Dan Northcott's Blogs

I realize that a number of my past posts have been a little contraversial. I don't care. Ever heard of free speech?

Anyway, here's another one.

I find it incredibly ironic that the response of Islam about the comments made by the Pope about Islam EXACTLY ILLUSTRATE HIS POINT.

The guy was trying to say that religions in general should not be resorting to violence or threat of death in order to grow or convert. Many religions were guilty of such acts, and some still are today.

The Catholics themselves were notorious for terrorism 'back in the day'. Think Robin Hood times - even though he's a fictional character. The Kings of the day were ordained by the Pope, and therefore acted in the name of religion - often using Cardinals and Bishops to do their dirty work.

Islam has been fighting for over 2000 years. Get over it already! Essentially, the pope was trying to say, "Can we not come to our senses, and discuss this like human beings? Like civilized people?"

And they're upset because he said (actually, quoted) the following: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached". TALK ABOUT taking it OUT OF CONTEXT.

Here's what he ACTUALLY said in his speech.

In the seventh conversation edited by Professor Khoury, the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. The emperor must have known that surah 2, 256 reads: "There is no compulsion in religion". According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Qur'an, concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels", he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness, a brusqueness which leaves us astounded, on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached". The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. "God", he says, "is not pleased by blood - and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death...".