Okay, for today's way politically incorrect post...I have been thinking about the whole issue of the war on terror and how I have read many articles and such on whether it is a religious war. Clearly to our enemies it is, no matter what our namby-pamby political leaders and far too many Christian religious leaders say. Here is what Pope Urban said in 1095 at Clermont to launch the First Crusade (yes, there's that word Crusade) and he hits it on the head.
"Although, O sons of God, you have promised more firmly than ever to keep the peace among yourselves and to preserve the rights of the church, there remains still an important work for you to do. Freshly quickened by the divine correction, you must apply the strength of your righteousness to another matter which concerns you as well as God. For your brethren who live in the east are in urgent need of your help, and you must hasten to give them the aid which has often been promised them. For, as the most of you have heard, the Turks and Arabs have attacked them and have conquered the territory of Romania [the Greek empire] as far west as the shore of the Mediterranean and the Hellespont, which is called the Arm of St. George. They have occupied more and more of the lands of those Christians, and have overcome them in seven battles. They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the churches and devastated the empire. If you permit them to continue thus for awhile with impurity, the faithful of God will be much more widely attacked by them."
Remember, most of the early conquests by Islam were Christian lands where the Church had existed since the time of Christ. Why don't we want to stand up to the violent expansion of Islam today?
Europe is clearly on the downslide, and I really wonder if the situation is salvageable. The current Pope sure seems to be trying to give the European bishops and laity a wake up call to renew the Church, but I wonder if it isn't a little too late.
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