Extremists at their best…

I’m not sure “declaring war” proves the Pope wrong.

“We tell the worshipper of the cross (the Pope) that you and the West will be defeated, as is the case in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya,” said a Web statement by the Mujahideen Shura Council.

“We shall break the cross and spill the wine … God will (help) Muslims to conquer Rome … (May) God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the mujahideen,” said the statement, posted on Sunday on an Internet site often used by al Qaeda and other militant groups.

In Iraq’s southern city of Basra, up to 150 demonstrators chanted slogans and burned a white effigy of the Pope.

“No to aggression!,” “We gagged the Pope!,” they chanted in front of the governor’s office in the Shi’ite city. The protesters also burned German, U.S., and Israeli flags. - Yahoo

Apparently, apologies are not enough and retractions are “necessary”. What did Pope Benedict say that was so “irrational”?

 The Pope had referred to criticism of the Prophet Mohammad by 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who said everything the Prophet brought was evil “such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”  - Yahoo

I had always looked at Catholicism in a different way. I was almost afraid of them. I never understood their likes for saints or why they are structured and set. In my eyes, I viewed their ritualistic ways as pretty cultic.

However, last year when the Pope became Pope, I listened to his speech and was in awe. My perception of the Pope changed… My perception of the idea of having a Pope changed. He spoke with such humility about God’s grace and His Son, Jesus Christ and in that moment, I realised that we shared the same belief, the difference was how we approached God. Catholicism has so many more layers but it is so rich and steeped in tradition that you can’t ignore it. Protestants seem airy-fairy in comparison.

The point is, I agree with the Pope and I don’t think Al-Qaeda or any of the extremists or Muslims are helping to prove otherwise. Screaming out war and more jihads proves that what the Pope quoted is right.

I am so proud the Pope apologised but did not retract his statements. He is “sorry” that his remarks have caused such ripples in the Islamic community but he doesn’t think he’s wrong which I think is superb and great!

As for the opinion of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus, which he quoted during his Regensburg talk, the Holy Father did not mean, nor does he mean, to make that opinion his own in any way. He simply used it as a means to undertake — in an academic context, and as is evident from a complete and attentive reading of the text — certain reflections on the theme of the relationship between religion and violence in general, and to conclude with a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence, from whatever side it may come. On this point, it is worth recalling what Benedict XVI himself recently affirmed in his commemorative Message for the 20th anniversary of the Inter-religious Meeting of Prayer for Peace, initiated by his predecessor John Paul II at Assisi in October 1986: ” … demonstrations of violence cannot be attributed to religion as such but to the cultural limitations with which it is lived and develops in time. … In fact, attestations of the close bond that exists between the relationship with God and the ethics of love are recorded in all great religious traditions.” - Yahoo

Post-modernism has asked us to be indifferent with one another. Let’s not dig each other’s grave, let’s be “gracious” with one another… let’s not cause havoc but be at peace with one another. 

My pastor has talked many times about how he could appease humans but anger God. He could look good in the eyes of man with his feel good comments toward man but the point is, does God expect that of him? My pastor said he would rather stand righteous before God than man. I have a feeling the Pope shares the same sentiments.

The point is, we can say things that sound good to the ears of man. We can give man what they want to hear but would God want to hear such gibberish? Man is not God.

We want to follow the world view that we should live in harmony with each other’s beliefs but we can’t. “We need to preserve inter-religious peace,” but if the Muslims aren’t being that sensitive, then why should we? hahaha… The Pope is quoting from history and he’s hoping for open dialogue but if we want to be narrow-minded about it, what can he do? It’s unfortunate we want to focus on the toenail instead of the leg. Ok, there is definitely a better expression but the point is we aren’t looking at the bigger objective of the Pope.

We can’t please man and offend God. So if the Pope can stand righteous before God with his statement, then why should he have to retract his speech?

I’m writing all this with the tv at full blast so I hope I’m making sense. 

Check this article and this one. Just for reading…