Benedict's Words Should Spark Dialogue

Tim,
aren't you being a little too hasty in your post to blame islam as the source of violence?
Do you think that islam encourages all the terrorist activities which the so-called-muslims do in the name of 'jihad'?
no!infact in the holy quran it is said that killing one innocent man is like killing the whole mankind..then how can it EVER support the terrorist activities which a few misguided people do..?
In Islam we do have freedom of expressions,infact more than any other religion and it has many rights to..in other religions do you think divorce is allowed,do women get a share of the property?
Islam cannot be forced upon anyone..but unfortunately some people do..it's their fault ,their mistake should not be portrayed as that of islam's.
Lastly,before you go around spreading your wrong messages,please read the translation of the quran..maybe you'll realize how wrong you were in your thinking...
Nazreen

I agree but we moderns have made it an art form and have further debased what was already modestly bad too a much larger degree.

TO GARYD:

You wrote, "Astute comments Mr. Baum. That however is modernity for you.", actually Garyd, people have been very good at not listening to what other people actually say, probably, for as long as there have been people.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

Astute comments Mr. Baum. That however is modernity for you.

Less and less attention is paid to what people are actually saying these days. And what little attention is being paid is generally eaten up in trying to find something at which to take umbrage without regard to the point that is actually being made.

TO CHARLES COLSON:

You wrote concerning what Pope Benedict said in Regensburg, "The broader point that Benedict was making that day was that violence needed to be renounced because it is contrary to the nature of God and sound reason."

You also wrote, " For that, he was pilloried by both Islamists and Western secularists."

Two good points but isn't it sad that some people seem to be so hung up on their preconceived biases that they refuse to even listen even tho many of them consider themselves so open-minded.

I thought that being open-minded was at least listening to someone to see what they actually said and if you disagree fine and if you agree fine but doesn't it seem that to some being open-minded means only agreeing lock, stock and barrel with what they consider open-mindedness?

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

The premise of this question makes no sense. Would we ask that the CEO of Toyota build bridges with General Motors? The Christian church competes with Islam. Why do we expect the head of a major Christian Church to be out building bridges with the competition? Perhaps because we fear Islamic violence. This is called appeasement and has never worked. Bridges we do not need nor should we expect from either Islam or Christianity. What we need is for Islam to renounce the use of violence so we can all compete and express our opinions without the fear of Islamic terrorism and intimidation. What we need is for Islam to recognize freedom of religious expression and allow Christian recruitment in their own countries, just as they can compete for recruits in our country. Islam does not compete fairly and hides behind a double standard and when they don't get their way, they use or threaten violence. Why should the Pope spend any time trying to build bridges, like Islam can be appeased? If the Pope gives them an inch and they will take a mile.

today there was an old woman in hunger picking up the rice on the earth, and a soldier was laughing at her by the car.

in Iraq, there is a story, a man and a philosopher meet. the man has a donkey with a load of rice and stones, stones are for balance.

the philosopher offers the man to throw the stones and share the rice to each side of the load.

the man looks at the philosopher, he has worn clothes and a stick. then if your mind was beneficial for you, i would accept your offer. but as far as i see, it is not.

and the man goes his way with his donkey.