The Pope comments on jihad
The Holy Father made some interesting remarks yesterday, the New York Times:
He began his speech, which ran over half an hour, by quoting a 14th-century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Paleologus, in a conversation with a “learned Persian” on Christianity and Islam — “and the truth of both.”The Holy See has not posted this speech in English yet. But, I really want to read his opinion. Not that I agree with it. But, I want to read it.
“Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread the sword by the faith he preached,” the pope quoted the emperor, in a speech to 1,500 students and faculty.
He went on to say that violent conversion to Islam was contrary to reason and thus “contrary to God’s nature.”
But the section on Islam made up just three paragraphs of the speech, and he devoted the rest to a long examination of how Western science and philosophy had divorced themselves from faith — leading to the secularization of European society that is at the heart of Benedict’s worries.
This, he said, has closed off the West from a full understanding of reality, making it also impossible to talk with cultures for whom faith is fundamental.
posted by Bravo 2-1 at 3:47 PM
2 Comments:
“I'll get a Webb (web) link on today. Not doing any work at work, just retooling the blog. My alternate identity was a stupid idea. Tried it out. But... ”
Ideas are rarely 100% stupid…
Let’s say you were “experimenting” just like 1960s users of mind-enhancing molecules!
Speaking of pipedreams, experimentation isn’t a bad thing either in the field of geopolitics: Bush and his Neocon pipe-dreamers should have tried first their “democracy-at-tomahawkpoint” in a small MENA test-market such as say Djibouti or Mauritania.
The trouble when you decide to mass-produce right away without going through the above-mentioned testing phase is that, if you fail, you fail on a MASSIVE scale, and the product you were trying to launch is dead for ever.
George W. Bush should have learned that at the Harvard Business School…had he not skipped class that is!
Well, my idea with that apparent tone in the other blog was to stake out terrain on a perceived "right wing" (aka: strong, bellicose) perspective and then critique the administration. But I think I'll just alter/expand Edit Copy's marginal footprint in the blogosphere.
My inspiration was TR's uncle, who puzzled over the Republican animosity for his nephew -- because TR was, after all, a regular old Democrat.
Yes, Bush could have learned a lot at HBS. One of the many lessons in his life he no doubt neglected.
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