What do you think about this?

Question

Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI drew intense criticism from Muslim leaders, Islamic communities, and others for remarks at Regensburg University in Germany (Vatican Web Site) this week taken by many as a slight on Islam and its founder, the Prophet Mohammed. In the course of a long, intricate address in which he ponders the relationship between faith and reason, the pope quotes the fourteenth-century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who challenged a Muslim correspondent to name anything not "evil and inhuman" (al-Jazeera) spawned by the Prophet Mohammed.

The full quote, "Show me just what Mohammed 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," was part of an historic dialogue between the emperor, whose throne in Constantinople was then under siege by a Muslim army, and a Persian intellectual. On September 12, the pope presented the quote to theological students in an address that otherwise had little to do with Islam. It was, in his words, a "starting point for my reflections on" the issue of faith and reason.

Yet some question the wisdom of his decision to use a besieged emperor's depiction of Islam as a faith which condones "acting unreasonably," even if it was simply meant to jump-start a discussion of the relationship between Christian doctrine and Greek (Byzantine) philosophy. A statement by the Vatican insisting the pope would never insult Islam did little to appease Muslims (BBC). Many want an apology. In India (IBN), one Islamic scholar deemed the remarks "more derogatory than the Danish cartoonist's blasphemous sketches on the Prophet." Pakistan's national assembly demanded a retraction, and its Foreign Office called in the Vatican's ambassador (Dawn). Others took a more radical approach. In Egypt and in Kashmir, India's only Muslim majority region, protests spilled into the streets and effigies were burned (AP).

Reviews in Christendom were not much better. "The Free West," the blog of the conservative German weekly Die Welt, says it would be disrespectful of this intellectual pope to imagine he didn't know how controversial the Islam reference would be: "Benedict XVI borrowed Manuel II's remarks for his opening because he happened to be reading Theodore Khoury's edition of the text. But surely he must have known what a hornet's nest he was stirring up." Die Welt and others, including the blog of American Middle East scholar Juan Cole, also believe the quote misinterpreted the meaning of the Koran. "In fact, the [Koran] at no point urges that religious faith be imposed on anyone by force. This is what it says about the religions: '[2:62] Those who believe (in the [Koran]), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians—any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord.'"

Outside the fear of a backlash akin to the one that followed publication of the infamous Danish cartoons, Vatican officials fear the furor could jeopardize the pope's planned trip to Turkey in November, his first visit to a Muslim state (LAT). Turkey's leading cleric denounced the remark (Turkish Daily News), and a deputy leader of Turkey's ruling party said Benedict is "going down in history in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini" (AP). This Backgrounder looks at some of the surprises of Benedict's first year as pontiff and this Backgrounder examines Vatican foreign policy and U.S.-Vatican relations.

Answer 1

So. Big deal.

He told the truth.

Where in the bible does it say not to tell truth and tickle ears?

.

Answer 2

As one who routinely uses historical and literary quotes in argument I have no problem with his rhetorical style. To use a quote in which the person being quoted makes a factual error, however, defeats the purpose. In today's political climate it was easily foreseeable that such remarks, especially from the Pope, would provoke a massive outcry, but acknowledging error calls the doctrine of Papal Infallibility into question. The fact that Christians, Protestants, and the various Islamic denominations all claim to have the sole truth without possibility of mistake is why I, though raised a Christian, am now a Druid.

Answer 3

Since when should a Pope, or any other religious leader, back away from the truth for fear of what people will say? The fact is, Islam WAS spread by the sword, as opposed to Christianity, spread by love of God. The reactition of the Muslim world to this incident says it all.

Answer 4

There are a lot of double-standards used by Western & International Media in this area.

Criticisms of Christianity are not viewed as controversial or to be avoided; however any statement that might be viewed as critical of another religion is criticized and presented as ghastly evidence of bigotry, and in poor form...

Why do the Western Media not object when the US government uses tax-payer dollars to fund the NEA which then funds "art" such as a cross immersed in urine (which would be offensive to Christians)? or grotesque depictions of the Virgin Mary (which would be offensive to Catholics)?

BTW, I am not a Catholic...

Cordially,
John

Answer 5

Jeez, if he was at a University and was using that to start a dialog, and it was taken from something that had actually happened in history, why be mad at him? It was a Theology class, a discussion on Faith and Reason, why take it out of context?

Answer 6

some muslims are way too sensitive.....check out my question about it: http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqybckV7LyFduRbEr7vN8h_AFQx.?qid=20060915155519AAu3OWa


and i want to thank Will for posting the site to the original speech of the pope, so the people will see what he really said. BTW, im a freethinker but the muslim`s reaction is totally exaggerate

Answer 7

Here's the whole speech:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060912_university-regensburg_en.html

Answer 8

Well, I think the Pope was out of line and even though he quoted something from a different century text, he singled out a group and that was wrong and insensitive. coming fromt he Pope and not you or I , that makes it worse--

Answer 9

I have no desire to listen to the Pope.