Do you have a better reason why the Pope should not have apologized?

Question

The Pope says that jihad violence is against God's nature, and officials fear that in response, Muslims enraged by this insult will commit... jihad violence.
Muslims murder 3,000 innocents in New York and expect no criticism.
Muslims murder 202 tourists in Bali and expect no criticism.
Muslims murder 333 schoolchildren and their teachers in Beslan and expect no criticism.
Muslims murder 292 innocents, mainly Kenyans and Tanzanians at two US Embassies and expect no criticism.
Muslims murder 241 US and 58 French peacekeepers in Beirut and expect no criticism.
Muslims fire 4,000 Katyusha rockets into Northern Israel killing over 50 innocent civilians and expect no criticism.
Muslims murder 52 in London and 191 in Madrid and expect no criticism.
Muslims murder 200 in Mumbai and expect no criticism.
Muslims behead Western hostages in Iraq, Buddhist monks in Thailand and Christian schoolgirls in Indonesia and expect no criticism.

Muslims murder 500,000 in Darfur and expect no criticism.
Muslims regard Jews as 'sons of pigs and monkeys', and vow to nuke Israel and expect no criticism.
Muslims force women to wear hideous sacks, stone to death women for getting raped and for leaving the home unescorted, engage in honor killings of sisters and daughters for unapproved dating, and expect no criticism.
Muslims danced in the streets and handed out sweets to their kids to celebrate the 9/11 atrocity, and still expected no criticism.
Since 9/11 Muslims have killed over 26,000 and wounded over 50,000 in terrorist attacks worldwide since 9/11 and expect no criticism.

Since 9/11 Muslims have committed terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Chad, Chechnya, Dagestan, Denmark, East Timor, Egypt, England, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ingushetia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Jordan-Iraq, Kabardino-Balkans, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Gaza-Palestinian Authority, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Arab Republic, United States, Uzbekistan and Yemen, and still expect no criticism.

Answer 1

I wrote about this in one of my bloga and there was a heavy debate going on for a while. You are willing to look at it:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-5ksVjU47eqs_12qDwPwirmLXqHA-?cq=1&p=678

Answer 2

The best reason is that he actually wants to open dialogue. Muslims are pretty much going to be angry with you no matter what you do / say. I think the pope knows that. Apologizing to muslims has not been helpful for any one and isn't going to be. The pope genuinely wants to raise open conversation in an ongoing way. You have to step on a few toes to do that.

Fortunately, you might notice, the pope seems pretty okay about getting his own "toes stepped on" in this process. Which is pretty darn good for a catholicPontiff.

Answer 3

And yet, the world is outraged when Israel tries to get their captures soldiers back by attacking these Muslims. The Pope shouldn't apologize because he was right. They are violent. He never got an apology from them on any of the things you mentioned. I say we give Israel more weapons and let them take out all those Muslim countries.

Answer 4

The Pope was just telling the truth. He does not need to "apologize" for what he said.

I do like the fact that he is meeting with Muslims to try and have a better relationship. It will not work with the terrorists though. Hopefully the decent Muslims will denounce the extremists.

Answer 5

--Is Catholic--

Keep pointing out the blinding obvious. Keep trying to wake up the sleeping world!

The Pope did not apologize.

There are a host of problems at issue with what occurred after B16 gave his speech....a speech that really should be read in its entirety as it is equally harsh in a factual manner about the West as it deeply questioned Islam.

Essentially, the core of what B16 said, is a statement followed by a question. The statement is that violence done in the name of religion is against the very nature of God and is a completely irrational activity. The question, which gets to the heart of the problem, is that is violence core to the understanding of Islam?

Now if you listen to B16's "apology" he said that he was deeply sorry for the reaction of the Islamic street, which answered his question affirming that violence is core to their understanding of Islam.

Now let me show you some of the cards that are in play here. The dialogue that the Pope wants to get going is on the following: Can Islam reject violence for the sake of religion? Is it possible to separate violence out of Islam and enter into a rational discussion about the nature of God, humanity, life, peace, and all that? In other words, is Islam still Islam without the violence?

The response of many Islamic clerics, politicians, and nations is NO. Violence is commanded by Allah and it is written in the Koran that we shall kill all who do not submit. Mohammed, the very model of what it means to be man and Muslim, preached with the sword and commanded violence. The violent struggle is key to our ability to achieve paradise. The world must be conquered and put under Islamic Law.

If you are paying attention, because it is being taken as axiomatic that violence for the sake of religion is against the nature of God and is irrational, much of this dialogue is intended to focus on the following topics:
1. How infallible is the Koran if it commands violence?
2. How well do Muslims know God?
3. How much of a model is Mohammed really?

It really is up to the Muslim community to answer these questions. There is no need for Catholicism or anyone else to interject and point things out. Obviously Islam has a lot to think about and a very large existential question to answer.

Personally, I think that B16 simply asked the question that we are all to afraid to ask and demanded that Islam rise to the occasion and answer it.

Is violence fundamental to the nature of Islam?

Answer 6

pope need not apologize be cause he did not make any mistake but it is misunderstood and misinterpreted.popes comment on terrorism as an evil.it does not necessarily mean that pope is condemning all Muslims or Islam or Allah.he was quoting about Mohammad in ancient world
AND THEIR original practice would harm people.pope is not criticizing the Jihad but he is speaking about the human destruction and the world for the purpose God created man

Answer 7

They also have killed 2 Assyrian Christians in Iraq for the Pope's comments. It's truly unfortunate.

Answer 8

I think he was right to explain what exactly he was saying. That it wasn't his personal opinion, but that he was quoting. But the fact that the muslims responded so violently, kind of proves the point how they 'spread by the sword the faith'. What is wrong with those people!!! I do know that not all muslims are like that.... But come on, what is wrong with those violent ones!??!?!

Answer 9

After seeing all the reasons, I would say the pope would be justified in making a statement that MAY require an apology. The one he did make, there was nothing to apologize for.

Answer 10

I think that your statement is too general. You cannot make general statements of a religious group because they are composed of individuals.

Not all muslims do those things. Certain ones do, extreme ones do, ones that belong to certain organizations do, but not all of them.

That's like saying that all Christians are rapists, all Christians are child molesters, all Christians are muslim haters, all Christians are tyrannical murderers that kill people for their beliefs (i.e. the Crusades).

Statements like that would offend me, so I would avoid making blanket statements about any group.

Answer 11

i want to ask u first from where u get those numbers and places , i never heared of them before and forgive me I THINK U EXTRAVAGNATED IN WHAT U WRITE,
the pope didn't say that he insulted islam it self and what some some muslims did , he insulted their prophet muhammed ,
if he is really a good man he shouldn't have said that.
isreal murder innocent people for OVER 50 yers taking lands no theirs and u just want them to take it easy.
th US marines who murder in iraq and they say they came for its freedom and u want it to be so easy,
in danemark they insulted propht muhammed in a very bad way and u want it to be so easy,
about 11\9 do u know that at that day their wasn't any jew persons in the buildings why don't u think it is just a mean jewish trick and a game of the media to shape the minds of the people to have supporters for what they do under the name of terrorism ,
open ur mind muslims don't protest except wnen they start first , may be some muslims expressed theirPOINT OF VIEW WRONGLY BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY SHOULDN'T TAKE THEIR RIGHTS .
AND PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSE TO ALL Y DON'T READ FIRST ABOUT ISLAM AND ITS GREATNESS BEFORE JUDGING IT WRONGLY .
AND BY THE WAY WE ACCEPT CRITISM BUT WE DON'T ACCEPT INSULTION TO OUR RELIGION OR BELOVED PROPHT MUHAMMED.
Ii wish i made ..... every thing sooo clear.