Because the quote he was using was a stupid one to make the point he was trying to make. The point he was trying to make was that violence under the name of any and all religions is a bad idea. To use someone who was a leader and supporter of the crusades to make that point is stupid, and a poor choice of words. There is no other way around it, except by willful ignorance.
I must have confused all your comments about Buddhist and Taoist extremism with the few instances that you comment on Islamic extremism. My bad dude. lol
Muslims, aka Saracens before the tribal breakups. I realize that not all Muslims are terrorists, but the vast majority of terrorists are Muslims. The uproar prompted me to read some historical treatises regarding the Crusades. For example, after terrible battles during the day, both sides called truces at night so that medical personnel could tend the wounded. Saracen and Christian doctors alike rendered aid regardless of "uniform."
The picture you showed wasn't a violent protest at all. You were upset because they were "aggressive" "threatening" looking protests and oh my they had beards! How absurd. We could take a camera to the Supreme Court any number of times a year and see all kinds of aggressive, threatening, ugly looking protests. Are you some kind of enemy of freedom that Muslims aren't allowed to protest with menacing looking banners and long beards? Furthermore, there are well over 1 billion (with a B) Muslims in the world. Even if you were to claim there were 100,000 violent Muslim protesters in the world that would be far less than 1% of the Muslim population in the world. Let's also say that there are 10 wackos supporting violence for every 1 violent Muslim protester, that again is less than 1% of Muslims. That is hardly representative of Islam or Muslims as a whole. You're just broad stroking when it's convenient to your argument.
I didn't know in what context the Pope was using the quote...no harm done in my opinion. However, initially I thought that it was inappropriate to use such a quote, not knowing why it was being used; since most media outlets weren’t explaining either (blame them for that) In terms of the protest: You’ve got to understand the situation in countries such as Pakistan (which is where most of the pictures are coming from). These people are illiterate, and so are the Mullah’s at the mosque’s (there are no ruling bodies that create pre-requisites for someone to preach to the public) … so basically you are seeing some folks who don’t really understand why they are protesting (calling them intolerant/a**holes doesn’t appear to be a mature thing to do) … If you want to really want to understand the problem you’ve got to see the factors which have created this problem: The Paki government, which cares more about its bank account than for the general public. Having a corrupt government isn’t helping it’s people; it’s leaving people to learn a religion and nothing else (they are not being prepared for the this world), therefore its leaving them to find an agenda in the religion. Sir Jackie Chiles…everyone is different across the world, making fun of someone's appearance is just making you look bad and intolerant…
I didn't say that Islam or Muslims as a whole were necessarily violent. Also, I think that violent Christian anti-abortion fanatics are idiotic wackos as well, not even to mention racist assholes who set synagogues on fire. So my beef is not only with Muslim extremists, but with all extremist and intolerant idiots who are violent because of some perceived superiority of their religion, race or whatever. However, it is evident to me that, of the World's religions, there are unfortunately more intolerant extremists and generally are much lower tolerance level for other people's beliefs to be found among Muslims. That is my perception based on personal experience and based on statistical evidence, but please do not confuse me stating this perception with a general statement that Islam would per se be "worse" than another religion or that all Muslims encourage violence or something like that. It's a fact, though, that more terrorist crimes are committed in the name of Islam than in the name of any other major religion. And that there seems to be much more outrage and more violence when there is a perceived "insult" to the Muslim religion than when there are perceived "insults" to other religions. Again, it appears that among Muslim leaders, on average, the willingness to reciprocate with the same level of respect they demand for themselves is simply not there. Calling the pope someone on the same level with Hitler and Mussolini based on his speech is outrageous. Why is there more protest from Muslims against the pope's speech than against a ludicrous statement like that?
Yes, but who stirs their hate? Right, I should have called those who steer these illiterates and incite the hate intolerant assholes, not the illiterates themselves. My bad. Still, being poor or illiterate does not excuse everything. They can demonstrate all they want, sure, but I can (fortunately still) say that I dislike their aggressive and menacing demeanor and that I think they are idiots for displaying all that rage because they let some preachers of hate incite all that anger within them. That might be true. However, I still think the people in the pictures look like they are full of hate and anger, and that is why I made fun of their appearance, not because I want to offend all people who dress that way or don't shave.
I read the entire speech. I think it was a badly chosen speech. Like I have said before: Currently a lot of people are afraid that there is a war between religions. So if the leader of one of those religions gives a speech were he says the things the pope said it is not smart. And since i do not think the Pope is a stupid man he must have had a reason to make these comments. I do think a lot of people overreacted on the comments, But it is not a smart speech of the pope.
the mullah's...the anger is from the situation they live in...they know nothing but religion. The paki government is to blame, the U.S should not have given them a loan (World Bank) (for allowing to use their land to attack afghan)...the country was going to go bankrupt...i believe you should first crash and burn to get back onto the right track...however with the loan they are still the second most corrupt country in the world. As I said, you have to understand the situation...to me these people are like little kids who don't know better...making fun of them accomplishes what?
I agree with you and that's the problem the entire world faces right now. I think it's a lot more complex an issue than a lot of weterners are willing to admit. We're also unwilling to accept responsibility for our role in fostering some of this extremism. I think ME Muslim nations are in the early stages of learning how to reconcile Islam with modern ideas on government, freedom, and economics. It's not something that's going to happen overnight though.
I'm glad I shall try tp explain why i think it was badly chosen. The last couple of years a lot of people think that there maight come a war between religions, and some even think we that war is already happening(iraq, isreal etc). Also some Muslims fear that the West think that the entire Muslim community are agressive (because of the terrorist attacks). The pope made a comment about violence and religion. I do not understand why he would use this quote from ages ago. Couldn't he find a quote about chistians and violence(like the crusades). IMHO it was obvious that the muslim community would not like this quote since it also states that Muhammed did not bring anything good to the world. So i think it was badly chosen given the current situation of the tension between religions. And he could just as easily have used a example of christians and violence. Since he was showing the Christians that violence and religion do mot go togeter.
I've read the whole thing which is why I mentioned that his overall purpose was a good one, just that selection was clumsy and unfortunate.
It was the part about the Muslim extremists being too thin-skinned. The groups who lash out, and commit violent acts because anything said that can be interpretted as negative about Mohammed, Allah or Islam is not acceptable by Westerners, Christians, Buddhists, other Muslims, etc. So read the entire post before making an ignorant accusation.
Oh no problem, extremism is horrible, but most of the world's terrorists these days are coming from the Islamic faith....of course that is not an indicator of Islam...I mean it can't be right? DD
