told them - The civil authorities of every democratic country are dutybound to guarantee the effective freedom of all believers, - and to permit them to organize freely the life of their religious communities. Read what he’s saying in Jordan - the message is consistent.
In staying on his message, Pope Benedict continues to demonstrate that even while healing and nurturing relationships, he can speak the truth in love. In so doing, he’s proving himself both a diplomat and a peacemaker. Now how many secularists are doing what he’s doing? None. I see them bowing and scraping into submissive genuflections - see Obama’s picture on that one - or how about Hilary’s visits to oppressive countries, where persecution is also rampant yet there’s nary a mention of it from her.
Did the Pope bow in submission? Did the Pope ignore their practice of violence and persecution? No. He stood in a mosque, wearing his Cross, with his shoes on and meditated for 30 secs, at the invitation of the imam. What on earth would one expect him to do? We’re taught to love our neighbor as our self - extremely difficult in this specific circumstance - but our Pope is following the teaching of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and NOT the anti-Christ. Believe it or not but Muslims do respect Judeo-Christians who actually follow their Holy Book which is why they tolerate them living their at all.
What does the Bible say?
St. Paul did it in Greece at the Aereopagus. See Acts 17:22-23:
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: 6 You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious.
23
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, To an Unknown God. 7 What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
“Sorry, I just realized I gave you a new name by calling you OPUSFR.”
That’s ok. I am just floored by the disrepect shown the Pontiff by those who refer to Benedict’s outreach as “brown-nosing.”
I suppose throwing a flaming brand into the mosque and starting a war is just the thing they would do.
Of course, I don’t see anyone else telling the Islamic world they must respect Christianity and Judaism right inside the mosque itself. Nor do I see anyone else attempting to protect the Christians there.
For all the security, Benedict is taking a huge personal risk by setting foot in the ME.
Time to shake the dust off this thread.
Did some men listen and some men mock?
Did some follow the Pope after his denouncement of Allah?
Paul did not say, "Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: 6 You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious."
He said,
"v22 ... Then Paul stood IN THE MIDST of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitios." Which, acording to Strongs' the reference translated 'superstitious' is towards ba'al worship.
A big difference from being religious.
“Has the Pope denounced Mohamad as a false prophet to the Muslims in their mosque, by proclaiming Jesus as the Christ, the true only begotten son of God, crucified and risen?
Did some men listen and some men mock?
Did some follow the Pope after his denouncement of Allah?”
LOL
“Paul did not say, “Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: 6 You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious.”
He said,
“v22 ... Then Paul stood IN THE MIDST of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitios.” Which, acording to Strongs’ the reference translated ‘superstitious’ is towards ba’al worship.
A big difference from being religious.”
I didn’t look up a specific Bible and I’m not getting into it with you. See -
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=You+Athenians%2C+I+see+that+in+every+respect+you+are+very+religious.&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz2
Over and out...
Great points Opus. Yes, I’m going to shake the dust off here as well. :)
The distinction without a difference?
Whatever you say.
The Pope prayed to God at the mosque, not to Satan (aka a lllah). Ergo, the place should now be sanctified as a Church.
The Pope prayed to God at the mosque, not to Satan (aka a lllah). Ergo, the place should now be sanctified as a Church.
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