Pope refuses to declare Islam a religion of peace

[ECH1969]

Pope Benedict XVI today refused to declare Islam a religion of peace.

Asked by journalists whether Islam could be considered a religion of peace shortly before entering the church of Introd for a meeting with priests and deacons of Valle d'Aosta, the region of northwest Italy where he is spending a brief holiday, the pontiff refused reply positively.

"I would not like to use big words to apply generic labels," he replied. "It certainly contains elements that can favor peace, it also has other elements: we must always seek the best elements."

On Sunday he asked God to stop the terrorists.

http://unspun.mithuro.com/content/view/319/36/

[Greeby]

1. ...............

Wonder if Joey Ratz considers Nazism a religion of peace?

Note - Hitler wanted Nazism to be the new worldwide religion, so that statement makes more sense than you'd think

[CountAllVotes]

2. you better back off pope

You are losing your entire congregation you asshole.

Do you realize how many Catholics have left the Church? And they you pull off a stunt like this?

Who is the peace keeper? Do you even know :wtf: one is?

:grr:

[The Jacobin]

19. Funny.

I haven't seen you post in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Group.

Do you realize how many people are joining and returning to the Church?

[Mairead]

22. You're implying that people are 'joining and returning' because of Rat?

What sort of people would that suggest they are?

[SKKY]

23. Where are they going? Islam? LDS? Silly, silly statement to make.

[atommom]

3. Why are they asking the Pope for a definition of Islam?

Not trying to be snarky, it just doesn't make any sense to me.

[Hav]

5. Yeah, stupid question...

Dupe btw I think.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1652069

edit: The whole article is just, well...

[pseudostar]

29. Tacky

It kinda seems like they're asking the CEO of Pepsi to say that coca cola is pretty damn tasty.

Full disclosure: Raised Catholic but Catholic School pushed me to Crossyourfingers Agnostic on a good day, atheist on most.

[xchrom]

4. lol -- that's funny...

like christianity has been such a shining example of a religion of peace?

mind you i am a christian -- the ugly facts of history{and being human} just don't bother me -- that's all.

[madrchsod]

6. rat boy cares only for his

power over people not spreading the teachings of christ.1800 years of this shit is really getting old.

[sam sarrha]

7. one needs to consider that Abraham's descendants started both religions in

question here.

I can not ignore that the only people that hear voices ordering them to kill their children these days are Schitzophrenic... i dont think things have changed much since the days of Abraham or Mohamed

When god told Abraham to sacrifice his only son on gods altar.. well, that set off some serious bells and whistles for me..

schizophrenia is know to run in families, when i discovered that the method Mohamed used to convey the word of Allah was "Channeling"
i couldn't but think of the woman in Challis Washington that lives in the huge compound surrounded by copper clad walls.. that channels the warrior from Lemuria or where ever... it explains why the Koran itself is so Schizophrenic itself.. it is disjointed and fragmentary, it was channeled in bits and pieces when Mohamed had his, "Moments" and channeled the voices.. everyone stopped and wrote it all down.. he was after paying the bills, during a great famine. his father had collected a vast amount of grain and was supplying the sustaining the areas residents necessities.. his son used the opportunity to preach his new god/voice before the dolling out of the food. it is said.

[SpiralHawk]

8. Take a good look in the mirror, Mr. Pope

eom

[Endangered Specie]

9. An ex Nazi giving lectures on Peace...

ironic, much?

[sam sarrha]

18. he wasn't a Nazi he deserted his post and ran away from the war

he left an anti aircraft position after 2 months after his first assignment out of Boot camp.

[Endangered Specie]

33. Incorrect:

He was conscripted to the Hitlerjugend at age 14 in 1941. Then, after 2 years at age 16 (1943) he was put into the FlaK (anti aircraft artillery), at numerous poistions, including a BMW plant. Then, in late 1944 he was released, and redrafted in the Amry again in early 1945, where he was there until he deserted just two weeks before Germany's surrender (in other words, it was safe to go AWOL at this time).

Now, its hard to say what he did at the anti aircraft post, but remember, they didnt just fire and load by themselves.

[mondo joe]

10. There are no religions of peace. Not Islam or Christianity or Judaism

certainly.

[sam sarrha]

16. that is what i was saying in #7 the whole mess is the product of insanity.

[iconoclastic cat]

11. Nice, Ratso.

[leesa]

12. Would someone put a muzzle on this guy? I miss the old Pope.

The arrogance of Christianity is just so appalling sometimes.

[The Jacobin]

20. Then you misunderstood "the old Pope"

John Paul the Great said many things that are very similar to what Pope Benedict is saying.

You were just blinded by the charisma.

[patcox2]

25. This is arrogant? How the hell would you answer the question?

Did you read what he said, at all?

What in the world is arrogant or objectionable about this?

"I would not like to use big words to apply generic labels," he replied. "It certainly contains elements that can favor peace, it also has other elements: we must always seek the best elements."

To be arrogant would be to pass judgment and make a blanket statement. He carefully refuses to do so. His answer is just about what I would say, its just a reasonable description of the facts.

How would you answer the question?

[Hav]

13. Just as a reminder...

The Guardian chose the headline "Pope Won't Condemn Islam Over Bombings" for the same article...

It's not that he condemned all Muslims or portrayed Christianity in a better light because some of the posts here might indicate something like this.

[bemildred]

14. God, I get sick of this crap. Spin spin spin. nt

[rucky]

15. Would he call Catholocism a religion of peace?

they have a worse track record than Islam.

[geek tragedy]

17. What a stupid question. He's not the Pope of Islam. eom

[donsu]

21. smirk's man Pope ratty says whatever the bushgang wants him to say

nt

[patcox2]

24. Is he required to "declare" any religion as anything?

Ask me if islam is a religion of peace, I won't do it.

This is like asking someone when he stopped beating his wife. First of all, if you are anti-catholic or just hate sectarian division, I can't stand the idea that the Pope has any role in "declaring" any religion as any thing.

But here, you have a journalist asking a gotcha question. If he says unequivocally "yes, Islam is a religion of peace," lots of people will consider him a naive fool. If he says no, well of course he's an anti-muslim bigot.

But what does he actually say? "I don't want to make a broad statement of generalities. There is much good in it. We should look for the good, rather than the bad."

Gee, thats such a nazi thing to say, why, only someone under the control of Karl Rove would say such a thing. Karl Rove controls the world and all religions, except Buddhism, which is exempt from all the usual criticisms levelled at religions.

[Hav]

26. Really...

Can't you understand how "arrogant"(quote) it is when he says that he wouldn't want to label it?

[patcox2]

28. I see, so refusing to make a blanket judgment is arrogant?

This was a set-up question with no correct answer. What he did say was pretty reasonable. I would have thought refusing to make a blanket judgment is more "humble" than doing so.

In any event, its a stupid non issue. Why care what the Pope does or does not say?

There could be a headline every day "Pope refuses to say Muslims love puppies and children."

[Hav]

30. That was actually a lame attempt of sarcasm

and referring to previous posts calling it arrogant or shouting Nazi again..
As I already said earlier in this thread, the question was stupid and the whole article is simply an "amazing" piece of great journalism.

[patcox2]

31. I am sorry, looks like we more or less agree.

nt

[Lilith Velkor]

27. Who the fuck died and made him ayatollah?

:argh: stupid fucking journos :banghead:

[pitohui]

32. not the pope's job to declare islam anything

i'm not into this pope but sounds like he answered a dishonestly offered question as best he could