You may have no doubt the Pope has a good intent, but I doubt so. Call me a skeptic

As for your last 2 comments… after moderating one interfaith discussions too many, I’d say, it’s very unwise to spout those statements.

So, no reply to those (although I can reply for the sake of replying)

The ancient God of Moses was depicted clearly as a wrafthful war god siding with them against other tribes and their gods. That of Jesus was that of a Loving Father who cares even for a swallow. As men changed in becoming more civilized so did/must their idealized and improved Concept of God. If they stick to an unchanging war god sort of worship, they’ll only end up as Osama and certain doom and destruction for themselves in due time, no matter how vehement they kept to their ideology. Their Kar-ma will run over their Dog-ma.

Jesus teachings are largely Spiritual, no where did he expound conquest or revolution as was hope for by the Jewish zealots who expected him to lead a revolt against Roman rule. He was a great Spiritual Master. What happened to the Church was not his fault.

There is no justification for drawing a moral equivalence between Osama and the Pope. I may not subscribe to the Pope’s doctrine but I accept that he is of good intent, not so Os-ly one.

I mean, Christians believe in the Trinity, but Muslims believe elsewise, though it still boils down to this one same proud entity of a god.

The anthromorphic identity isn’t necessarily tied to the god concept. I mean, the Jews and the Christians share the Pentateuch. The Muslims think that the Injil (i.e. the Bible) and the Talmud are also words of God. So it’s just building on precedents

I may have to take back my words – a small difference in the mind may be all the difference in the world, just like how a small degree off tangent a rocket’s launch vector would mean a very far distance away.

No, there’s no need to feel disturbed. But I always believe we can all do a part to make the world a better place (ooh, how uneconomist of me! I don’t think at margins! oops. I just divided by zero and went into nullinity)

Actually, you know what brings me satisfaction? If people would actually change (meself included). Change for the betterment of humanity.

And yea, I’ve been quite extreme in.. as you say, snivelling at the Church for its past. But sometimes, you need to look at history to avoid pitfalls in the future.

No cause to feel disturb or paranoid about this. Things aren’t going to change regarding the nature of good or evil even if you’re disturbed over this – they both come from the mind through the influence of the attendant ideology imbibed.

All the difference is source from the mind and how it perceives Reality. This is not a small difference ; it is all the difference. It’s all in the mind first and from there the effects are made manifest individually and en masse.

Osama thinks he is fighting for his “God” but what real God would need frail men to fight for him? Therein is the oxymoronic nonsense incorporated which he’ll never understand because his Creed permanently dooms his rationality and replaces it with prideful fanaticism.

When some religion became heavily tainted with politics and power as in the earlier days of Christianity, evil happened. The Reformation was the watershed and Humanism became a guiding force for society.

Railing at the Church will not bring you much satifaction. The actions that men do will rebound back on them in time. No sane Catholics would support the past historical excesses of their Church today but a lot of passive muslims may think that somehow Osama is not wrong. Karma isn’t exactly something inexorable but repentance and changes along the same line do ameliorate the bad consequences.

No point snivelling at the Church because of the past Popes etc. To do so reflects a lack of grace and tolerance on our own part. It is, afterall, not a party today calling for world domination but has within its fold a lot of good people not unlike those outside its fold.

The only difference between you and Osama, that is tangible, is your sex. You are female, he is male. Your molecular and microbiological build is otherwise the same.

The rest of the difference is intangible. Thoughts, actions (which has tangible outcomes though), understandings of the world, beliefs. He’s Muslim, and you’re Christian. He’s extreme in all sorts of actions, you are less (but still not centrist). Lots of difference I see, but nothing really tangible that makes a world difference.

Heck, even both you and Osama even believe in the same God – don’t tell me it’s a different one. Jehovah, Allah, Yahweh are all the same entity. Haven’t you heard that God has 99 names? (I know the 100th name too – it’s somewhere between ‘oi’ and ‘buddy, you still owe me 13k Teas from the last chess game. Paying back 7k Teas doesn’t constitute paying back in full.’). It’s the way you believe in the same God that is different.