Gee, the Pope gets one right...
I'd wish he'd speak more often about Islam...
The Pope has again risked provoking the wrath of the Islamic world, by criticising its treatment of Christians.
Benedict XVI attacked Muslim nations where Christians are either persecuted or given the status of second-class citizens under the Shariah Islamic law.
He also defended the rights of Muslims to convert to Christianity, an act which warrants the death penalty in many Islamic countries.
His comments came almost exactly a year after he provoked a wave of anger among Muslims by quoting a Byzantine emperor who linked Islam to violence.
Yesterday, near Rome, the 80-year-old pontiff made a speech in "defence of religious liberty", which, he said "is a fundamental, irrepressible, inalienable and inviolable right".
In a clear reference to Islam, he said: "The exercise of this freedom also includes the right to change religion, which should be guaranteed not only legally, but also in daily practice."
Addressing the problem of Islamic extremism, he added: "Terrorism is a serious problem whose perpetrators often claim to act in God's name and harbour an inexcusable contempt for human life."
posted by GayandRight @ 10:00 PM
2 Comments:
I think the pope is on the right path. I'd like to see more Muslims respond to last year's call to dialogue based on reason. The Muslims who want to get rid of terrorism in their religion have every interest in engaging Catholics (and other Christians) on religious issues using reason-- thereby creating understanding and fostering trust. I haven't followed this file very closely, but I can't see I've seen a LOT of openness from Muslims on this matter. Maybe they don't understand what's at stake and their interest in this kind of interreligious dialogue (especially on these points).
If a religion - Catholic or Islam - teaches that all those who dont follow it are going to spend eternity in hell... well, the lives of unbelievers are worthless. Further, anyone who believes this has an overriding duty to prevent people from leaving the religion. Its for their own sakes - some violence, intimidation, torture and killing in this life is perfectly justified if it is able to save people in the next.
What I dont understand is why Catholics, and all other christian denominations, arn't equally strict. Some of the fundamentalists are (There exist 'youth camps' where christian parents can send children who stray from the faith for the type of treatment that would violate the geneva conventions if user on prisoners of war in order to restore their faith), but mostly they dont even come close. Why do they tolerate heresy, when they state their belief that heresy can condemn people to hell?
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