Read about it here. Let us not forget that if this had happened in Saudi Arabia, this Christian brother could soon find himself without a head. (HT: Steve Ray)
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Recent Comments
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Pope Benedict XVI Baptizes Convert from Islam
by Francis Beckwith on Mar 24, 22:11 -
Pope Benedict XVI Baptizes Convert from Islam
by Lydia on Mar 24, 20:38 -
Pope Benedict XVI Baptizes Convert from Islam
by Kevin Jones on Mar 24, 18:35 -
Pope Benedict XVI Baptizes Convert from Islam
by Steve on Mar 24, 17:05 -
Pope Benedict XVI Baptizes Convert from Islam
by Aristocles on Mar 24, 17:01
Comments (10)
Could still happen. We shd. pray for him. He needs a few extra guardian angels, maybe.
Posted by Lydia | March 23, 2008 3:42 PM
I wondered, since they did it so publicly, if the Church wasn't preparing another martyr; he had death threats before this.
Posted by Steve | March 24, 2008 8:00 AM
Better than praying, we should hope another neocon isn't let loose to start more wars.
juancole.blogspot
Posted by Russ | March 24, 2008 10:29 AM
Russ can never get on a thread, it seems, without talking about the Iraq war. Liberals are like that.
As for martyrdom, I saw a quotation that made it clear the man is prepared for that. I think he has a lot to teach people in Rome--Christians and non-Christians--on several topics. I hope they listen.
Posted by Lydia | March 24, 2008 10:50 AM
It seems to me Rome is pretty shrewd in their relations with other religions. At times they come off as a bit too conciliatory for my taste but then the Pope goes and baptizes a Muslim convert on Easter! No mixed messages there in that act.
I'll be praying for Allam and Benedict; they'll probably both get some (more) death threats out of this.
Posted by mike d | March 24, 2008 11:48 AM
It seems to me Rome is pretty shrewd in their relations with other religions. At times they come off as a bit too conciliatory for my taste...
I believe they need to be in order to help the state of the persecuted Christians in those regions.
It is only through such diplomatic efforts that Christians in those regions survive.
If not, their extinction is assured.
Personally, the last thing I would want is these Christians, who many are descendants of the earliest Christians from the Days of Paul, to become extinct -- especially in regions that were originally Christian then.
Posted by Aristocles | March 24, 2008 5:01 PM
I concur, Lydia. Seems like he's ready.
but then the Pope goes and baptizes a Muslim convert on Easter! No mixed messages there in that act.
I especially liked the quote: "We no longer stand alongside or in opposition to one another," Benedict said. "Thus faith is a force for peace and reconciliation in the world: distances between people are overcome, in the Lord we have become close."
Faith is a force for peace and reconciliation in the world, not because Mohammedanism and Christianity are compatible, not that Mohammedanism is valid, but because this man converted to the ONE TRUE FAITH and was reconciled to God.
Posted by Steve | March 24, 2008 5:05 PM
Readers might be interested in the opinion of Abu Daoud, an Anglican who has done mission work in Islamic lands. He thinks it is a gesture of support directed towards MBBs, or Muslim-background believers:
http://islamdom.blogspot.com/2008/03/baptism-of-magdi-allam-wisdom-or-folly.html
Posted by Kevin Jones | March 24, 2008 6:35 PM
Aristocles, I know that's the common wisdom. I'm not sure that the common wisdom is correct, even strategically, much less in terms of keeping a clear sight of the truth. A dhimmi attitude isn't even always the best way to survive, and saying "don't rock the boat" to oneself and one's fellow Christians for generations warps the judgement on a variety of issues. In England the only one in the Church of England who is speaking loudly and clearly about the dangers of the Muslim gangs and the no-go zones is a bishop from those regions. This particular convert in the story in the main post (a guy who wrote a book called _Vive Israel_, of all things) certainly doesn't seem to believe that he is morally obligated not to say unplesant truths loudly about Islam because he will, if he does, be responsible for the extinction of his fellow Christians in the Middle East. To see what the alternative "strategy" looks like, consider that some of the comments that have coming out of Hamas-dominated Gaza from Catholics verge on disgusting--"Oh, no, Hamas is no problem" and so forth. The whole world is being misled about Muslim persecution of Christians in Gaza and the West Bank and the real cause of the disappearance of Christians from those regions, because the Christians themselves will not speak honestly to the press about it. We need more people like this guy.
Posted by Lydia | March 24, 2008 8:38 PM
I can imagine Sean Connery saying:
"Our messiah is killed...
He rises from the dead
Your prophet dies....
He remains in the grave
You behead one of ours...
We baptize the head of one of yours...
It's the only way...
It's the Benedict way."
Posted by Francis Beckwith | March 24, 2008 10:11 PM