Criminal Response

I am really skeptical (sp?) about the Vatican and the church in general, but having said that I absolutely adored Jean Paul. I was dissapointed to learn that Razinger would be the new Pope, but everything happens for a reason.

About his comments, I have been thinking about it for the last few days. Yes he meant to say what he said. But I do not think he purposely meant to offend. No one can deny Islam glorious past in the middle ages, not only it did not bring evil, but brought enlightment and progress. But today it would seem a different matter. I think his words should have been: Show me what Islam is bringing today that is not evil. It would have been a great chance for muslims to show to the catholic world that it can still bring enlightment and progress as well as it did centuries ago.

Pope John Paul I felt, and even though I am not a Catholic, had really re-awakened catholiscism around the world and even amongst the youth (which nowadays pose the biggest challenge). He was diplomatic on diverse issues and tried to make this earth a much more peaceful place. He was what one would expect for a Modern day pope.

Meanwhile, Pope Benedict is highly conservative and is commonly publicizing pervocative inflammatory comments/statements ie. the Islam subject, Canadians and their liberalism, etc. He is once again shutting Catholiscism back into it's little corner where it's philosphies will be ignored and once again slowly abandoned.

The Catholic rejuvantion ,and all of it's merits, of Pope John Paul seem to unfortunately be dying right before our eyes.

Not being a Chrisitan I could honestly admit that for the most part pope John Paul was a postive influence in our day and in our world.

Actually there is a really interesting article in the Newsweek magazine about it: "Meacham: The Pope and islam". I wish I could just drop a link here but I cannot find it on the internet.

So, I will copy-type some sentences:

..."why did Benedict quote the emperor in the first place? The most likely answer is that, no matter what the Vatican says now, the pope believes in having what the Catholic theologian and papal biographer George Weigel calls 'a hard-headed conversation' about the role of faith in the life of the worl. "He knew exactly what he was doing" says Weigel. 'He is saying that irrational is displeasing to God. THe question Benedict is putting on the table is:'Does a significant part of Islam have the capacity to be self-critical?'

...but the pope must have known what his words would carry. And by speaking of jihad without alluding to christianity's dark history of violence in the name of God -the Crusades. forced conversions, pogroms, the Inquisition, Benedict seemed to be denouncing Islame while failing to acknowledged that any religion, including his own, can be manipulated and perverted to evil ends.

...Going forward, the pope could usefully consult the words of another powerful Christian leader:"And given that Islam and Christianity worship the one God, Creator of heaven and earth, there is ample room for agreement and cooperation between them", the leader said three months after September 11. "A clash ensues only when Islam or Christianity is misconstrued or manipulated for political or ideological ends'. The leader? John Paul."

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1536861,00.html

Pope comments on how Islam is founded on violence.

Islamists unhappy, demand full apology + retraction of what was stated.

Pope did not apologize, he said 'I'm sorry that this speech hurted Muslim' not 'I am sorry and I don't mean what I said' and that what muslim wanted to hear from him which is their right.

Qaradawi has called for a Day of Anger.

The Day of Anger seems to be something of a steam valve. Or maybe he doesn't want to feel left out of the race to make political statements. Yes I'm sure someone will come out to say "Hey. he's really angry" but how about channelling those energies into something positive like organizing a day for Islamic art or even just calling on Muslims to physically go and protect churches in the areas they're being attacked in just by sitting in front of them.

The attitude and posts of venom and ars_al2000 (in the now deleted post) are nothing but inciteful to hatred and ignorant.

I do not beleive the Pope's comments were taken out of context. I read them in full the day they came out. He was quoting an old text. Fine. But he could have quoted from thousands of other less controversial texts and didn't. Why this text that is so potentially inflammatory? A blind man can see it.

He is not just an ecclesiastical persona, he is also a political figure of the highest stature. Did he mean to slight Islam and the Prophet Muhammad? I still like to believe not and give him the benefit of the doubt. I think he shot himself in the foot and he should've known better.

And I think Muslims should expressive themselves in a positive manner rather than the negative of burning effigies, treading on flags, etc..

Here's how I see the whole incident -

Pope comments on how Islam is founded on violence.

Islamists unhappy, demand full apology + retraction of what was stated.

Pope apologises.

Islamists still unhappy and respond with violence.

LOL.

-Keith

u'r right there's no excuse for violence.

sometimes i wish ppl who are capable of gaining public clouts like publications/internet/speakers would be more responsible with what they say and write. if it's not truly founded, dont speculate, coz u dont know which village idiot will pick it up and quoate it and preach it as facts on unsuspecting audience.

this is absolutely unacceptable and under no uncertain terms. However, since when do the Palestinians begin to divide themselves over the pope's comments??? I find the church bombings so odd. Palestinians have bigger issues than a Pope's inappropiate comments that's why I can't understand for the life of me why some would vandalize Christian Palestinian churches ...to make their life more difficult? Christian and Muslim Palestinians have had a very strong brotherhood since the occupation they are nieghbours and friends who work, live, and fight together.

I wonder if it were some jackel teenagers that are just looking for something to do and trying to start-up problems. This situation really has some eyebrows being raised amongst the Muslim Palestinian community both in Palestine and abroad. I hope they find and prosecute the culprits.

Whatever, the case may be, it's truly a pity.

And as for the Nun in Somalia I won't even touch that. We can only hope that they find these offenders/murders and bring them to justince.