This is an article I read. It goes right to the heart of the matter, and in many ways, reinforces what Liberty has been saying all along on this forum... read it and you will understand what we have been saying all along...

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Let me start this post off with a few caveats: First, I'm not Catholic, so I have no special interest in defending the Pope. Second, I've not read the full text of the Pope's remarks to determine if they really were taken out of context (it would not surprise me greatly to find that this is the case). I've not taken the time to do this, because I know idiocy when I see it, and even if I were to grant that Pope Benedict really said what he is accused of saying (calling Islam "evil and inhuman") I would still be left with the unavoidable conclusion that the Pope's shrill critics have unwittingly proved that they believe that the statements of the Byzantine Emperor about Islam are true.
I explain below the fold...

I offer for your consideration this piece from the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/opinion/16sat2.html?ex=1316059200&en=55dd46982dc29167&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss), and this piece from the Guardian (http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/anas_altikriti/2006/09/an_insufficient_apology.html) to start the discussion off. As I am sure most of you are aware, Muslims have reacted to the Pope calling Islam a violent religion by shooting a nun, and violently attacking churches in Palestine, and also calling for the death of the pope (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23367232-details/The%20Pope%20must%20die%2C%20says%20Muslim/article.do). This irony in itself would be delicious enough, if not for the spectacle of Westerners lecturing the Pope on how he ought to have expected this behavior, while at the same time decrying his statement as being wrong. The Guardian article engages in this silliness in rather pointed fashion:When Pope Benedict recently delivered a lecture and managed to find the time and space to take a swipe at Islam, the Prophet Mohammed and effectively every Muslim, he must have expected the kind of reaction that followed across the Muslim world. If he hadn't, then he has either been on another planet these last few years or he shouldn't be in the high position he is.

And the Times:The world listens carefully to the words of any pope. And it is tragic and dangerous when one sows pain, either deliberately or carelessly.

And the typically contemptible Anjem Choudary:Yesterday he said: "The Muslims take their religion very seriously and non-Muslims must appreciate that and that must also understand that there may be serious consequences if you insult Islam and the prophet.
"Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment."

Here's why this is ridiculous, in case it needs to be spelled out. Myself, I don't blame the Pope for the violence that has sprung up in the wake of his remarks, because I happen to believe that all people of every religion are perfectly capable of controlling their own reaction to being insulted. People say insulting and degrading things about Christianity all the time. As a human being, I have the choice as to whether I will respond to that by shooting someone of their religion, or threatening to behead their spiritual leader, or whether to respond in a fashion befitting the principles of a civilized society (and, incidentally, the teachings of the Progenitor of Christianity). I also assume that Muslims are capable of the same level of moderation, and expect the same behavior of them that I expect of my Christian brethren. This is because I don't completely buy in to the notion that Islam is an inherently violent religion.
The Westerners who are currently criticizing the Pope, on the other hand, are tipping their hand that they subconsciously engage in the very bigotry they are accusing the Pope of espousing. By declaring, effectively, that "the Pope should have seen this coming," they are clearly implying that acting with violence is just what Muslims do, and that the Pope, effectively, should be the grownup in the room, because you just can't expect any better from Muslims, after all. This, really, is what's absurd and insulting to Muslims, and displays the subconscious bigotry that lies at the heart of all types of liberal self-guilt; the sneering condescension towards people of other classes that declares that whatever class needs help is not as capable as a class of handling life as the guilt-ridden liberal is, and must accordingly be handled with kid gloves. It is ironic in the case of extremists like Choudary, because his statements belie a heart that is truly evil and inhuman - that a man who is insulted feels justified in killing all those who insult him. Accordingly, he condmens the Pope for seeing him (if not, necessarily, all his religious brothers) exactly how he is, and his public statements make of him a laughingstock for all to laugh at.
Agree or disagree with the Pope's remarks - I haven't bothered to make that decision at all, myself - but please let's stop playing the game wherein we say that "Islam isn't an inherently violent religion," and at the same time, "You can't say things that insult Islam, because you know that the Muslims will respond violently - after all, that is what Muslims do."
One or the other of those two statements can be true (and we hope it is the first), but not both.

http://www.redstate.com/stories/culture/popes_critics_display_disdain_for_islam

I'll say it again and again: the actions by these extremists only serve to make the Pope's statement more right, even if his intent was to lecture to these same extremists. Now Islam looks even more bad, no thanks to the actions of these people. And like what I posted earlier, what are moderate and real peace-loving Muslims doing? No statements given, no refutation or outright disowning these extremists. So Islam loses a lot here. A blown opportunity.

Some here say that Pope just made a quotation. Well when president of Iran made a quotation about Israel, just a quotation, he was branded a ler. Well, probably president of Iran should not have used that quotation that made Christian-Jews and Jews unhappy. The same applies to Pope too. He should know better. You should not kill a person with a knife to make a statement that knife can kill. This is what Pope did and he is wrong as being Pope. Lastly, if he did not mean what he said, then why he refuses to apologize for what he said if that angered Moslems. His refusal is indication of his collaboration and endorsement for new crusade. He knows what he is doing. He is just after donation by Zionist. To him, may be money and living in luxury has more value than human life. He should be more concerned about child abuse in churches and killings by Christians around the world with collaboration of Zionist. Who are the ones that killed people in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine with WMD? He should be anti-war and killings, and pro peace. This is what god wants and says above all.

The Vatican is controlled by Freemasons and this poor creature is their victim. Christianity was spread through the barrel of a gun under European colonizers.Only a foolish ignorant person like a Pope will deny this fact. European colonizers have committed unimaginable atrocities against the colonized people of Asia, Africa, Arabia and other many places which they ruled. All this crimes were committed under the noses of their various Popes.Islam is made just a scapegoat by them to hide their evil past and present.

Sleyum,

1) What is the quotation you refer to by the President of Iran?

2) He apologised

3) What does the Pope want from Zionists? Are you aware of the history of thre Catholic church and its relationships with Judaism and Zionism?

4) The speech was about not mixing violence and religion........it was anti-war

5) Can you expalin your refernce to Freemasons?

6) What has the Pope said about the historical spread of christianity?

There is no doubt that medieval Christianity was not as evolved as it is today...and their are chapters in the history of the church which do not make for good reading

We are constabtly told that Islam has not changed.......it cannot evolve.....it cannot change

People wer being killed in the name of Islam 600 years ago.........and funnily enough, people are being killed in the name of Islam now

Sticking your head inj the sand and blaming the Pope is.................um.........odd

don't you think?