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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
Submitting....

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 and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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Reader comments (34) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Another Lie [35 words]AaronMay 7, 2006 07:2544977
A French newspaper [141 words]Kees RudolfApr 21, 2006 16:2043756
Goosa [11 words]RajJul 19, 2009 15:2243756
Don't over-react to what Fessio thinks he understood what Pope said [165 words]SA FranceApr 5, 2006 10:1542450
WITHOUT CHRIST [99 words]donvanMar 8, 2006 17:2839419
Peace [91 words]JumanaMar 7, 2006 23:4839296
1Struggling with Identity of Islam [304 words]PonderingFeb 23, 2006 04:0837549
1Qu'ran or Islam [109 words]tellisMar 16, 2006 20:0037549
struggling Identity [60 words]observerSep 26, 2006 00:4837549
Keep dreaming [171 words]NOORFeb 19, 2006 02:1236302
Hey, then please go back to that and let us be!!! [136 words]AnneMay 6, 2006 12:2336302
Leave us alone [62 words]Octavio JohansonMay 6, 2006 17:5236302
version corrected for diplomatic resons? likely [162 words]brunoFeb 6, 2006 15:2133952
Expounding On Ambiguity? [563 words]orange yonasonJan 31, 2006 16:0833309
Conspiracies to Control The World [810 words]howlinJan 30, 2006 16:2133146
kuran and reform [134 words]G.BisvasJan 31, 2006 12:5533146
Reply to Howlin [353 words]No DhimmiJan 31, 2006 22:0733146
No Dhimmi [60 words]howlinFeb 1, 2006 12:1833146
Reforming Barbarians [359 words]orange yonasonFeb 1, 2006 14:2233146
Howling at Howlin: Learn the Facts [635 words]JoeFeb 14, 2006 22:0233146
an all out effort [76 words]donvanFeb 21, 2006 13:4833146
To Joe: [29 words]jeffreybFeb 25, 2006 23:0833146
reply to Jeffery, here is the proof [52 words]JoeFeb 28, 2006 00:2233146
To Joe [99 words]jeffreybFeb 28, 2006 16:1533146
again [666 words]JoeMar 1, 2006 13:2533146
To Joe [23 words]jeffreybMar 1, 2006 16:4033146
Does Benedict XVI agree with Ratzinger? [473 words]Tom McLaughlinJan 30, 2006 09:1333097
Conditions for Changing Islam [553 words]Mike RamirezJan 29, 2006 18:4033045
Last chance to turn this around? [284 words]Darwin barrettJan 29, 2006 17:3333037
The compounding of error [284 words]WilliamJan 29, 2006 09:0633001
Comments by William [15 words]JerryJan 29, 2006 20:0633001
oil and women [72 words]yuval brandstetterJan 29, 2006 08:4032998
why u people see only one side of picture [42 words]Ahsan HussainJan 30, 2006 08:5932998
Comment to #643 Correction to Pope and the Koran [135 words]William Sumner ScottJan 29, 2006 04:2932982

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