Posted on 03/24/2008 10:16:51 AM PDT by NYer
ITALIAN editor and critic of Islamic extremism Magdi Allam, who converted to Catholicism from Islam and was baptised by Pope Benedict XVI, today branded his former faith as intrinsically violent.
"I had to do this (abandon Islam)", Allam wrote in a long letter to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
"Beyond ... the phenomenon of extremists and Islamist terrorism at the global level, the root of evil is inherent to a physiologically violent and historically conflictual Islam," wrote the Egyptian-born journalist, who says he has received death threats and is under police protection.
One of seven adults baptised during an Easter vigil yesterday evening, Allam, 55, is an editorial writer and deputy editor at Corriere.
Regarding a combative tone that has made him famous in Italy, Allam wrote: "Over the years my spirit has been freed from the obscurantism of an ideology that legitimises lies and deception, violent death that leads to homicide and suicide, blind submission to tyranny."
He described Catholicism as "an authentic religion of Truth, Life and Freedom".
By baptising Allam in the public ceremony, the Pope "sent an explicit and revolutionary message to a church that until now has been too cautious in the conversion of Muslims ... because of the fear of being unable to protect the converted who are condemned to death for apostasy," Allam said.
"Thousands of people in Italy have converted to Islam and practise their faith serenely," he wrote.
"But there are also thousands of Muslims who have converted to Christianity who are forced to hide their new faith out of fear of being killed by Islamist terrorists."
Allam adopted the Christian name of Cristiano (Christian), not a common name in Italy.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
And if he’s referring to the Crusades -
the CRUSADES WERE IN
RESPONSE
TO ISLAMIC ENCROACHMENT AND BARBARISM.
This is EXACTLY the debate tactic used by the left.
Since there is no one without sin,
there can be no standards of behavior by which to judge people’s behavior.
The conference with the 142 muslim clerics will collpase when they don’t get their way.
Leftists attempt this line of "reasoning" on a daily basis.
“When was the last time the Catholic Church advocated killing nonbelievers?”
The Catholic Church has done what it was supposed to: preach the Gospel and make converts.
The Church is an organization of human beings; obviously, some of them have made mistakes at times, and corruption can definitely enter in. But there is nothing violent in the message of Christianity or in the Church’s preaching of this - which, on the contrary, has led to thousands of Christian misssionaries over the ages having laid down their lives to bring the Faith to the world. All of the Apostles with the exception of John died as martyrs, and it has been that way ever since.
By contrast, Islam preaches violence and violence is its normal way of being spread.
The Game, as they say, is afoot.
Amen.
” . . . it has also done away with many positive theological aspects, particularly reverence for angels and worship of the Divine Mother.”
The Roman Catholic Church has done away with these things? In what official document(s) can we read these things?
Too bad they were not more successful during the Crusades.
Counting down the time the thread devolves into another “Mary idolotry worshipping Catholics idol worshippers” thread in 3....
...2
...1
Then no one can speak, not even you.
Do you really think that fellow is interested in rational discussion?
“The Catholic Church has done what it was supposed to: preach the Gospel and make converts.”
> I didn’t see any baptism taking place. I see a man in some kind of helmet or something on the left holding something on the head of a guy bent over a bowl or something.
Alright alright — so you aren’t Catholic and you believe (as do I) in full-immersion baptism. Surely you can make your point without being rude?
He probably took a Jack Chick tract out of somebody’s hands and threw it on the ground.
If you would like to see the Bible treated reverently, come to Mass sometime.
“Linking religions to violence in public can only be done when one’s own religion has a spotless record of peace and love. Of course, the catholic church has an impeccable past of religious tolerance.”
Arrogance and ignorance in one felt swoop. I suppose The United States has no right to critique the human rights of
China or Cuba as well. Afterall, the US used slaves and denied human rights to slaves in its early days.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.