What did the pope hope to accomplish by claiming that everything unique about Islam is "evil and inhuman"?

Question

So what if the words he read were not his own? He chose to read them to the world, thereby validating them. So there is no logical importance to the fact that the words he chose to deliver were originally someone else's.

The question is, "Why does the pope want to aggravate Muslims?" Were I Muslim, I would find this statement insulting even were I not an extremist. Shouldn't we be trying to increase dialogues with those of other religions in order to develop understanding, tolerance, and even acceptance as did Pope John Paul II? Can two popes, who are supposedly in tune with "God," contradict each other, or am I missing something here?

I have read the speech. The summary below is somewhat superficial, but it fits in the box.
A very basic gist is that religion cannot be promoted via violence because violence is contrary to "God's" nature and because reasonable people cannot be converted by violence (but only by reason). The discovery that violence is contrary to "God's" nature supposedly derived from a synthesis of Greek and Christian thought. Reason is not futile in attempting to understand things that are currently beyond the scope of science (perhaps the most logically questionable point). Theology is a natural result of human curiosity about things currently beyond the scope of science. Reason must be applied to theology as well as to science because if science develops without reasonable theology providing a consistent, safe (i.e. reasonable) culture of ethics, the scientific knowledge will be very dangerous to the world. Only when religions are reasonable can there be the genuine dialogues needed today.

Answer 1

You are right and you are very perceptive. Like you, I have tried to analyse the situation. I agree, there was some motive to the quote from Manuel II about Islam that Pope Benedict used. The popes speeches are carefully worded. The quotation is quite obscure and certainly not flattering to Islam.

The pope certainly has studied Islam. A decade ago he said that Islam, "is opposed to our modern idea of society. One must understand Islam is not simply a denomination that can be included in the free realm of a pluralistic society."

Perhaps Orianna Fallaci, the violently anti-Muslims journalist reminded him of that quotation when she met with the pope during the first week of September, shortly before her death. Perhaps she gave the pope a copy of the book by Adel-Theodore Khoury entitled A Debate with a Muslim based on his 1966 thesis at the University of Lyon.

I believe that the pope must have studied something about Islam. Furthermore, it seems reasonable to assume that the Muslim reaction is predictable given the flap over the cartoons in the Danish newspaper.

It was not accidental that one of Pope Benedict's first acts was to remove Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald from the presidency of the Pontifical Council for Interfaith Dialogue. He then radically reduced the role of that council.

The pope certainly did not retract the quotation of Manuel II other than to say that he is sorry about the violent reaction of Muslims. The pope's meeting on September 25 with Muslim leaders in Castel Gandolfo was more of a lecture with participants seated at the sides of the room in the morning when they would be fasting for Ramadan, rather than an iftar dinner where there would be more social interaction and the participants would be able to speak after the fashion of the Muslim-Christian dialog he praised in his speech. However, he did briefly speak with each participant and shake their hand as they were departing.

Pope Benedict did quote the late Pope John Paul II in the speech on September 25, so it seems that he affirms his posistion, however that brings back the question of why he quoted the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos. There must be a reason. Hmmm?

Perhaps as one person said, the statement was included to dispel the delusion of Catholics that Islam is a peaceful religion.

Christianity exists only on the basis that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Islam exists only on the basis that God dictated his laws to Mohamed and that the Qur'an contains the actual words of God. There are numerous places in the Qur'an that aver Jesus Christ is not the son of God.

Since the message of Jesus was love and forgiveness and the message of the Qur'an is violence. It does seem that there is a doctrinal difference. As Cardinal George Pell has said, "It's difficult to find periods of tolerance in Islam."

I guess that as Daniel Pipes says, the basic message is that because of Muslims violent reaction, Islamic law rules Westerners too because you no longer have the privilege to say what you will about Islam, the Prophet, and the Qur'an.

So much for American rights of freedom of speech, redress of grievances and democracy itself. Islam is antithetical to them all.

Answer 2

Why are people have such a short memory span or lapse in judgment?

9/11
USS Cole
US Embassy in Africa
Beriut
does any ring a bell?
How bout the goings on in Iraq with them killing their OWN people?
How bout their reaction to his statements by attacking some churches in Jerusalem?

memory lapse? refresher course needs to be in order.
Islam has no peace unless all mankind is ruled under them. Then it becomes fear.

Answer 3

Trying reading his WHOLE speech, not just picking out what you want. If you want to have an intellectual conversation come back after that is finished. Then again maybe you do not know how to articulate an intellectual thought.

Answer 4

Read what the Pope said, then ask a question, would you declare a holy war and kill people over this? http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/b16bavaria11.htm

Answer 5

Well happily you are not, and the pope apologized for his mistake and that is it .stop spreading hate , be carefully you will burn on it yourself.

Answer 6

What the Pope accompished was leading Catholics to the truth.
Islam does not mean "peace."

Never has.
Never will.

Answer 7

have you read his whole speech? obviously not. read it, then have a discussion about it. you're just fanning the flames of ignorance, my friend.

Answer 8

CATHOLIC CREATED ISLAM TO CONQUER JERUSALEM. ENUFF SAID