Pope hopes that controversy will lead to dialogue

[gilliam]

VATICAN CITY, SEP 20, 2006 (VIS) - …

“I chose the theme,” he said, "of the relationship between faith and reason. In order to introduce my audience to the dramatic nature and current importance of the subject, I quoted some words from a Christian-Muslim dialogue from the 14th century in which the Christian - the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus - presented to his Muslim interlocutor, in a manner we find incomprehensibly brusque, the problem of the relationship between faith and violence.

"This quotation, unfortunately, has lent itself to misunderstandings. However, to an attentive reader of my text it is clear that in no way did I wish to make my own the negative words pronounced by the medieval emperor, and that their polemical content does not express my personal convictions. My intentions were quite otherwise: on the basis of what Manuel II subsequently said in a positive sense … concerning the reason that must guide us in transmitting the faith, I wished to explain that not religion and violence, but religion and reason, go together.

“The theme of my talk was, then, the relationship between faith and reason,” he added. "I wished to call for a dialogue of the Christian faith with the modern world and for dialogue between all cultures and religions. I hope that at various moments of my visit - when, for example, in Munich I underlined how it important it is to respect what is sacred for others - what emerged was my deep respect for all the great religions, and in particular for Muslims who ‘worship the one God,’ and with whom we are committed to promoting ‘peace, liberty, social justice and moral values for the benefit of all humanity.’

212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/dinamiche/e1_en.htm

 

[Dale_M]

“I trust, therefore, that following the initial reactions, my words at the University of Regensburg may constitute an impulse and encouragement towards positive, even self-critical, dialogue both among religions and between modern reason and Christian faith.”

Yes, let’s pray that the attention of the Muslim and Catholic worlds, already focused on the Holy Father, will follow his call for an honest dialogue between Christian and Muslim leaders. (and perhaps even among the laity, if that is not asking for too much)

 

[Eden]

Well, he has certainly put the opportunity out there for those Muslims who wish to be seen as peaceful, to prove themselves by being open to dialogue. God bless Pope Benedict.

 

[gilliam]

The fact that the Pope, the globally accepted spiritual and moral leader, not political leader, of one billion Catholics has the cojones to lay out this position for the entire world is extraordinarily important. It is literally earth-shaking for 2 central reasons: 1) It is a unifying explanation for why Catholics, and Judeo-Christian society generally, has little choice but to resist, even physically by violent means if necessary, Islam’s doctrinal philosophy of spreading Islam by violent means, rather than reason; 2) it is a latent recruiting tool, encouraging Muslims either to reform Islam sufficiently to eliminate violent conversion, dhimmitude or murder of apostates, or leave Islam altogether.

Ultimately this Pope is elevating the playing field for Judeo Christian and Islamic society and leading a discourse which politicians are incapable of leading. Where will this lead?

tigerhawk.blogspot.com/2006/09/pope-and-islam_20.html