tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post8796882806436985475..comments2023-12-16T16:17:43.886+00:00Comments on Fr Ray Blake's Blog: Islamic scholars send open letter to Pope BenedictFr Ray Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584140126211527252noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-20295674767428705332008-10-05T14:45:00.000+01:002008-10-05T14:45:00.000+01:00what whitestonenameseeker said about indonesia was...what whitestonenameseeker said about indonesia was true<BR/> becos i am from indonesia...sometimes the groups of islamic people stil burning churches and ran people who believe in Jesus away from their home.what they said about being so tolerant to other religion isnt all true.but theres no protection from the gov.such incident rarely being put in the news so the world will never know the truth or eventho my christian brothers know they will never help us ...they too busy being a hero in iraq just for their OILAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-36151968226882034502007-10-16T11:30:00.000+01:002007-10-16T11:30:00.000+01:00The idea that Muslims and Christians should get to...The idea that Muslims and Christians should get together and emphasise the common essentials of the two religions is an interesting one.<BR/><BR/>Some years ago Muslim missionaries from Birmingham set up a stall locally for a few weeks, with literature promoting Islam and attacking Christianity. What was said the in anti-Christian books demonstrated that the authors had only the haziest notions of Christian theology and what they were attacking bore little resemblance to Christianity as it actually is.<BR/><BR/>The same applies to the anti-Christian references in the Koran itself; since Islam largely defines itself by spelling out its differences from an imagined version of Christianity, it is curious that there should now be a desire to emphasise the similarities.<BR/><BR/>Can we therefore expect the signatories of the petition to start by taking instruction in Christianity so that they understood what it was actually about?Physiocrathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13682019625346594568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-43637166531469273362007-10-13T02:23:00.000+01:002007-10-13T02:23:00.000+01:00Fr. Ray,On more comment on this topic if I may. Th...Fr. Ray,<BR/><BR/>On more comment on this topic if I may. The great religious contest in the world today is between Christianity and Islam for winning the hearts and minds of the billions of people in Asia who are neither Christian nor Muslim.<BR/><BR/>It is beginning to dawn on moderate Muslims everywhere that Islamic terrorism and the connotation of violence are doing incalculable harm to the credibility of the Islamic faith in an evangelizing sense. So this initiative by the Islamic scholars must be seen in that context.<BR/><BR/>The average God-seeking Chinaman or Korean, for example, who is becoming ever more Westernized in lifestyle and in tastes, is hardly likely to be attracted to a religion like Islam - not just because it isn't the religious culture that produced the technological revolution and not just because of its Arabist bias, but because it looks like a dangerous and atavistic anachronism.<BR/><BR/>Christianity faces a great struggle with Islam during the 21st Century, but I am convinced that the outcome is assured, because "you will know them by their fruits" and the pagan billions in India, China and the rest of the Far East are working this out for themselves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-52867795753118928722007-10-12T13:16:00.000+01:002007-10-12T13:16:00.000+01:00Sadly, these scholars are in the main right. Islam...Sadly, these scholars are in the main right. Islam has very very few ideological enemies.<BR/><BR/>There is only Christ and anti-Christ. At the moment anti-Christ looks unassailable all over the globe. So what if the heads of the many headed beast spend a little time headbutting each other for supremacy. That's its nature. It is worth remembering it is still one beast whose every head denies Christ. Sometimes, when we focus on defending ourselves against one head, we find that we've been attacked from behind by a far more vicious one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-40494956710338007532007-10-12T12:36:00.000+01:002007-10-12T12:36:00.000+01:00Fr. Ray,Paulinus is quite right. But this is an ex...Fr. Ray,<BR/><BR/>Paulinus is quite right. But this is an excellent opportunity for the Holy Father to put Islam on the spot, as it were, by referring to the outright oppression of Christians in the Islamic world as part of the Vatican's official response to this letter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-27859391046259123252007-10-12T11:35:00.000+01:002007-10-12T11:35:00.000+01:00Fine words.Is this a belated Muslim condemnation o...Fine words.<BR/><BR/>Is this a belated Muslim condemnation of 9/11 and 7/7 ?Dr. Peter H. Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13955402188119575105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-14424610477368253552007-10-12T10:30:00.000+01:002007-10-12T10:30:00.000+01:00I would love to support this letter - but I find t...I would love to support this letter - but I find the irony in it too strong. In Pakistan after the the quake Christians were forced from their homes to make way for muslim families whose homes had been damaged.<BR/>I have friends in Indonesia who had to run for their lives and hide in the hills while Muslims tried to burn down their homes and churches. People were hurt and killed.<BR/>I could write about oppression very very close to me-but I am not sure that would be safe; but let me say this I am celebrating Eid tomorrow with someone in appalling circumstances and my husband is helping another couple of families in equally appalling circumstances; one because a family member has become Christian.<BR/><BR/>I hope these clerics receive strong replies. Clean up YOUR act and then we'll talk.WhiteStoneNameSeekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817511811745085749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-82219564335128746952007-10-12T09:38:00.000+01:002007-10-12T09:38:00.000+01:00Aw, come on guys why the scepticism??? Hmmmmm - po...Aw, come on guys why the scepticism??? <BR/><BR/>Hmmmmm - ponders image of mufti with AK47 in one hand and a letter of peace in the other. "You WILL believe us when we say we are the religion of peace - or we'll cut your heads off"!<BR/><BR/>It's not that we don't believe them (much) it's just that the historic record since the 8th Century tells a bit of a story.<BR/><BR/>I think it will take a lot more than a bunch of muslim scholars and a letter. How about leaving Israel alone, how about stopping the butchering of their own people in Iraq, stopping the suicide-bomb culture among their youth, teaching their own people about hope and peace and love, leaving the Buddhists alone in Myanmar, allowing Catholic Church building in the Middle East, stopping the persecution of Christians, spending $zillions of their oil revenue on improving the civil infrastructure and business development in their own countries etc... etc....etc....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-87286198013429457562007-10-12T08:33:00.000+01:002007-10-12T08:33:00.000+01:00I've got a bridge for sale too. Any takers?I've got a bridge for sale too. Any takers?gemoftheoceanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05521207668262592414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-67950528986337256182007-10-12T08:14:00.000+01:002007-10-12T08:14:00.000+01:00"so long as they do not wage war ...... on account..."so long as they do not wage war ...... on account of their religion, oppress them and drive them out of their homes," <BR/><BR/>Sounds like the fate of many Christians in Pakistan, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq...Paulinushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764882488839589040noreply@blogger.com