The major news sites are not reporting anything significant, other than a text that was cited that implied evil within Islam.
2006-09-15 10:36:10 · 7 answers · asked by maxima 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Below are key excerpts as reported by the BBC. For the complete speech, click on the link in the reference section below.
[Pope Benedict is saying]
I was reminded of all this recently, when I read... of part of the dialogue carried on - perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near Ankara - by the erudite Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both.
In the seventh conversation...the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels", he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. "God," he says, "is not pleased by blood - and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats."
2006-09-15 10:48:23 · answer #1 · answered by Doe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=46474
See the inset quotations.
After reading the whole thing, I can see where some confusion would arise as to his point. I believe he was intending to point out that those who use violence to spread religion are being counterproductive, but the way it is worded implies all of Islam follows a policy of violent conversion of the infidels and needs to be more rational like Christians. I thought there were a couple other points that didn't come across well, either, but honestly I think he just didn't expect to need to clearly delineate who he was talking about.
2006-09-15 17:41:31 · answer #2 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He told the truth and the muslims got their turbans in a bunch like they did over that cartoon.
P.S. We don't have to imply that islam is evil..their actions are pretty explicit.
2006-09-15 17:39:46 · answer #3 · answered by JohnC 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its not what he said, its what he implied. He basically implied that muslims are a violent, murderous people. That's basically calling a billion people terrorists. Which is good if you are Bush or the Pope... coz then you foster WW3 and blame it all on muslims. Its bad for muslims and other rational people who know all this crap about 'war on terror' is imperialist bull.
2006-09-15 17:40:57 · answer #4 · answered by raze 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
who cares,..like the Islam people never said anything about Christianity .
2006-09-15 17:38:57 · answer #5 · answered by I-C-U 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is all he said, just quoted a pope of the past..
2006-09-15 17:39:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the pope was a Nazi in one point... i didn't expect better...
2006-09-15 17:39:11 · answer #7 · answered by Milos K 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋