They Hate Us for our Smørrebrød
Michael C. Moynihan | September 4, 2007, 4:27pm
Danish police arrested eight people—six of whom are Danish citizens, and all, according to Swedish television, have "foreign backgrounds"—early this morning, claiming that they stopped an imminent, though as of yet unspecified, attack on the country. A spokesman for the Danish security service PET claims that all eight have connections to "leading members of the terrorist organizational-Qaeda ." This morning's raid was just the latest in a string of arrests in Denmark, a country targeted, according to terrorism experts, for the publication of the now-infamous Mohammad cartoons and its military involvement in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Reuters has
the full story:
The Muslims arrested ranged from 19 to 29 years old. They came from Afghan, Pakistani, Somali and Turkish backgrounds and six were Danish citizens, Scharf said.
"Our investigation has shown that some of the suspects had acquired materials to make explosives," he said.
He did not say whether any explosives had been found but said important evidence had been discovered in the raids in central Copenhagen and its suburbs.
And in Denmark, the suspects can be remanded for long stretches of time, without being charged:
Later on Tuesday, a Copenhagen court remanded two of the suspects—the ones believed to be the main players—in custody for 27 days. Suspects can be remanded in custody under preliminary charges for many months in Denmark, with the right to periodic hearings in court.
During the so-called "cartoon crisis," Tim Cavanaugh
asked readers to "just say no to Mohammad's hit men."
Mad Max | September 5, 2007, 5:34am | #
“[His Holiness the Pope's] insistence that non-Christians burn in fire for eternity is a pretty disgusting belief”
From the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1964 (http://tinyurl.com/3wxff):
“Basing itself upon Sacred Scripture and Tradition, [the Council] teaches that the Church, now sojourning on earth as an exile, is necessary for salvation. Christ, present to us in His Body, which is the Church, is the one Mediator and the unique way of salvation. In explicit terms He Himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism(124) and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the Church, for through baptism as through a door men enter the Church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved. . . .
“Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.”
“non-baptized babies suffer in purgatory is pretty disgusting too.”
Never heard of that one. There’s a doctrine of *limbo*, which has recently been discussed by an International Theological Commission (http://tinyurl.com/3x7puy). Limbo has never been held to be a place of suffering.
“celibate, MALE priests (they give marriage counseling though).”
Can a celibate person give advice on marriage? Well, I suppose H&R posters would agree that a person can give opinions on government policy even if he isn’t an elected official or government employee.
“No remarriage after divorce (actually the church doesn't even recognize divorce).”
Yeah, divorce on demand was a bad idea whose time had come.
“Birth control is a sin (6,000.000,000+ is not enough people).”
Then isn’t it wonderful that birthrates in certain European populations are falling below replacement levels! And Japan has already gotten far below those levels. What wonderful news.
“they think people who are born homosexual (a genetic pre-disposition beyond ones control) are sinners and condemned to hell.”
Close, but no cigar. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM):
“2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
“2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”
