More than a little odd

There is goodness in the hospitality.

And God's mysterious ways are always a marvel.

But there's something odd here about the islum component I think. It reeks of fear and ignorance. Maybe even danger.

link

The Catholic Church has given a commitment that it will not try to convert members of other religious denominations taking part in inter-faith forums and volunteering facilities.

It is also calling for 8000 people, including those of other faiths, to volunteer for the largest Catholic event on the 2008 religious calendar. There will be roles in areas including operations and crowd management, customer service, language and translations, staffing, hospitality and catering, accommodation, production, communications, liturgy and evangelisation.

Sydney Muslim leaders have offered to open their mosques and schools to World Youth Day pilgrims while the Catholic Church has given a commitment not to try to convert WYD volunteers of other faiths.

OK already. The first thing that springs to mind is not trying to convert other Christians. We just don't do that. But everyone knows how touchy muslums are about conversions. It results in the killing of the convert. That does not sound like a good environment to be sending enthusiastic Catholic youth.

The president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Ikebal Patel, said Sydney's Islamic leaders had responded positively to the overtures of the Catholic Church and saw World Youth Day as an opportunity to "break down barriers" between the two faiths.

Some mosques would be willing to open their doors to inter-faith forums, and could even invite Catholics to Friday prayers. At least four or five schools present at the meeting would be willing to offer their school halls for boarding.

"I think as Muslims in Australia we want to demonstrate very positively we are part of the community. There is not inherently that much difference between Islam and Christianity and this is an opportunity to educate the general community and Christian faith."

Again, in the last sentence is the punch line. Good Ikebal can't be that seriously mistaken in his knowledge of Christianity.

Unlike Hindus or Buddists who have no issue with Jesus, islum is directly opposed to Him. That angel who whispered to Mahotmet told all the secrets needed to set up islum dirctly opposite Christianity and Israel. Muslums are founded upon the falsehoods of Jews and Christians. They are the true over-and-against religion.

Much like how protestants can only define themselves by their differences with Catholics, muslims can only define themselves as the people who have corrected the lies and errors of Jews and Christians.

In case you didn't know, the angel whispered that it was not really Jesus on the cross... it was Judas. Because God was unhappy with people shouting Hossana to Jesus, God punished Jesus by not letting him be crucified. He made people believe that Judas looked like Jesus. So poor Judas got crucified, and Jesus hid out to live another day without any crazy resurrection of course.

For Ikebal to say "There is not inherently that much difference" is astounding. He may be referring to our supposed common worship of God the Father. Which is a really nice link of course, unless you dig into how God the Son is the same God. End of discussion.

And without the peace of Jesus, the sermon on the Mount, the sacrifice of the Cross; you get a religion of killing warriors. Killing converts, killing inhabitants of land claimed as muslum, stoning women, cutting off hands for stealing food.

There are inherently some difference after all it seems.

Again, not a place for the energy of our wound up Catholic kids to remove their shoes, bow to Mecca, and hunker down for the night. They might sign their death warrant.