Thursday, December 25, 2008

Putting Allah Back in Christmas

“Interfaith harmony” strikes again. This time it’s in Italy, the protagonist is a Roman Catholic priest, and the setting is a Bethlehem nativity scene that includes a mosque, complete with minarets. What’s a little anachronism when interfaith harmony is at stake?

According to The Telegraph:

Priest Puts Mosque in Nativity Scene

Italy’s Right-wing Northern League have reacted with fury after it emerged that a Roman Catholic priest added a model mosque to his church’s nativity scene.

The League, which has campaigned against the building of new mosques, bitterly attacked Father Prospero Bonzani as an “imbecile”.

The miniature mosque, complete with a minaret, was included in the skyline of Bethlehem in the nativity scene at Father Bonzani’s Our Lady of Providence church in the northern port of Genova.

The anti-immigration Northern League has called for a referendum to before any more mosques are built. Mario Borghezio, a Northern League MEP, called the priest an “imbecile” and said: “What on earth possessed him to put a mosque in a traditional Christmas nativity scene? I hope that the Church authorities in Genova will investigate this as a matter of urgency.’’
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He added: “What will this priest do when he says Mass during Ramadan? Ask us to turn towards Mecca? He may as well have included a suicide bomber wearing dynamite.”

But Father Bonzani said that his nativity scene was designed to send a message of inter-faith harmony. “I included the mosque as a sign that we should have more dialogue with the Muslim faith. I do not have any regrets. At the end of the day the most important thing to focus on here is the Holy Family. I have only one had one complaint from within the parish and that’s it.”

Father Bonzani added that another reason for including the mosque was that it accurately represented today’s Bethlehem. “Someone asked me why I had put one in and I said I wanted it to be a modern Bethlehem.”

Father Bonzani also responded to his fiercer critics. “They said that I was allowing Islam to infiltrate Catholicism. As for Mr Borghezio, he is showing complete ignorance of his so called Catholic faith to love thy neighbour as thyself.”


Hat tip: Abu Elvis.

23 comments:

Henrik R Clausen said...

I believe this is a violation of the oaths you take as a priest. Even in the declaration of faith, you promise to renounce Satan.

To place symbols from other faiths, the priest should first remove every possible doubt as to the nature of that faith, or you would risk violating that oath.

Afonso Henriques said...

... and we all know that mosques already existed 600 years before the very own Mohamed.

Here too, the public broadcaster (television) emited a very odd film.
First, it was Italian, or doubled in Italian. Second, Maria there was way too liberal even to today's European standards.
And one of the sons of Joseph even assaulted her sexually.
And then, the film ends, few scenes after the birth of Jesus.
I did not understand what was the purpose of that film.

... that is, other than to say: Your Civilisations sucks and we march over it as we want, when we want, and you people, shut up.

That's why I spent Chritmas's afternoon (re)seing Elite Squad, this time in family. And after that, chess competition!

I like the holydays...

James Higham said...

Nice piece and it shows how the enemy is within the citadel.

thll said...

How are we to understand the priest's mosque inclusion? Wishful thinking or evil? Or does it only matter that it is wrong?

Ex-Dissident said...

You guys are making way too much out of this old fashioned "priest". In my neighborhood, many homes featured a little BHO in the crib with baby Jesus and not one person dared to file a complaint. Sheesh, adding Mohamed to the cradle is just so old school. In fact, our new lord and savior has arrived, and this year is not 2008 of Christian era, but it is year one of Obama! We need to get past our traditional religious inhibitions and get used to this new age. It's all good. Before you know it little things like nativity scenes will become meaningless to all. ;)

Afonso Henriques said...

Damn Ex Dissident!

That of the Obama-Jesus really upsetted me. Here it is a Nativity Scene without Husseins or muslims of any kind.

I apreciate that here we are not that brainwashed with hard multiculturalism during Christmas. Except the funny "Santa Cent", there are no traces of violent multiculturalism in Christmas.

Afonso Henriques said...

It should be read:

Damn, Ex Dissident. I don't want Ex Dissident to be damned.

Damn tricky foreign english.

P.S. - Sorry. It is Christmas, no one can be mad, right?

Ex-Dissident said...

Just in case, Merry (belated) Christmas to you Alfonso. ;)

Ex-Dissident said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ex-Dissident said...

whoops. Just check out the last entry from

http://arewelumberjacks.blogspot.com/

Gregory said...

So, why don't they fire that dick-head priest?

Afonso Henriques said...

It's AFonso, man! Of course no offense was taken, and the Christmas "was merry". Now let us all have a great new year, shall we?

Baron Bodissey said...

Ex-Dissident --

Please don't paste long URLs into the comments; they make the post page too wide and mess up the appearance of the permalink page.

Use link tags; the instructions are at the top of the full post's comment section.

----------------------

Ex-Dissident said...

Another thing, here is what I call a modern, new age, nativity scene posted on Are we Lumberjacks.

link

Ex-Dissident said...

Baron, thanks for clearing up my mess. I will follow your recipe if I post anymore links. That being said, I usually try not to post to other sites, which is the real reason my initial attempt looked so messy.

Ex-Dissident said...

Live and learn....

Henrik R Clausen said...

In my neighborhood, many homes featured a little BHO in the crib with baby Jesus and not one person dared to file a complaint.

I think that just about nails it. Obama the Shaman featured on par with the real Saviour himself. That's blasphemy.

Not that I think anyone deserves to be punished for doing something that stupid - most people who were seen to replace Jesus fell deep and hard in the attempt - but it does show just how ridiculous Obamamania has become.

Also, the line "not one person dared to file a complaint." defies comment. I'll just let it stand for itself.

Wildcat84 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wildcat84 said...

"allah" in Christmas? What does the pagan moon goddess of Arabia have to do with Christmas?

Besides, including the "religion" of murder, cult homicide-suicide, oh and "peace" in the celebration of the birth of the REAL "Prince of Peace" is in my mind blasphemous.

I absolutely refuse to accept that the "god" (or goddess if you read up on where "allah" originated) IS the same God as the Lord Yahweh.

Their "god" sounds more like Satan to me.

ɱØяñιηg$ʇðя ©™ said...

As far as I'm concerned Allah IS Satan. All that violence and mayhem, obedience and control and nothing about love, just endless verses on hate, war and murder. My simple conclusion is that can't be any benevolent god what-so-ever.

Henrik R Clausen said...

Satanism has an excessively bad name, actually. It's basically just shorthand for 'Earthliness', or 'Blind sensuality', which will bind you into problems of all kinds.

Satanism steers people away from spirit, compassion and rationality, and thus closes off man from the best of his potential.

That simple definition doesn't get Allah or Muhammad out of trouble on this account, though. The life story of Muhammad is the documentation.

Bilgeman said...

Baron:

"...Mario Borghezio, a Northern League MEP, called the priest an “imbecile”..."

Just wait until the Cardinals from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith get ahold of him.

At least I hope that heresy and blasphemy are still, uhhh, reproved under Benedict's reign.

Captain USpace said...

.
I'm sure this will help make Muslim countries see the light and allow their Christians religious freedom, and free to celebrate Christmas too of course. This priest must think himself brilliant.
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe hates
Christmas celebrations

leads to Muslim Apostates
who then get death threats

.
for the holidays
we must get together
- before they are over

ancient feelings
days will get longer again
.
All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech there can be no real freedom.
.
Philosophy of Liberty Cartoon
.
Help Halt Terrorism Today!
.
USpace

:)
.

Shotgun Ed said...

All they need now is Rowan Williams and Mary robinson. Makes you proud