The Pope's speech (link)

[fpb]

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060912_university-regensburg_en.html

Scientists and philosophers appreciated it.
Howling mobs of fanatics hated what they could understand of it.
(This suggests that a lot of LJers will hate what they can understand of it.)

Comments

[lyssiae.livejournal.com]

Take a look at some people on my flist: not only did it take some more than was necessary to read the thing before reacting to it, they've also apparantly misinterepreted the "apology".

I generally take an optimistic view of humanity: I believe that with some effort, pretty much everyone (in any event, a damn sight more than currently seems to be the case) would be able to follow structured arguments as seen in the Pope's lecture.

At the very least, I will cling to that optimism until they decide to beat it out of me. Not even people burning effigies of my optimism will deter me! Muahaha!

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I dealt with the person who posted about the "apology". Very severely.

[lyssiae.livejournal.com]

*blink*

I never even thought that person could react like that. Much less that he ever would. Oh man. There's a certain variety of foul language that I just expect parents to keep under wraps in public, but apparantly that person doesn't have the same scruples. I hope his daughters are my age, because until I was turned 20 the worst curse I heard come out of my father was "Hell's teeth".

I regret telling you about it now. I don't mind the comment you made - you're much braver than I would have been, although I was thinking along similar lines - I just don't like being the source of that filthy language. All I really wanted was to share it with someone - you - whom I knew would understand the frustration I was feeling.

Oh well. Thinking that everyone's different, sundry and logically opposing religions can happily live side by side is a nice (in the nightmareish sense of the word) idea, but it's not going to happen, and I suppose the sooner we all get used to that idea, the better.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I don't mind telling you that I was slightly surprised too. Although a man who seriously thought that the Pope should have apologized to mobs of unappeasable haters who just wait for the next lie for which to swarm and murder, because they accepted lies about what he had said, deserves correction. But his reaction was astounding. However, I think I taught him one lesson: that when it comes to invective, I am the 1000-pound gorilla. It has been a while since I seriously stretched my capacity to insult people - not that I am proud of it, but he started with the insults.

And I did go after him to begin with. Seek the battle, don't complain of the wounds, says a wise man.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I posted on a subject connected with the Pope's speech - "Logic and God" - in my community "FPB de Fide Catholica": http://community.livejournal.com/fpb_de_fide/2269.html
If you are interested, please have a look.

[lyssiae.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the link; I'm having a read now.