Howling at Howlin: Learn the Facts
Reader comment on item: A Key Change to "The Pope and the Koran"
in response to reader comment: Conspiracies to Control The World

Submitted by Joe (United States), Feb 14, 2006 at 22:02

The connections between Islam and Catholicism are non-existent. In no way are the religions similar in their de jure manner, and were only similar in their de jure manner during the Middle Ages. I will now disprove everything you said.

The Crusades were indeed political, initiated only after called on by Emperor Alexis (Orthodox) of the Byzantine Empire. At this time the Turks were taking control over the entire region, infringing on an ally's homeland, and refusing Christians entry to the Holy Land. The Crusades were political, but were defensive, and were a call to help.

No church or any relgious institution pays taxes, because they are non-profit. If your church is, then perhaps it is because your minister is pocketing the profits.

The Catholics do not worship idols, hence the break with the orthodox church over the matter. This was the first schism. I am also fairly sure that the Muslims do not worship idols, and in fact, idol worship is shirk, or forbidden and unforgiveable.

Catholics are welcoming all, and are not prejudiced against anyone. Recently, the schisms between Orthodox and Catholic churches have been mended. They can take the Eucharist (the actual body of Christ-consubstantiation) at our mass. We are trying to reunite all peoples under the same Christian body. Hence our slogan, "We are one body in Christ, and we do not stand alone".

There is no hierarchy of death. In Catholicism, there is NO purgatory and NO Hell. The purpose of the rosary is to keep you in the presence of God during prayer. Cyclical prayers are for the purpose of remaining in God. The DIFFERENCE between Catholicism and Islam, is that while Catholics may work cyclical prayers, it is based more on devotionalism.

The following are simply not true (give me an example if you disagree): repress women, follow pagan rituals, works oriented to eventually get to a higher after-life, use terror in unleashing hatred, punish and extricate the unfaithful, etc.

Satan is practically non-existant. In the Bible, if you have ever taken a course, Satan is always "The Satan" and is a title. This is similar to the mistranslation of Adam from a title as father of all things to Adam as the man. Lucifer is a fallen Babylonian king. The serpent of the garden is never mentioned as Satan, and Hell is never mentioned in the Bible ("Gehenna" is an actual place, misinterpretted).

The pope is closer to God. These true popes do believe in good. How else could JPII forgive his attempted assassin? They are entrusted with the Holy Spirit, spiritual discernment, forgiveness, grace, etc. Protestants believe in these things as well, that come with grace. He is not the Christ child on earth.

As for the Bible, we are the ones with the closest translation from Hebrew. Only the book of revelations came later.

Here is what you missed: Catholics believe good people go to heaven, regardless of indoctrination. A merciful God would not send Ghandi to hell, nor any religionist devoutly searching for God. There is no Hell as a place, for God would not force his creation into eternal suffering (the soul is not corporal anyway), and is rather the self-separation from God (who is heaven). Catholics believe all is love, and agape (disinterested love, or love without self-interest involved). Love is universal.

Catholics initially viewed Muslims as a heresy within the Church, before they learned about it.

Muslims also do not follow pagan rituals, and theirs was a religion against paganism and polytheism at all costs.

The greatest difference between Islam and Catholicism, is that Christ conquered death through his blood sacrifice, there is NO hell or purgatory, agape, and no exceptions to pacifism and love. Islam: clear exceptions for non-Muslims, powerful Zoroastrian imagery of Hell, working Satan, no devotionalism, etc. The list is enormous.

Any questions or something I missed, please respond.

Keep Christ in Christmas,

Joe

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.