The Mystic Christian Reader

For the last couple days, I've been overhearing things on the news about Pope Benedicts' "insensitive" remarks about the Islamic teaching of Holy War. Pope Benedict was quoting Emperor Manual II Paleologos, the 14th century emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Here is the offending comment:

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the
Pope said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to
spread by the sword the faith he preached'."

"Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul," the pope also said in his speech, calling on different cultures to engage in dialogue.

Certain Islamic political leaders have demanded a personal appology from Benedict, and Morrocco has actually withdrawn its embassador to the Vatican. My question is this: Does the pope have some political requirement to be politically correct? I personally believe that Jesus was a teacher of Unity, a teacher that we are all Children of God... But, does the pope have to teach this? The Vatican has been scrambling to downplay the comment, saying that the pope was pointing to the wrongness of Holy War, that God would never demand violence of his children, no matter what a prophet might say. They've also been saying that the Pope respects the people of the islamic faith. But, does he HAVE to?

I personally believe in the "one heart" of all true lovers of God. I believe that there is One God, and that there have been MANY true prophets over the course of human history. Each of those come at a certain time, with a certain message, and that message is tailored to that specific time and place. While I have found Jesus' teachings to resonate with me the most deeply, I cannot recomend them to all. MANY people have read the Bible and found within it the command to kill in God's name, just as some have done with the Qu'aran. Past popes are within that group. That there is now a Supreme Pontiff at the healm speaking out against violence says much about the evolution of Western Culture.

But, this doesn't mean that Benedict believes a word of my interpretation of scripture. The Catholic Church... EVERY Christian church in modern times, actually... teaches that Jesus is the doorway to heaven. "I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me" If Benedict really believes that literally, why should he be expected to teach something different? Why should he be expected to teach that Mohammed was a great guy, when The Prophet single-handedly created a movement that destroyed Christianity's influence in the middle east in the late 600's? Wouldn't this be like the President of the United States being expected to say what a great and peaceful leader Jefferson Davis was? I don't agree that Mohammed was evil, because I've read the teachings of the Sufi Masters, and if that is the fruits of true devotion to the path of Mohammed, then Mohammed MUST have had his Spiritual ducks in a row.

But I'll come out and say it too: Holy War is stupid. God doesn't want us killing each other. Screw PC'ness and respecting everyone's religion for a moment. Jihad, as it is preached by Islamic Extremists, is so obviously against God's will that it doesn't take someone even remotly as holy as the pope to see it.

My number 1 point, however, is this: Why is everyone acting so surprised that the Pope would be saying that other religions aren't as good as Christianity? Isn't that his damn job? It's like being surprised that the Michigan Militia is against open borders. For most of the time, my beliefs are pretty PC, but I don't get surprised when other people aren't, and I don't hold them up to some kind of standard that's against their true nature or that contradicts their job description. News flash, international community: The Pope Likes Jesus better than Mohammed... What a scoop! And remember, you heard it here first on The Mystic Christian Reader!