Pope Benedict turns towards Mecca!!!

[Tess]

[color=indigo]....whatever next, will he recommend that us girls wear the veil

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1130/pope.html

Tess[/color]

[Bogwarrior]

I welcome the new Popes attempts to reach out to Muslims, and also the Turkish Muslims invitation to the Pope. Much more of this is needed to repair the damage caused by Bush and Blair to Christian/Muslim relations.

[Coles]

[color=indigo]....whatever next, will he recommend that us girls wear the veil
[/color]

As far as I know Muslim girls don't have to wear the veil...

[President Bartlet]

I think all credit to him thus far - he playing a blinder - doing everything right

[Respvblica]

[color=indigo]....whatever next, will he recommend that us girls wear the veil

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1130/pope.html

Tess[/color]

No he has to this. He's also reaching out to the Orthodox by reading the Lords prayer in Greek. Amazingly Greek(the language of teh Gospels) was banned by the Vatican in mass the middle ages and helped cause the Roman-Byzantine split in 1057.
Anyway Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims as well as Jews and prosetants pray to the same one God, the God of Abraham. Its about time we started excluding the zealots and start focussing in the things we have in common.
Good on the pope.

[Tess]

I welcome the new Popes attempts to reach out to Muslims, and also the Turkish Muslims invitation to the Pope. Much more of this is needed to repair the damage caused by Bush and Blair to Christian/Muslim relations.

[color=indigo]I think the Pope's gesture was more to do with his own blunder (have you forgotton his remarks about muslims?) than anything to do with Bush/Blair. Muslims have been attacking Christians before ever B/B were heard of.

Tess[/color]

[Marx]

I welcome the new Popes attempts to reach out to Muslims, and also the Turkish Muslims invitation to the Pope. Much more of this is needed to repair the damage caused by Bush and Blair to Christian/Muslim relations.

[color=indigo]I think the Pope's gesture was more to do with his own blunder (have you forgotton his remarks about muslims?) than anything to do with Bush/Blair. Muslims have been attacking Christians before ever B/B were heard of.

Tess[/color]

"His" remarks about muslims were not his own if you recall.

I think the show of unity between the Catholic and Orthodox churches is to be welcomed and seems to have a lot of substance behind it than mere showing off. I think the Churches have realised thst they have to unite if they are to survive. Christian leaders have tended to fight with each other rather fight for what they stand for and have in common.

[Munion]

The popes remarks were taken out of context. He chose his words poorly but his main point is valid. Namely that Christians view God as rational and moral who adheres to his own rules, compared to the Islamic view of God in that he is above reason.

This then extends down to the believers of both faiths. The majority of Christians do not take the Bible literally, it is merely considered a series of metaphors to aid us to live a good life. Muslims believe that the Qu'ran is the exact unadulterated word of God and that it is perfect and immutable, so they take a very literal interpretation of what it says.

It is a major theological difference between the two religions and one the pope was hoping to open a dialogue about. I'm glad to see the pope taking such a proactive role in trying to reach a common understanding with the Islamic faith.

[Marx]

The popes remarks were taken out of context. He chose his words poorly but his main point is valid. Namely that Christians view God as rational and moral who adheres to his own rules, compared to the Islamic view of God in that he is above reason.

This then extends down to the believers of both faiths. The majority of Christians do not take the Bible literally, it is merely considered a series of metaphors to aid us to live a good life. Muslims believe that the Qu'ran is the exact unadulterated word of God and that it is perfect and immutable, so they take a very literal interpretation of what it says.

It is a major theological difference between the two religions and one the pope was hoping to open a dialogue about. I'm glad to see the pope taking such a proactive role in trying to reach a common understanding with the Islamic faith.

There are those who do take the bible literally too reminds me of President Bartlets attack on the christian conservative on the West Wing

I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing: while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits.

[Inishowen]

Excellent West Wing quote Marx, where did you get it?