A thought or two on the furore that followed the pope’s recent talk.
I am a Catholic. I don’t know whether the pope could have been a bit more tactful in his remarks, but he does not seem to have said anything terrible. The response that his remarks have evoked in the Muslim world is just crazy.
I for one am fed up with the way we have to pussy-foot around other religions. We are told, for example, that if we as much as mention Christmas it will offend other religions. I can still (just about!) remember when this was considered a Christian country. Christianity is still part of our culture and heritage, whether or not you believe in it yourself. I would never go to live in, for example, a Hindu country and expect them not to mention one of their religious festivals just in case it might offend me. How dare any one expect that of us.
This latest stuff seems a bit like the final straw. All Christians, not just Catholics, need to stand up and be counted. We will not be bullied away from our beliefs by others who do not share them.
Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Baptist, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, etc., etc. …………….. whatever the tag we put on our beliefs, we are all God’s children. We are all struggling along, making mistakes but doing the best we can in what can seem a bewildering world. We all have to love each other and be tolerant to each other’s beliefs. If we cannot even try to do that, then surely there is very little hope for the world………..
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Some blogs mentioning the pope & his present problems: –
Catholic Londoner
Catholic Ragemonkey
Father Ray Blake
Butterhook
(grateful thanks to Butterhook – who is not a Catholic – for his thoughts on this. I agree with every word he says!)
Holes In The Sky 