Pope Benedict Need Not Apologize for History
Bonnie Alba
September 18, 2006
Protests, marches, screaming outrages, burning effigies of Pope Benedict along with sporadic violence was the response to less than 50 words of around 4000 words of Pope Benedict’s speech at the University of Regensburg, Germany. One historical quote ignited a widespread reaction from Islamic leaders and incited believers who took offense that Islam is “spread by the sword.”
Do the Islamic leaders and Muslims understand that they are fulfilling in action what Pope Benedict quoted? Do they understand that they neglected to read the whole speech and, consequently, the end of his speech?
The words Muslims took offense at were from a dialogue between a erudite Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian where the Emperor said, “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.”
Benedict further quotes Manuel II explaining his reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. Benedict also quoted Manuel II as saying, “God is not pleased by blood, and not acting reasonably is contrary to God’s nature...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....”.
Pope Benedict’s whole speech was focused on Faith and Reason, historically and to the present 21st century thinking on philosophy, theology, religion and science.
Very much like the reaction to the Denmark-media cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad resulting in protests and violence in the streets, this speech evidently was not read in total by offended Islamic leaders who then incited their uneducated people to protests and violence.
Benedict’s critique on “Faith and Reason” also included the concept that “Modern scientific reason quite simply has to accept the rational structure of matter and the correspondence between our spirit and the prevailing rational structures of nature as a given, on which its methodology has to be based.” The question is one which “has to be remanded to other modes and planes of thought: to philosophy and theology.”
Do you see scientists mobbing and protesting in the streets, calling for an apology for associating Science with Religion?
If we actually read and comprehend the end of Benedict’s speech where he again quotes Manuel II: “Not to act reasonably (with logos) is contrary to the nature of God.” Benedict continued, “It is to this great logos, to this breadth of reason, that we invite our partners in the dialogue of cultures. To rediscover it constantly is the great task of the university.”
Now if Islamic scholars and leaders do not know what the “logos” or “to act reasonably” means, then we do have a problem with the ability to dialogue with them. If they cannot accept their own history, then we are right to continue to defend ourselves against this ignorance and lack of restraint in their behavior
Context, context, context” appears to be out of vogue. We can understand when the uneducated muslims riot in the streets because they believe whatever their leaders tell them. Yet the American media response was as uninsightful as the Islamic leaders. Even the New York Times contained an editorial which called on the Pope to “offer a deep and persuasive apology.” That editor evidently did not read the whole speech either.
While Islamic religious leaders continue to ignore their own fanatical terrorists, refuse to condemn their brothers’ actions, there can be no dialogue. While the they continue to speak with suicide bombers, murdering Jews and Christians along with their own people , there can be no dialogue. If they continue to cling to a fanatical belief that they hold the sword of Allah and have the right to swing it at all those who do not believe as they do, there can be no dialogue. Fortunately history and the Bible, the Logos, prove them wrong --- there is only One who is worthy and has the power to hold the Sword of God.
There is no reason for Pope Benedict to apologize for his historical remarks and his call to dialogue. I am not Catholic, but I can think and reason. Read the whole speech at Catholic World News (CWN). The original audience was after all a university audience who were, for the most part, religious and educated.
Pope Benedict’s call to dialogue has been ignored.
2006 Bonnie Alba
Sources:
Pope Benedict’s Speech, Sept.12, 06 www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=46474
NYTimes Editorial, www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/opinion/16sat2.html?n=Top%2f...
Do the Islamic leaders and Muslims understand that they are fulfilling in action what Pope Benedict quoted? Do they understand that they neglected to read the whole speech and, consequently, the end of his speech?
The words Muslims took offense at were from a dialogue between a erudite Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian where the Emperor said, “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.”
Benedict further quotes Manuel II explaining his reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. Benedict also quoted Manuel II as saying, “God is not pleased by blood, and not acting reasonably is contrary to God’s nature...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....”.
Pope Benedict’s whole speech was focused on Faith and Reason, historically and to the present 21st century thinking on philosophy, theology, religion and science.
Very much like the reaction to the Denmark-media cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad resulting in protests and violence in the streets, this speech evidently was not read in total by offended Islamic leaders who then incited their uneducated people to protests and violence.
Benedict’s critique on “Faith and Reason” also included the concept that “Modern scientific reason quite simply has to accept the rational structure of matter and the correspondence between our spirit and the prevailing rational structures of nature as a given, on which its methodology has to be based.” The question is one which “has to be remanded to other modes and planes of thought: to philosophy and theology.”
Do you see scientists mobbing and protesting in the streets, calling for an apology for associating Science with Religion?
If we actually read and comprehend the end of Benedict’s speech where he again quotes Manuel II: “Not to act reasonably (with logos) is contrary to the nature of God.” Benedict continued, “It is to this great logos, to this breadth of reason, that we invite our partners in the dialogue of cultures. To rediscover it constantly is the great task of the university.”
Now if Islamic scholars and leaders do not know what the “logos” or “to act reasonably” means, then we do have a problem with the ability to dialogue with them. If they cannot accept their own history, then we are right to continue to defend ourselves against this ignorance and lack of restraint in their behavior
Context, context, context” appears to be out of vogue. We can understand when the uneducated muslims riot in the streets because they believe whatever their leaders tell them. Yet the American media response was as uninsightful as the Islamic leaders. Even the New York Times contained an editorial which called on the Pope to “offer a deep and persuasive apology.” That editor evidently did not read the whole speech either.
While Islamic religious leaders continue to ignore their own fanatical terrorists, refuse to condemn their brothers’ actions, there can be no dialogue. While the they continue to speak with suicide bombers, murdering Jews and Christians along with their own people , there can be no dialogue. If they continue to cling to a fanatical belief that they hold the sword of Allah and have the right to swing it at all those who do not believe as they do, there can be no dialogue. Fortunately history and the Bible, the Logos, prove them wrong --- there is only One who is worthy and has the power to hold the Sword of God.
There is no reason for Pope Benedict to apologize for his historical remarks and his call to dialogue. I am not Catholic, but I can think and reason. Read the whole speech at Catholic World News (CWN). The original audience was after all a university audience who were, for the most part, religious and educated.
Pope Benedict’s call to dialogue has been ignored.
2006 Bonnie Alba
Sources:
Pope Benedict’s Speech, Sept.12, 06 www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=46474
NYTimes Editorial, www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/opinion/16sat2.html?n=Top%2f...
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