Posted by howard on February 21, 1998 at 17:16:33:
In Reply to: Re: Why Muslims are wrong in their beliefs. posted by Mohamed Ghounem on February 20, 1998 at 23:53:33:
: Dear Brother Howard,
: Salam (Peace)
Dear Brother Mohamed:
Salam:
Thank you for your humble and thoughtful reply.
: You wrote:
[: Even Popes accepted the Qur'an's Divinity, in the 60's a Pope suggested that Christianity and Islam Unite, after studying Islam.]
: I quoted:
: : : Pope Paul VI and the Second Vatican council declared in 1964 that "the Church also has a high regard for the Muslims. They worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has also spoken to men. they strive to submit themselves without reserve to the hidden decrees of God, just as Abraham submitted to God's plan, to whose faith Muslims eagerly link their own. Although not acknowledging him as God, they venerate Jesus as a prophet, his virgin mother they also honor, and even at times devoutly invoke. Further they await the day of judgment and the reward of God following following the resurrection of the dead. For this reason they highly esteem an upright life and worship God, especially by prayer, alms-deeds and fasting.
: : : Over the centuries many quarrels and dissensions have arisen between Christians and Muslims. This sacred Council urges all to forget the past...let them together preserve and promote peace, liberty, social justice and moral values."
: I wrote;
: of course, no Pope has ever accepted the Quran's divinity or said that Christianity and Islam should unite.
: You replied: [Maybe I am reading into it but if the Pope said "Muslims worship God", I would take a guess that this Pope knows that Muslims read the Qur'an. With this in mind, the Pope does not say Muslims follow a false god, the Pope says that Muslims follow God, the Creator, therefore confirming the Qur'an is Divine.]
I reply: It is true that Muslims, Jews, and Christians believe in the same God, but it is absured to conclude form this that the Pope is a Muslim, or that he believes in the Quran. The quote from the Second Vatican council explicitly says that Muslims fail to believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, which along with the Blessed Trinity is the central belief of the Christian faith. See also Pope John Paul II's chapter on Islam in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope.
: [I regretably wrote;
: Catholics worship statues of saints, what can be worst than that ?]
: I responded;
: Of course, not true. Let's learn a lesson from Pope Paul VI and the Catholic Church and not speak ignorantly of other religions and defame them.
: You responded:
: [I agree and apologize for my ignorant statement, I have been to Catholic churches and have seen the members go down on their knees and (kiss, pray to, and bow to) statues of saints, when I inquired of the symbolism behind what I saw, I was told that they are as equal, that they do not just pray to the Creator, but also to saints, each saint has a power.
: [I admit that I felt more spirituality in Catholic churches]
Thank you for this kind word about the Catholic Church. I don't know if you know that we Catholics believe that Jesus is present in our Chrurches in a special way in the Blessed Sacrament, which is usually reserved in a tabernacle, near a lit flame.
Catholics adore God alone. However just as all Christians ask their friends to pray to God for them, Catholics and Eastern Orthodox ask our best friends and God's best friends--the Saints who are in heaven--to pray to God for us. We don't pray to statues: we ask the prayers of the Saints whom the statues represent. Iconocolasm, the heresy you are echoing, was refuted by the council of Nicaea in 787. since you admirably say that you want to know the truth about what the Church teaches, and not a misconception (which it is easy for us to have about each other's religions), you may want to refr to the recently published and easily available Catechism of the Catholic Church for authoritative statements about what Catholics believe about the Blessed Trinity; Jesus Christ, who is true God and true Man; the saints; statues and icons; and the Blessed Sacrament.
: Peace and Blessings,
: Your Brother in Islam: Mohamed
Peace and Blessings,
Your Brother in the One, True God: Howard