GayandRight

My name is Fred and I am a gay conservative living in Ottawa. This blog supports limited government, the right of the State of Israel to live in peace and security, and tries to expose the threat to us all from cultural relativism, post-modernism, and radical Islam. I am also the founder of the Free Thinking Film Society in Ottawa (www.freethinkingfilms.com)

Sunday, September 17, 2006

The Vatican's tougher line on Islam...

Let's hope he keeps up this push for reciprocity.
At first sight, there may seem to be little divergence between Pope Benedict XVI's approach to Islam and that of his predecessor.

The present Pope, a scholar who has made an extensive study of the faith, is clearly keen to promote understanding between Christians and Muslims and has many personal contacts.

At his inaugural Mass as Pope in April last year, he made a point of welcoming Muslim leaders.

In reality, however, Benedict XVI has adopted a far more cautious approach than the late John Paul II, who apologised for the Crusades and became the first Pope to visit a mosque during a visit to Syria in 2001.

Even before he became Pope, Cardinal Josef Ratzinger was a rigorous analyst of the theological differences between Christian and non-Christian faiths, and Islam in particular.

He is therefore less enthusiastic than his predecessor for interfaith summits such as that staged by John Paul II at Assisi, which critics fear can blur the distinctions between religions and diminish the status of Catholicism.

Since Benedict XVI became Pope, the Vatican has signalled a tougher line in its negotiations with Islam, stressing the need for "reciprocity".

Vatican officials argue that if Muslims want the freedom to practise their faith in the West, Christians should be free from persecution in Muslim countries.
It always seemed crazy to me that many Muslim countries, like Saudi Arabia, do not allow the construction of churches (let alone synagogues).

1 Comments:

Blogger Lord Kitchener's Own said...

Don't think many churches will get built in Saudi Arabia with the Pope quoting a text which says, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman".

Asking for reciprocity is one thing. Calling on Islam to treat Christians as Christians (generally) treat Islam is great. Calling the teachings of another religion's central figure "evil and inhuman" though seems pretty self-defeating.

I'd imagine jihadists all over the world are thanking Allah today for making the Pope call their prophet's teaching "evil and inhuman". Now, when they're preaching to their followers that the West must be destroyed, because the West sees Muslims as evil and sub-human, they'll be able to point to videotape of the Pope's speech as proof.

Great.

11:23 AM  

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