Pope Criticizes Islamic Fanaticism

Pope Criticizes Islamic Fanaticism: "Pope Criticizes Islamic Fanaticism
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By TRACY WILKINSON Los Angeles Times
Published: Sep 13, 2006
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TBO.com Site Search | Tribune archive from 1990REGENSBURG, GERMANY - Pope Benedict XVI stepped into the volatile realm of religious violence Tuesday, warning that fanaticism is 'contrary to God's nature' and quoting a criticism of historical Islam likely to inflame tensions in the Muslim world.
Speaking to academics at the University of Regensburg where he taught theology in the 1970s, the pope traversed centuries of Islamic, Greek and Christian philosophy to decry holy wars and forced conversions, and to hold up Christianity as the 'profound encounter of faith and reason.'
The pope's lecture was long, dense and subject to wide interpretation. Rather than criticize Islam directly, he cited a Byzantine emperor's harsh condemnation of Islam, its founder Muhammad and holy war.
Benedict used the word 'jihad,' choosing the emotionally and politically loaded Arabic term for holy war or struggle.
'Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul,' Benedict said. 'Not to act in accordance with reason is contrary to God's nature.'
In contrast to fanatic abuse of religion, the pope said, in Christianity 'the fundamental decisions made about the relationship between faith and the use of human reason are part of the faith itself.'
Ultimately, Benedict's long exposition was not about Islam but about the dangers " Congrat's Pope For Pointing out what the rest of us are thinking killing infidels in the name of god is not what I eqate to Religion....... Thank you Pope Benedict XVI David And Nikki M.