Those Damned Muslims!
Is it just me or does the West just not get it when it comes to Islam. I remember thinking Bush was incredibly stupid when he called the fight against al-Qaeda a "crusade," a word BOUND to inflame tensions with Muslims. Now the Pope says something even worse.
I mean, I am Jewish and pro-Israel, but even I am well aware that if you go around saying bad things about Mohammed you are going to piss off a lot of people. I fell pretty solidly on the side of freedom of the press when it came to the Danish cartoons and thought the Muslim reaction was unfounded. But the Pope has just been inexcusably rude to Islam and thinks a half assed apology will suffice.
From Guysen Israël News:
Pope Benedict XVI "sincerely regrets" his comments deemed offensive by Muslims. The Pope is sorry that his speech was misinterpreted and hopes that the "true spirit" of his comments will be understood. The Holy Father had said in his speech, "Show me something new that Mohammed brought and you will find only inhuman and diabolical things, such as his order to spread his faith by the sword." The Vatican press release did not however go as far as to make an apology in the name of the Pope.
Um, so just what WAS the "true spirit" of calling Mohammed's teaching "inhuman and diabolical?"
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Catholicism | Christianity | Ideology | Islam | Religion | Theocracy
Don't see it
Submitted by mole333 on 17 September 2006 - 5:06pm.
I did read the whole speech. Overall not a bad one. But the quote is very inflamatory and he doesn't, in my mind, distance himself from it. He IS arguing against violence in the furtherance of religion, but the implication I am left with is that he feels that Islam remains violent while Christianity has matured beyond that phase.
I will say that many perfectly reasonable people are disagreeing with my feeling that this quote is completely insulting to Islam. Many agree with you. I happen not to.
A throw-away insult at Islam
Submitted by crablaw on 17 September 2006 - 2:40pm.
Benedict's quote about Mohammed introducing only evil innovations was a throwaway comment unrelated to his learned discussion and thesis about reason and faith, it did not help him prove his point at all. Or at least that's how I read it.
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He said nothing wrong
Submitted by mrme (not verified) on 18 September 2006 - 9:06am.
What exactly did the Pope say that was objectionable? Quoting is merely quoting. In addition to that he called for reason to be conferred on religion. I can't think of a more crucial and timely request. All this flattering of and apologizing to extremist thugs is sickening.
He didn't.
Dude. Read the whole speech.
It's quite clear that the discussion was of rationality.