Benedict and the Sword

If person A suggests that religion B has a history of irrational violence in the service of faith, it seems to me that one of the least effective ways to make a counter-argument is to immediately call for the execution of person A. Examples are everywhere, but the latest one is radical cleric Anjem Choudary, who, while speaking outside of Westminster Abbey - bonus points for noting the irony - said the following:

"Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment."

He added: "I am here have a peaceful demonstration. But there may be people in Italy or other parts of the world who would carry that out. I think that warning needs to be understood by all people who want to insult Islam and want to insult the prophet of Islam."

Some readers, here, feel the urge to equivocate; to balance the moral scales with some counter-example why the Pope, according to some contortion of reason, is really on par with radical clerics like Choudary. What about ... uh ... the Inquisition? Or how about all of the people who have been killed throughout history by the church's policy of [Fill in the Blank].

Only last year - not hundreds of years ago - a man in Afghanistan converted to Christianity from the Muslim faith. And even moderate imams in that country announced that death was the appropriate punishment. And only this year millions of left-talking free thinkers (such as the New York Times) favored the abandonment of free speech in favor of sensitivity in the case of the Dutch cartoons. And lets not forget the murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh - nor the recent news of what is happening to his son.

That's recent history. And I could fill several pages with other examples and pictures of the violent protest. But you can get that elsewhere.

As a Catholic familiar with the articles of faith - and the litany of complaints by detractors - I think I can say that my tradition is reformed, compassionate, inclusive, and entirely in harmony with free and pluralistic societies. But unfortunately, by even treading near the topic of radical Islam the Pope may have kicked the whole mess downfield, closer to a full-blown clash of civilizations. His broader pastoral message will be deliberately ignored. And the extremists have all they need to inflame their blood-hungry constituents.