--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "Irmeli Mattsson" > <Irmeli.Mattsson@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > <snip> > > > Imagine the wrath of Christians if a non- > > > Christian were to say the only new things Jesus brought > > > were evil and inhuman, citing, say, Jesus' instruction > > > to hate one's father and mother! > > > > > > The big problem was that the pope *did not repudiate* > > > the offensive part of the quote. He could have made > > > his point about violent jihad just as well if he'd > > > said to start with that he didn't condone the first > > > part. > > > > > > It's too bad that slip (among others, but that was the > > > worst) was so inflammatory that it was hard to hear > > > the rest of what he said dispassionately. > > > > > > And he *still* hasn't apologized for it. All he's > > > said is that he was sorry Muslims were offended by > > > it. > > > > I just cannot see the speech as offensive. The quotation becomes > > offensive only, when it is taken out of the context of the whole > > speech. The pope is quoting a Christian Byzantine Emperor, who is > > trying to challenge an educated Persian by his claims and > > questions. I have very difficult to imagine that the Christians > > would feel deeply hurt and offended had the claim been made by a > > muslim about Christianity. Instead the Christians would have tried > > to defend their own view by answering to questions of the emperor > > and trying to refute his claims. > > Some might; others would be outraged. And bear in > mind that there's no one in Islam equivalent to the > pope, with his power and influence and international > status as a religious leader. > > > We have also to remember what kind of audience this speech was given > > to. The pope is a former professor of theology, and he was invited > > to speak at the University of Regensburg. It is a scholarly speach > > for other scholars. Why do the muslims feel the need to control > > even what can be expressed in the academia of a western country? > > With his prominence as a public figure, the pope > can't just give a scholarly speech for other > scholars and expect it to stay within that context. > Whatever he says is going to be widely reported and > taken to be the official view of the Roman Catholic > Church. > > Whether the quote was taken out of context or not, he > should have known better than to use it without > explicitly saying it didn't reflect his own views. > That he did not do so makes him, at the very least, > insensitive. > > That's just Public Relations 101. >
I think he made a courageous and respectful gesture by a little bit challenging the Muslims and inviting them to a deep and serious discussion. I feel rather frustrated about the attitude of the press here in Finland. The Muslims are here seen as the poor oppressed victims of the west. Their actions are not criticized. However I suspect that the deeper motivator of this kind of behaviour is a fear of the consequences of possible revenge in the form of terrorism. As long as the Muslims can control our behaviour and thinking by the threat of terrorism they will increasingly use that weapon. The pope ends his speech by a sincere invitation to dialogue: " Not to act reasonably, not to act with logos, is contrary to the nature of God", said Manuel II , according to his Christian understanding of God, in response to the Persian interlocutor. It is to this great logos, to this breadth of reason, that we invite our partners in the dialogue of cultures." It was an invitation to a deep dialogue by expressing some challenging questions about Islam. I think we need more this kind of approach instead of warfare, or trying to close our eyes and pretend that there are no problems ,or to see all the problems being caused by the west as the press does in Finland. Actually by seeing only the West as a responsible part in this conflict Muslim hides an extremely condescending attitude towards the Muslims, as if they were totally lacking the capacity to responsible, reasonable actions on their own, lowering them in a way to the same level with animals. Irmeli To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
