tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post1678819419274825504..comments2023-10-20T05:51:51.625-04:00Comments on The THINK 3 INSTITUTE: The Pope on Religion and IdeologySamuel Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post-24347386713194218622009-05-12T17:56:00.000-04:002009-05-12T17:56:00.000-04:00The divisiveness of monotheistic religion has litt...The divisiveness of monotheistic religion has little to do with politics. The bottom line is that, according to religious dogma, there can be only one TRUE religion. The Jews claim theirs is the original, therefore only, true religion and they're just waiting for the messiah to show up for the religion to reach its fulfillment.<BR>The Christians insist that the messiah <I>did</I> show up, in the guise of Jesus, and since the Jews rejected him, he opened up the gates of heaven to Gentiles instead. They point to their "new" testament as "proof" that their religion is the TRUE religion.<BR>The Muslims say that the christians <I>were</I> the true religion, but they changed the bible so many times that it is no longer the official inspired "word of god" and another man, Mohammed, and that he was inspired directly to write the Koran, which is the last and final word of god to his creations. (Of course the Mormons will now insist that Joseph Smith has trumped both Mohammed and Jesus and that <I>they</I> now have the monopoly on truth... <BR> <BR>Basically, as long as they all claim themselves as the holders of the "truth", and the others are, to one degree or another, false, the divisiveness remains.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post-82757918613229610942009-05-12T13:02:00.000-04:002009-05-12T13:02:00.000-04:00The problem with Ratzinger's type of "reason" is t...The problem with Ratzinger's type of "reason" is that it depends on a major premise that must be taken on faith. At the same time many Muslims will tell you that "reason" confirms what the Qur'an already proves. Faithful reason in either form presumes that a God on the Abrahamic pattern is necessary for anything to exist or have value. I don't agree.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post-27352142654767942502009-05-11T18:46:00.000-04:002009-05-11T18:46:00.000-04:00"Such people must be swayed by reason." Ironicall..."Such people must be swayed by reason." Ironically, the main theme of the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_Islam_controversy" REL="nofollow">controversial speech</A> Benedict delivered in 2006, which enraged many Muslims, was precisely "faith and reason."d.erishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com