All Comments (11)

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I strongly support the Papal visit to Turkey, and look forward especially to his visit to Istanbul, where Christian, Jewish and Muslim spiritual leaders frequently mingle, and church bells and Islamic calls to prayer intermix..

As for suicide bombers, it is explicitly banned in the Koran to commit suicide.. There are more than a billion Muslims in this world, from Bosnia, to Turkey to Indonesia, and the overwhelming majority is saddened and shocked when they hear terrorist acts. Please stop branding these crazy guys as Muslims, they are not Muslims! they carry a political agenda and commit acts any true Muslim vehemently opposes.

Yes, just because there are "turn the other cheek" Christians and Muslims doesn't mean that the violence in the world will stop. We will still have incidents like the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11, we will still have wars like Iraq and Darfur.

I think that you can only save yourself from your animal nature.

Question. Were the Muslims that hijacked the airplanes and flew them into the WTC born with that attitude or did they get it through being indoctrinated into the Muslim FAITH?

It doesn't matter that there are "turn the other cheek" Muslims. There will always be Muslims like the ones who did the deed, 9-11-2001. Well, only as long as there are Muslims. They seem to be self destructing. Before anyone can make peace with them they must make peace with themselves.

I think the anger has only a little to do with the Pope's comments. The anger is brought on by the inequalities and past confrontations of the two great peoples.

I think there are people in both Christianity and Islam that have a 'turn the other cheek' philosophy. In both peoples, the powerful, the desperate, and the gullible are drawn into the violence and can sometimes justify it through their particular interpretations of the holy books.

Thanks Cal, for being willing to put yourself out here on the line for your faith. I read your columns and articles with pleasure as many Believers do. I urge all who call themselves Believers and Followers in Christ (the word Christian is way too watered-down) to be as bold as Cal Thomas.

As an answer to your question, I must ask a question. Do we (Believers) really understand the beliefs of Islamic followers? Or do we press our faith onto theirs in order to make sense out of it? It seems that the latter is true to me. We cannot understand how a person would die in a suicide bombing raid but would we not gladly die to persecution before we betrayed our Lord? We are identified as Believers in Christ by our love for others just as the Islamic followers are now being identified by their hatred for us. Both are equally strong examples of their respective faith.

I question the Pope's trip to Turkey as religious or as showing love to those who hate and spitefully use us. I think he travels for political reasons. He can never persuade others to faith in Christ, that is the Holy Spirit's job, but he can definitely sow the seed of God's Word. I think he missed a great opportunity to do that when he first insulted his audience. How can they hear without the preacher?

He/she will justify the killing as "call" from allah. All anyone needs to do anything (murder, rape, theft etc.) is the "call" from god. "God told me" is good enough for many people and all the justification they need.

Yeah. And I take a risk every time I drive a car. It's a calculated risk and he took it to score political points with his base constituency.

If there was any real risk, and if he really believed the dogma he preaches, he would go to Turkey on a donkey, carrying nothing but an olive branch. I'm sure God would protect hm.

IF ANYONE UNJUSTLY KILLS A PERSON, IT IS AS IF THEY HAVE KILLED ALL OF HUMANITY.
Qu'ranic verse

Of course there is no justification for such an action. Anyone who would do such a heinous act is not muslim, but a crazy person.

The pope is in danger. He is not welcome in muslim countries.

If a muslim "hears the voice" of Allah to kill the pope than he/she will try. Because he/she is "called" upon to kill him in the name of their religion.

Anyone can justify anything in the name of their religion. Does that sound reasonable?

I think the Pope would do well to say "Mea culpa" first- rather than throwing the first stone. I don't believe the remark was taken out of context because there was no following disclaimer- no disassociation by Benedict after the comment. If there were such a benign intention- the inference would not have been made. The question should not be shifted to the response of the muslim community- but the motive behind what he surely knew would be an incendiary quote. Bt including this condemnatory quote- there is an implied comlicity in his sympathies which Benedict never explains. The entire speech goes on to claim to be endorse reason in faith- but such an inflammatory and accusatory quote at the outset, somewhat belies any declarations of reason due to the fact that it is an unreasonable asessment of a particular faith. I wouldn't address an audience with an opening quote from Hitler, say, and not expect a response from the Jewish or Roma or Jehovah's Witnesses or homosexual contingents who might be offended by such an assertion.
The Pope is knowingly keeping the pot stirred by going to Turkey...let's not forget he is opposed to their inclusion in the EU- so I do question your asessment at the innocuous nature of his visit there.
peace