Unfortunate Comments

Pope Benedict's perceived anti-Islamic comments which is generating outrage around the Islamic world is quite unfortunate. He was actually qouting some 14th century conversation between two prominent personalities about Islam forcing conversion through the sword. Which is true, anyway, but which offends a lot of people.

To begin with, the history of Christianity isn't exactly peaceful, either. The history of the Church is filled with violence, all in the name of religion: the Crusades, Inquisition, Hundred Years' War. The list goes on and on.

But does he need to apologize? I don't think so. He clearly has strong views about Islam. But who doesn't? After all, as the Supreme head of the Roman Catholic Church, he is tasked to defend the institution, for better or for worse. And he did just that, when asked to comment about the differences between religions.

And I'm sure, if Muslim clerics were asked the same question, you'd pretty much expect the same sort of answer that the Pope gave, just the other way around, you know, in Islam's favor.

It would have been different if he acted like Franklin Graham who called Islam a "very wicked and evil" religion, while Pat Robertson went as far as describing it as Satanic. Now that was really bad, but that episode didn't even create as much stir as the one the Pope now has generated.

So people, pipe down will you. There's no need to over-react.