RR16/christianity

From the page: "The patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia says he will announce to the world Friday the unveiling of the Ark of the Covenant, perhaps the world's most prized archaeological and spiritual artifact, which he says has been hidden away in a church in his country for millennia, according to the Italian news agency Adnkronos.

Abuna Pauolos, in Italy for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI this week, told the news agency, "Soon the world will be able to admire the Ark of the Covenant described in the Bible as the container of the tablets of the law that God delivered to Moses and the center of searches and studies for centuries.""

From the page: "June 22, 2009 5:30 AM
by Raymond Ibrahim
Journalist and Author
Are Judaism and Christianity as Violent at Islam?

There is far more violence in the Bible than in the Qur'an; the idea that Islam imposed itself by the sword is a Western fiction, fabricated during the time of the Crusades when, in fact, it was Western Christians who were fighting brutal holy wars against Islam."[1] So announces former nun and self-professed "freelance monotheist," Karen Armstrong. This quote sums up the single most influential argument currently serving to deflect the accusation that Islam is inherently violent and intolerant: All monotheistic religions, proponents of such an argument say, and not just Islam, have their fair share of violent and intolerant scriptures, as well as bloody histories. Thus, whenever Islam's sacred scriptures�"the Qur'an first, followed by the reports on the words and deeds of Muhammad (the Hadith)�"are highlighted as demonstrative of the religion's innate bellicosity, the immediate rejoinder is that other scriptures, specifically those of Judeo-Christianity, are as riddled with violent passages."

From the page: "Headlines throughout the world announced this week that Pope Benedict XVI, while visiting Jordan, spoke of his "respect" for Islam. This came on the heels of the Pope's notorious 2006 speech at Germany's Regensburg University. In that speech Benedict quoted Emperor Manuel II, one of the Byzantine monarchs, who said: "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."

The outrage throughout the Muslim world was immediate and overwhelming. The Pope issued clarifications and explanations, but Muslim outrage continued. This week, with the Pope scheduled to make his first papal visit to an Islamic country, the sensitivities were high."

From the page: "The resignation of Michael Nazir-Ali as Bishop of Rochester is a terrible blow, not just for the Church of England but for Britain.

The bishop says he is resigning so that he can work for endangered or beleaguered Christian minorities both abroad and in the UK.

What a shocking rebuke to the church, that he has to leave his post of influence and authority as a bishop in order to carry out the church's core duty to defend its own against attack. "

From the page: "The idea of interfaith trialogue is commendable, except, in this case there is one enormous problem. Muslim side is represented by none other than the infamous Ingrid Mattson, the president of ISNA. The same ISNA that was a co-creator of Muslim Brotherhood Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America, which, among other things,"

From the page: "Reflections from a concerned Christian on interfaith networking

Adrienne Perch
As someone initially enthusiastic about interfaith, I have become increasingly doubtful about the value of interfaith with Muslims. For that reason, I went along to a meeting at Bnai Brith, a Jewish group, on 26 October 2008 titled �oeIs Interfaith Networking Working?” The main speakers at the meeting were: Rev Dr Mark Durie, Mr Yasser Soliman and Rabbi John Levi. "


Do Interfaith Meetings really work?

From the page: "Botros is an unusual figure onscreen: robed, with a huge cross around his neck, he sits with both the Koran and the Bible in easy reach. Egypt�s Copts �" members of one of the oldest Christian communities in the Middle East �" have in many respects come to personify the demeaning Islamic institution of �oedhimmitude” (which demands submissiveness from non-Muslims, in accordance with Koran 9:29). But the fiery Botros does not submit, and minces no words. He has famously made of Islam �oeten demands” whose radical nature he uses to highlight Islam�s own radical demands on non-Muslims."

From the page: "Few of the BBC�s critics would seriously suggest that the broadcaster should refrain from satirizing religion (the obvious solution for people who think they�re going to be offended by a program is not to watch it); they ask only that the BBC be as �oefearless” in dealing with issues surrounding Islam as it is in its treatment of Christianity. But of course that�s not going to happen."

The BBC biassed? Who would have thought!