The Pope Takes a Postmodern Punch in the Nose by Islam
The Pope Takes a Postmodern Punch in the Nose by Islam
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
(Matthew 10:34-39 NKJV)
The Pope Takes a Postmodern Punch in the Nose by Islam… but Jesus was never a violent man. However, He said that following Him could bring violence. How could this happen? When you say you are a follower of Jesus, there are going to be some people who will react violently to you – no matter what you say. This was best illustrated by the Pope (Pope Benedict XVI) in his address at a German university this past weekend.
What did this nice smiling man say that upset so many followers of Islam?
Here is the quoted text in English.
What has struck me the most is not what the Pope said. It was actually quite long and academic. He emphasized the need for reason in today’s world even when it comes to encountering different cultures, and different religions. He decidedly remarks that reason should be coupled with our faith and that this same reason should be the place where we can have a “dialogue of cultures.”
Apparently, this invitation wasn’t taken so well by the Muslim culture. To say that Mohammad promoted violence as part of his religion upset many followers of Islam.
We should not be surprised at the reaction of so many Muslims. Jesus said that we should expect these kinds of reactions. It is not a matter of intolerance to say that you are a Christian and that you oppose Islam. Jesus would never have been so tolerant to other religions. As a matter of fact, He upset quite a few followers of Judaism in His day.
This experience with the Pope does tell us that Jesus was exactly right in what He said. In today’s postmodern world (when modern methods like reason don’t seem to bring cultures and religions together), we have to learn that all voices are important in the conversation. People of different faiths (followers of Islam as well as followers of Christianity) will have to learn to be patient and tolerant even when someone (like this Pope) says something that they don’t like.
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