POPE SORRY FOR HIS COMMENTS

Once again the Islamic community, and not merely the radical contingency, has overreacted to something with extreme violence. This time it was a quote from a 14th-century Byzantine emperor (Manuel II Palaeologus) that the Pope used as a "starting point" in a speech he made at the University of Regensburg in Germany, on 9/12/2006. It was entitled:

"Faith, Reason and the University
Memories and Reflections"

In his lecture, the Pope talks about a series of 'dialogues' dating back to the 1390s between Palaeologus and an educated Persian on the subject of Islam and Christianity:

"In the seventh conversation (διάλεξις - controversy) 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 some of the experts, this is probably 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 that we find unacceptable, 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 (σὺν λόγω) 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..."

The quotes in red are Palaeologus' words and the reference to Islam being "evil and inhuman" is what sparked Islamic outrage, and yet, clearly, the violence that ensued has shown that Islam is exactly what it was criticized for being: 'evil and inhuman.'
Since Pope Benedict XVI made his comment they have been burning down churches in Palestine and in Mogadishu, Somalia a 65 year old Italian Catholic nun was shot and killed, execution style, outside the hospital where she worked. This was someone helping that community; an innocent, elderly woman violently gunned down, from behind, no less. How savage and inhuman can you get? And cowardly. And with her last breath Sister Leonella had the grace to forgive her killers.

If you are still unable to see the larger picture read the following:

"Al-Qaida in Iraq warned Pope Benedict XVI on Monday that its war against
Christianity and the West will go on until Islam takes over the world, and
Iran’s supreme leader called for more protests over the pontiff’s remarks on
Islam."

You can read the whole story on MSNBC.

The Pope actually apologized for his comments, though in my humble opinion none was owed.

It still baffles me how people continue to be blinded to the Truth. What more do you need?

Wake up people!!