Re: Muhammad's Sword: Uri Avnery

[Jim Devine <jdevine03@xxxxxxxxx>]

Uri Avnery write:
> Therefore, [Benedict] admitted that the Qur'an specifically forbade
the spreading of the faith by force. He quoted the second Sura, Verse
256 (strangely fallible, for a pope, he meant Verse 257) which says:
"There must be no coercion in matters of faith."

> How can one ignore such an unequivocal statement? The Pope simply argues that this commandment was laid down by the Prophet when he was at the beginning of his career, still weak and powerless ...<

If we apply the criterion that someone's words should be ignored if
they don't have military or political power, then _all_ of the words
of Jesus should be ignored.

But Juan Cole points out that Muhammed _did_ have power when he wrote
that verse. He ran what's now called Medina.

--
Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own
way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.