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Pope Invites Muslims to Dialogue, Slams "Holy Wars"(Hooray for the Pope!)
Reuters News Service ^ | Sep 12, 2006 | Philip Pullella and Madeline Chambers

Posted on 09/12/2006 11:52:19 AM PDT by kellynla

REGENSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Pope Benedict invited Muslims on Tuesday to join a dialogue of cultures based on the premise that the concept of an Islamic "holy war" is unreasonable and against God's nature.

In a major lecture at Regensburg University, where he taught theology between 1969 to 1977, Benedict said Christianity is tightly linked to reason and contrasted this view with those who believe in spreading their faith by the sword.

The 79-year-old Pontiff avoided making a direct criticism of Islam, packaging his comments in a highly complex academic lecture with references ranging from ancient Jewish and Greek thinking to Protestant theology and modern atheism.

In his lecture, the Pope quoted, among others, the 14th century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologos who wrote that Mohammad had brought things "only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The Pope, who used the terms "jihad" and "holy war" in his lecture, added in his own words: "Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul".

Benedict several times quoted Emperor Manuel's argument that spreading the faith through violence is unreasonable and that acting without reason -- "logos" in the original Greek -- was against God's nature.

At the end of his lecture, the Pope again quoted Manuel and said: "It is to this great 'logos', to this breadth of reason, that we invite our partners in the dialogue of cultures."

(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: benedictxvi; catholic; catholicism; germany; iran; iraq; islam; israel; jihad; moralabsolutes; muslims; pope; terrorism; terrorists; wot
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To: kellynla
"Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul".

Half right? Considering the sin nature we are born into vioence seems quite compatible with the flesh; maybe the Pope wasn't in 'the zone' when he said this.
21 posted on 09/12/2006 12:16:15 PM PDT by AD from SpringBay (We have the government we allow and deserve.)
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To: StJacques
At his university lecture, Benedict, a leading theologian who has always drawn clear lines between Roman Catholicism and other faiths, also appeared to criticize Protestant churches and contemporary Third World theologians for not stressing the link between faith and reason clearly enough.

What does the Pope mean by the above? Protestant churches in any event cover the gamut.

22 posted on 09/12/2006 12:20:51 PM PDT by Torie
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To: kellynla

Good for him. He should get tougher.


23 posted on 09/12/2006 12:22:59 PM PDT by tkathy (Einstein: Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance.)
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To: AD from SpringBay
Oh, and you are more knowledgeable on the nature of the soul and the nature of God than the Pope?
yeaaaaa...right!

Better to keep your opinions to yourself and let people think you a fool than to post them and remove all doubt.
24 posted on 09/12/2006 12:25:16 PM PDT by kellynla (Freedom of speech makes it easier to spot the idiots! Semper Fi!)
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To: kellynla

I don't think the musli hordes will be impressed by the Pope or by ancient Greek wisdom.


25 posted on 09/12/2006 12:26:00 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: kellynla
based on the premise that the concept of an Islamic "holy war" is unreasonable and against God's nature.

Oh, no. In light of these disparaging comments, I'm betting on another Islam-inspired Papal assassination attempt.

26 posted on 09/12/2006 12:27:34 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: kellynla

I just know what I read in the Bible.


27 posted on 09/12/2006 12:28:22 PM PDT by AD from SpringBay (We have the government we allow and deserve.)
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To: kellynla

God bless Pope Benedict.


28 posted on 09/12/2006 12:28:24 PM PDT by khnyny
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To: epluribus_2

When I was a kid in the fifties we prayed the Rosary in school for the fall of communism.


29 posted on 09/12/2006 12:28:43 PM PDT by wtc911 (You can't get there from here)
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To: truth_seeker
I don't think the musli hordes will be impressed by the Pope or by ancient Greek wisdom.knowing full well they will ignore him, he forces them to show their hands, to reveal to the West exactly what they are.
30 posted on 09/12/2006 12:29:24 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: truth_seeker
I don't think the musli hordes will be impressed by the Pope or by ancient Greek wisdom.

Of course not ... but he's not just addressing the mohammedan barbarians. He's also addressing a timid Christendom, that has become entirely too unsure of itself. By addressing the musli as he does, knowing full well they will ignore him, he forces them to show their hands, to reveal to the West exactly what they are.

31 posted on 09/12/2006 12:29:51 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: RexBeach

But man contains both good and evil. The Pope is not attempting to dialog with the evil that lies at the core of Islam, but is rather appealing to the vestiges of goodness within some of its aherents. Although my knowledge of the Koran is superficial, it does seem that Islam, unlike Christianity and Judaism, is incompatable with reason.

Therefore, the seeds of reason can weaken Islam's death-grip on at least some fortunate souls.


32 posted on 09/12/2006 12:30:42 PM PDT by Huber ("Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of classes - our ancestors." - G K Chesterton)
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To: All

gee , now if the US had ONE politician with half the bals the Pope has maybe we'd be getting somewhere. Just one who will call Islam for what it is . Even our own republicans are lame when it coe to saying whats really on the minds of people like us . Time for drastic action I say . Lets see if ANYONE steps up to the plate.


33 posted on 09/12/2006 12:31:09 PM PDT by sonic109
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To: P-Marlowe; Alex Murphy; HarleyD; Dr. Eckleburg

Must resist urge to post obvious pic....


34 posted on 09/12/2006 12:31:36 PM PDT by Gamecock (The GRPL: Because life is too short for bad Theology*)
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To: AD from SpringBay
Pope: "Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul".

You: "Half right? Considering the sin nature we are born into vioence seems quite compatible with the flesh..."

Who exactly are you responding to? It certainly wasn't the Pope.

35 posted on 09/12/2006 12:35:08 PM PDT by pgyanke (Christ embraces sinners; liberals embrace the sin.)
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To: AD from SpringBay; stockstrader

"Half right? Considering the sin nature we are born into vioence seems quite compatible with the flesh; maybe the Pope wasn't in 'the zone' when he said this."

I'm guessing he's speaking of the soul, not the flesh, that being why he said 'soul.' Or, hey, we could just give him the benefit of the doubt.

I'm not Catholic but I'm definitely for giving fellow Christians more of a break and not trying to deconstruct their words; we are on the same team after all.

Speaking of deconstructing words:

"I would like to see the Pope now challenge the leaders and clerics of Islam to put out a 'fatwah'--condemning to hell, any maniac that kills innocent people in the name of Islam."

I think the clerics would be very happy to say this in English. They then will turn around and say, in Arabic, to their followers that there are no innocents in the West, that even Muslims that reject violent jihad are guilty of complicity with the West, and so it's OK to murder.


36 posted on 09/12/2006 12:36:34 PM PDT by No.6 (www.fourthfightergroup.com)
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To: ArrogantBustard; All
The Italian Muslims were quick to praise (or shall I say agree) with Pope Benedict when he spoke about the West's secular trend.

Here is another related article which just appeared:

Pope weighs into controversy over Islam and violence during Germany visit

37 posted on 09/12/2006 12:40:02 PM PDT by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: Gamecock

38 posted on 09/12/2006 12:41:17 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: sageb1

I should clarify my comment about the Italian Muslims. They are attempting to get recognition by the Italian government. They will, of course, grab any chance to take a jab at the West to promote Islam, but they are not going to jeopardize their effort for recognition. I would prefer they not be recognized, but we will see what happens.


39 posted on 09/12/2006 12:43:54 PM PDT by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: Gamecock

Mo' ham-head is the one with his guts ripped open.

40 posted on 09/12/2006 12:44:18 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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