Clarity is such a good thing

There is such a thing as too much information, especially when the bulk of it is distorted or misleading. The mainstream media are very good at covering natural disasters. Man made tragedies just drive them all to their political instincts and we get knee-jerk reactions. The good and intelligent coverage needs a forum. I try to find the best articles and analysis on the issues to provide that.

In the earlier post, I suggeted you read this piece on Asia News by Samir Khalil Samir SJ about Pope Benedict’s address at Regensburg this week, and the controversy over his remarks on Islam. Below, I only got to the opening remarks of the article. Here’s more:

It is necessary to keep in mind that what the Pope did was prepare and deliver a speech as an academic, a philosopher, a top theologian whose arguments and fine points may not be easily grasped.

The media—which should indulge in some self-criticism of its own—picked out those remarks from the speech that it could immediately use and superimposed them on the current international political context, on the ongoing confrontation between the West and the Muslim world, taking a step back into what Samuel Huntington called a ‘Clash of civilisations’. In reality, in his speech the Pope outlined a path that runs contrary to this view. The goal he has in mind is actually to engage others in a dialogue and of the most beautiful kind.

Pay attention. Just about nobody else is putting out this depth of understanding and insight.

Initial reactions in the Muslim world showed that the Pope’s was misunderstood. Some reports actually said that at Regensburg University the Pope had delivered a lecture on ‘technology’ rather than ‘theology’ (evidently something got lost in the English translation). Even though newspapers eventually printed corrections, it was the following day. All in all, it goes to show how no one really understood what he said.

Comments made by Western Muslims were superficial and fed the circus-like criticism. In a phone-in programme on al-Jazeera yesterday, many viewers called in to criticise the Pope but no one knew about what. These were just emotional outbursts in response to hearsay concerning the Pope talking about jihad and criticising Islam, when in fact all that is false.

Fr. Samir quotes the Qu’ran, and makes clear the Pope’s reference, and the proliferation of other possible references to violence. Then he gives it all context.

Normally, speeches by the Pope are never preceded by a title. This inaugural address however was different; it had a title—“Faith, Reason and the University. Memories and Reflections”—because it was part of academic exercise. If one reads through the whole document, one would find that the word “Reason”, as the key point in the message, appears 46 times.

Islam, Judaism, and especially Western culture also do appear, but the text the Pope delivered was a criticism of the concept of Reason as it evolved in the West since the Enlightenment.

A few days earlier he had also criticised German bishops for giving precedence to “social” rather than “religious” projects (like building churches or evangelising).

In the speech Pope was trying to show how western society—including the Church—has become secularised by removing from the concept of Reason its spiritual dimension and origins which are in God. In early Western history, Reason was not opposed to faith, according to the Pope, but instead fed on it.

So, this out-of-control madness started with an address the Holy Father gave for the purpose of returning to reason.