Oh, dear! Is Pope Benedict XVI angling for another fatwa?

POPE Benedict yesterday issued a strong call for religious freedom in Arab countries, saying everyone should have the right to practice their faith openly and to convert to other religions if they wanted.

The Pope, who was addressing Catholic bishops from Arab regions, also said he was concerned that parts of the Middle East risked becoming just "an archaeological site" if an exodus of Christians forced out by violence continued.

"I dearly hope that authentic religious freedom could become reality everywhere and that everyone's right to practice their religion freely, or to change it, should not be impeded," he told the bishops, speaking in French.

"This is a primordial right for every human being."

Indeed, he went even further.

"It is understandable that the circumstances sometimes push Christians to leave their country to find a more welcome land where they are allowed to live more freely," he said.

"But we must encourage and firmly support those who choose to remain faithful to their land, so that it does not become an archaeological site devoid of any church life," he continued.

And I agree with him that it is the duty of every Christian to support these oppressed brothers and sisters. But the problem is that there are too many Muslims, of the Islamist variety and others considered more mainstream, who want to guarantee that their lands are not even archaeological sites with a remnant of Christian history (or the history of other faiths) remaining. Consider the malignant work of the Taliban with the ancient stone Buddhas -- destroyed by repeated shelling with artillery pieces.

Religious freedom is a right with which we are endowed by our creator -- and one recognized under international law. When will the rights of Christians in the Muslim world be protected by the international community?

Posted by: Greg at 02:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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