Religions > Atheism > Defender of the West, Scourge of Islam: The Crusade of Pope Rat
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Religions > Atheism |
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"Gandalf Grey" |
| Date: |
18 Sep 2006 11:50:18 AM |
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Defender of the West, Scourge of Islam: The Crusade of Pope Rat |
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Defender of the West, Scourge of Islam: The Crusade of Pope Rat=20
By Gary Leupp=20
Created Sep 16 2006 - 10:02pm=20
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI gave a speech September 12 at the =
University of Regensburg in his German homeland. He discussed "the =
question of God through the use of reason" and the matter of getting =
"reason and faith [to] work together in the right way." His basic theme =
was that there has been a "synthesis with Hellenism achieved in the =
early [Christian] church" and that this relationship between =
Christianity and Greek philosophy and logic has been a very good thing. =
He warned against those who believe this synthesis is "not binding" upon =
new converts from non-western traditions; this view, he declared, is =
"false." The pontiff plainly intended to depict the Roman Catholic =
Church as supportive of modernity and science in general, and both =
western and tolerant.
The Pope opened his homily by referring affectionately to his years =
teaching at the University of Bonn (from 1959) during which the =
university was a "universe of reason." He then segued into a description =
of some of his recent reading.
"I was reminded of all this recently when I readpart of the dialogue =
carried on---perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near Ankara [in =
modern Turkey]---by the erudite Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus =
and an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and =
the truth of both."
Thus he alluded to an encounter between a Byzantine (Christian) emperor =
and a learned Persian (that is to say, Iranian) Muslim a century after =
the last major Crusade. (I'm wondering if there really was a Persian =
involved in a dialogue with Manuel, or if the emperor simply composed a =
dialogue to express his views.) The emperor, as cited by Benedict, tells =
the Persian,
"Show me just what Muhammad 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."
BBC News reports that the Pope said "I quote" twice, stressing that =
these weren't his own words. You can find the official text here [1].
The good Emperor Manuel regarded Islam as irrational in its alleged =
effort to spread itself by force. Manuel declared in response: "Not =
acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature." "Acting reasonably," the =
pope pointedly explained in his talk, means to act "with logos"-a term =
taken from Greek philosophy. The Pope did not return to the issue of =
Islam, but rather devoted his attention to the Church's (reason-filled) =
Hellenistic heritage. He declared, interestingly, that the Septuagint =
(translation of the Old Testament into Greek from the third to first =
centuries BCE) is an "independent textual witness and distinct and =
important step in the history of revelation." The broad point, again, is =
that the rational Greek mind and the mind of the Church are one, the =
pillars of the West.
Recall that the Greeks, aside from shaping rational western thought, =
also shaped our ideas about geography. The Greeks first divided "Europe" =
from "Asia," and opined that Greeks were unique and superior to the =
"Asiatics." The Greeks, declared the Father of History, Herodotus, knew =
that they were "free," whereas the Asiatics (particularly the Persians) =
were prone to enslavement by nature. This ideological construction =
derives from a century of conflicts---the Greco-Persian Wars of the =
fifth century---but it has been echoed by Orientalists for centuries. =
Repeated by the Pope, for example, who while still Cardinal Ratzinger =
told the French newspaper Le Figaro that Turkey should not be admitted =
into the European Union "on the grounds that it is a Muslim nation" =
which has "always represented another continent during history, always =
in contrast with Europe."
In beginning his remarks citing that exchange between a Byzantine Greek =
emperor and this "learned Persian," the pontiff was perhaps conveying a =
not-so-subtle political message. It may have been a response to the =
learned letter from Iranian President Ahmadinejad to President Bush. =
Ending his speech with two references to the need for a (truly =
reasonable, nonviolent) "dialogue of cultures" Benedict unmistakably =
alludes to former Iranian President Khatami's campaign for a "dialogue =
of civilizations." This is the Pope's rejoinder to that plea, presented =
as the response of the western world (growing out of that remarkable =
Judeo-Christian Greco-Roman synthesis), to today's Persia---the Islamic =
Republic of Iran.
Having read the speech I just have a few questions of my own for the =
Vicar of Christ.
Did the Byzantine emperors generally act according to "reason"---any =
more than their Persian, Turkish, or Arab contemporaries?
Let's look at this Manuel II character, whom the Pope calls "erudite." =
Crowned co-emperor by his father, in 1373, he lost his throne to his =
bother, who seized it in 1376. How'd he get it back? By calling for help =
from the Muslim Turks! I suppose that was reasonable.
Back on the throne in 1379, no doubt acting in accordance with logos, he =
paid tribute to the Turkish Sultan and actually had to live as a vassal =
at the Turkish court! But he rebelled in 1391, the very year that while =
in the "barracks at Ankara" mentioned by the Pope and preparing for war =
on the Turks, he wrote the above-quoted remark about God's nature.
Then what happened? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica: "A treaty =
in 1403 kept peace with the Turks until 1421, when Manuel's son and =
coemperor John VIII meddled in Turkish affairs. After the Turks besieged =
Constantinople (1422) and took southern Greece (1423), Manuel signed a =
humiliating treaty and entered a monastery."
Maybe it hadn't been so reasonable that time to meddle with those =
Muslims. Maybe the Pope could have mentioned this in his speech.
Here in 1391 we have an emperor in his war camp, provoking what was to =
be a disastrous war with Muslims while eruditely disparaging their =
religion. I'd like to ask the Pope:
Was there anything wrong with that?
And:
And when did the Byzantine Empire ever tolerate a "dialogue of cultures" =
or apply "reason" to religious issues?
Seems to me that the Byzantine emperors, including the Palaeologan line =
from the thirteenth century, persecuted religious minorities, including =
Jews, Manichaeans and dissident Christians, during centuries in which =
the Islamic world showed relative tolerance. I've read the texts of =
anathemas that virtually everyone in some parts of the Empire was =
obliged to pronounce publicly in the sixth century: "I renounce Mani, =
Buddha his teacher," etc. On pain of death, basically. There was no =
division between church and state. Many Byzantine Jews welcomed the =
initial Muslim Arab advances, providing relief from Christian =
persecution.
One increasingly expects historical distortion and hypocrisy in the =
speeches of Bush administration officials. The effort to depict the =
Terror War as a war on "Islamofascism" shows their desperation. They =
must be delighted to hear the pope conflate Christianity, the west, and =
Reason explicitly while implicitly linking Islam, violence, and =
irrational intolerance. How sweet that His Holiness's erudition should =
elliptically reference Iran, while the Bush administration prepares to =
attack it!
* * * * *
Breaking new ground for a Roman pontiff, Benedict forayed into the field =
of Qur'an exegesis in his talk, noting that the Muslim holy book states =
that "There is no compulsion in religion" (Surah 2: 256). But he notes =
that the "experts" say that this was composed early on, when "Mohammed =
was powerless and still under threat." He refers obliquely to "the =
instructions, composed laterconcerning holy war" implying that these =
more accurately characterize Islamic teaching. Is he not stating that =
the real Muslim teachings are those advocating intolerance and violence, =
and that Christian teachings pose a rational nonviolent alternative? =
Such an interpretation, aligning the Vatican with the neocon and other =
Islamophobic camps, could have serious religious and political =
implications.
The Regensberg talk has provoked an outcry, in Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon =
and Egypt. By all reports the Bishop of Rome is a very careful and =
deliberate man, who has just appointed a specialist in the Islamic world =
to serve as the Vatican's foreign minister. Much thought must have been =
put into the carefully-worded talk. But what is Rome trying to =
accomplish?
_______
About author Gary Leupp is a Professor of History, and Adjunct Professor =
of Comparative Religion, at Tufts University and author of numerous =
works on Japanese history. He can be reached at: =
[2].=20
--=20
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice =
issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, =
their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore =
their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we =
are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous =
public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of =
winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles =
are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson
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<DIV>
<H2 class=3Dtitle><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Defender of the West, =
Scourge of Islam:=20
The Crusade of Pope Rat </FONT></H2>
<DIV class=3Dsubmitted><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By Gary Leupp =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dcreated><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Created Sep 16 2006 - =
10:02pm=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dcontent>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI gave a =
speech=20
September 12 at the University of Regensburg in his German homeland. He=20
discussed "the question of God through the use of reason" and the matter =
of=20
getting "reason and faith [to] work together in the right way." His =
basic theme=20
was that there has been a "synthesis with Hellenism achieved in the =
early=20
[Christian] church" and that this relationship between Christianity and =
Greek=20
philosophy and logic has been a very good thing. He warned against those =
who=20
believe this synthesis is "not binding" upon new converts from =
non-western=20
traditions; this view, he declared, is "false." The pontiff plainly =
intended to=20
depict the Roman Catholic Church as supportive of modernity and science =
in=20
general, and both western and tolerant.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The Pope opened his homily by referring=20
affectionately to his years teaching at the University of Bonn (from =
1959)=20
during which the university was a "universe of reason." He then segued =
into a=20
description of some of his recent reading.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"I was reminded of all this recently when =
I readpart=20
of the dialogue carried on---perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near =
Ankara=20
[in modern Turkey]---by the erudite Byzantine Emperor Manuel II =
Paleologus and=20
an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the =
truth of=20
both."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thus he alluded to an encounter between a =
Byzantine=20
(Christian) emperor and a learned Persian (that is to say, Iranian) =
Muslim a=20
century after the last major Crusade. (I'm wondering if there really was =
a=20
Persian involved in a dialogue with Manuel, or if the emperor simply =
composed a=20
dialogue to express his views.) The emperor, as cited by Benedict, tells =
the=20
Persian,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"Show me just what Muhammad brought that =
was new, and=20
there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to =
spread=20
by the sword the faith he preached."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>BBC News reports that the Pope said "I =
quote" twice,=20
stressing that these weren't his own words. You can find the official =
text here=20
[1].</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The good Emperor Manuel regarded Islam as =
irrational=20
in its alleged effort to spread itself by force. Manuel declared in =
response:=20
"Not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature." "Acting =
reasonably," the=20
pope pointedly explained in his talk, means to act "with logos"-a term =
taken=20
from Greek philosophy. The Pope did not return to the issue of Islam, =
but rather=20
devoted his attention to the Church's (reason-filled) Hellenistic =
heritage. He=20
declared, interestingly, that the Septuagint (translation of the Old =
Testament=20
into Greek from the third to first centuries BCE) is an "independent =
textual=20
witness and distinct and important step in the history of revelation." =
The broad=20
point, again, is that the rational Greek mind and the mind of the Church =
are=20
one, the pillars of the West.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Recall that the Greeks, aside from =
shaping rational=20
western thought, also shaped our ideas about geography. The Greeks first =
divided=20
"Europe" from "Asia," and opined that Greeks were unique and superior to =
the=20
"Asiatics." The Greeks, declared the Father of History, Herodotus, knew =
that=20
they were "free," whereas the Asiatics (particularly the Persians) were =
prone to=20
enslavement by nature. This ideological construction derives from a =
century of=20
conflicts---the Greco-Persian Wars of the fifth century---but it has =
been echoed=20
by Orientalists for centuries. Repeated by the Pope, for example, who =
while=20
still Cardinal Ratzinger told the French newspaper Le Figaro that Turkey =
should=20
not be admitted into the European Union "on the grounds that it is a =
Muslim=20
nation" which has "always represented another continent during history, =
always=20
in contrast with Europe."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In beginning his remarks citing that =
exchange between=20
a Byzantine Greek emperor and this "learned Persian," the pontiff was =
perhaps=20
conveying a not-so-subtle political message. It may have been a response =
to the=20
learned letter from Iranian President Ahmadinejad to President Bush. =
Ending his=20
speech with two references to the need for a (truly reasonable, =
nonviolent)=20
"dialogue of cultures" Benedict unmistakably alludes to former Iranian =
President=20
Khatami's campaign for a "dialogue of civilizations." This is the Pope's =
rejoinder to that plea, presented as the response of the western world =
(growing=20
out of that remarkable Judeo-Christian Greco-Roman synthesis), to =
today's=20
Persia---the Islamic Republic of Iran.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Having read the speech I just have a few =
questions of=20
my own for the Vicar of Christ.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Did the Byzantine emperors generally act =
according to=20
"reason"---any more than their Persian, Turkish, or Arab=20
contemporaries?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Let's look at this Manuel II character, =
whom the Pope=20
calls "erudite." Crowned co-emperor by his father, in 1373, he lost his =
throne=20
to his bother, who seized it in 1376. How'd he get it back? By calling =
for help=20
from the Muslim Turks! I suppose that was reasonable.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Back on the throne in 1379, no doubt =
acting in=20
accordance with logos, he paid tribute to the Turkish Sultan and =
actually had to=20
live as a vassal at the Turkish court! But he rebelled in 1391, the very =
year=20
that while in the "barracks at Ankara" mentioned by the Pope and =
preparing for=20
war on the Turks, he wrote the above-quoted remark about God's=20
nature.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Then what happened? According to the =
Encyclopedia=20
Britannica: "A treaty in 1403 kept peace with the Turks until 1421, when =
Manuel's son and coemperor John VIII meddled in Turkish affairs. After =
the Turks=20
besieged Constantinople (1422) and took southern Greece (1423), Manuel =
signed a=20
humiliating treaty and entered a monastery."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Maybe it hadn't been so reasonable that =
time to=20
meddle with those Muslims. Maybe the Pope could have mentioned this in =
his=20
speech.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Here in 1391 we have an emperor in his =
war camp,=20
provoking what was to be a disastrous war with Muslims while eruditely=20
disparaging their religion. I'd like to ask the Pope:</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Was there anything wrong with =
that?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And:</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And when did the Byzantine Empire ever =
tolerate a=20
"dialogue of cultures" or apply "reason" to religious issues?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Seems to me that the Byzantine emperors, =
including=20
the Palaeologan line from the thirteenth century, persecuted religious=20
minorities, including Jews, Manichaeans and dissident Christians, during =
centuries in which the Islamic world showed relative tolerance. I've =
read the=20
texts of anathemas that virtually everyone in some parts of the Empire =
was=20
obliged to pronounce publicly in the sixth century: "I renounce Mani, =
Buddha his=20
teacher," etc. On pain of death, basically. There was no division =
between church=20
and state. Many Byzantine Jews welcomed the initial Muslim Arab =
advances,=20
providing relief from Christian persecution.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>One increasingly expects historical =
distortion and=20
hypocrisy in the speeches of Bush administration officials. The effort =
to depict=20
the Terror War as a war on "Islamofascism" shows their desperation. They =
must be=20
delighted to hear the pope conflate Christianity, the west, and Reason=20
explicitly while implicitly linking Islam, violence, and irrational =
intolerance.=20
How sweet that His Holiness's erudition should elliptically reference =
Iran,=20
while the Bush administration prepares to attack it!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>* * * * *</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Breaking new ground for a Roman pontiff, =
Benedict=20
forayed into the field of Qur'an exegesis in his talk, noting that the =
Muslim=20
holy book states that "There is no compulsion in religion" (Surah 2: =
256). But=20
he notes that the "experts" say that this was composed early on, when =
"Mohammed=20
was powerless and still under threat." He refers obliquely to "the =
instructions,=20
composed laterconcerning holy war" implying that these more accurately=20
characterize Islamic teaching. Is he not stating that the real Muslim =
teachings=20
are those advocating intolerance and violence, and that Christian =
teachings pose=20
a rational nonviolent alternative? Such an interpretation, aligning the =
Vatican=20
with the neocon and other Islamophobic camps, could have serious =
religious and=20
political implications.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The Regensberg talk has provoked an =
outcry, in=20
Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt. By all reports the Bishop of Rome =
is a very=20
careful and deliberate man, who has just appointed a specialist in the =
Islamic=20
world to serve as the Vatican's foreign minister. Much thought must have =
been=20
put into the carefully-worded talk. But what is Rome trying to=20
accomplish?<BR>_______<BR><BR></FONT></P>
<DIV class=3Dnodeauthor-info><FONT face=3DArial><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN>About=20
author</SPAN> Gary Leupp is a Professor of History, and Adjunct =
Professor of=20
Comparative Religion, at Tufts University and author of numerous works =
on=20
Japanese history. He can be reached at: [2].=20
</FONT></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-- <BR>NOTICE: This post contains =
copyrighted=20
material the use of which has not<BR>always been authorized by the =
copyright=20
owner. I am making such material<BR>available to advance understanding=20
of<BR>political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice =
issues.=20
I<BR>believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material=20
as<BR>provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright<BR>Law. In =
accordance with=20
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"A little patience and we shall see the =
reign of=20
witches pass over, their<BR>spells dissolve, and the people recovering =
their=20
true sight, restore their<BR>government to its true principles. It =
is true=20
that in the meantime we are<BR>suffering deeply in spirit,<BR>and =
incurring the=20
horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public<BR>debt. =
But if=20
the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have<BR>patience till =
luck=20
turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning<BR>back the =
principles=20
we have lost, for this is a game where principles are =
at<BR>stake."<BR>-Thomas=20
Jefferson</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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