[lit-ideas] Re: Reading the Pope's speech and his apology
- From: Chris Bruce <bruce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:04:37 +0200
Just so that it's clear:
In an interview with the Norddeutschrundfunk (the northern Germany
radio network) which has just a few minutes ago been broadcast, a
spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Church has stated unequivocally
that the pope has *not* apologized - and has no reason to apologize -
for anything contained in his recent lecture at Regensburg University
("Faith, Reason and the University - Memories and Reflections").
According to this spokesperson, what Benedict XVI has done is express
his *regret* that some of his remarks, taken out of context, have been
misinterpreted.
Moreover, according to this spokesperson, the 'real' culprits
responsible for the current animosity between Muslims and 'the Western
world' are … well … none other than my atheist and agnostic colleagues
and I.
It seems that it is our 'cynical disrespect' [zynische Missachtung] for
religion that has driven wedges between members of the God-fearing
religious community of the world; a community consisting of Christians,
Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, et al., who, apparently, if
it were not for the nefarious misdeeds of atheists and agnostics, would
be happily united in fraternal love for one another and all who truly
seek to know, love and serve God. According to this spokesperson,
Muslims have no quarrel with Christians that would lead to such hatred
and violence as witnessed in recent years. It is we atheists and
irreligious agnostics who are the cause of all the trouble.
So, I suppose it is up to *me* to make an apology (of sorts):
I am truly sorry that there are people in the world who feel so
threatened by genuine philosophical skepticism - i.e., inquiry - that
they respond to any attempt at reasoned argument about what they term
'articles of faith' with ad hominem attacks, persecution, and calls for
severe and violent retribution. I am truly sorry that I have in the
past pursued my 'inquiry' into what for some are 'unquestionable
questions of dogma' insufficiently cognizant of the consequences -i.e.,
that there are those for whom such questioning is an attack on
fundamental constituents of their 'existential selfhood'; an attack so
pernicious that the only appropriate response is either murderous
violence, or incitement to murderous violence on the part of others.
There you have it …
… now what am I supposed to do?
Chris Bruce
Kiel, Germany
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