ANDREA L. HOLZER: I find it amazing that you would rationalize and defend Cardinal Ratzinger’s actions (and he’s probably still doing it now as the pope) in shielding GUILTY priests who have abused children.

Read the story and watch the video, Ms. Holzer. Ratzinger allowed priests who had definitely abused children to move and move and move around from church to church with new allegations cropping up everywhere they went. I am talking about those priests. The pedophiles hiding behind a collar.

Why aren’t the allegations of a child taken seriously? You speak about vicars suffering mentally from this scandal…. Lord have mercy, Mrs. Holzer, what about the kids?

And how convenient you can judge and condemn ALL OF ISLAM, which you say is ‘the main threat to civil society.” How many mosques have you walked into or Muslims have you spoken with? I am a Christian woman and I’ve shared a house with Muslim men…here in America, of course. So I can tell you, there are no Muslims running around America dragging adulterous women into the streets to be stoned. Their religion is not wrapped up in the state…as it is in these Middle Eastern countries that you are thinking of.

If we had left Iraq and Afghanistan alone (as well as Iran), no American would give a darn about ‘the plight of oppressed Islamic women.’ You wouldn’t think Islam a global threat.

I don’t agree with their so-called faith, but the everyday Muslims I encounter aren’t running around trying to kill anyone. And the Muslims that we hear about doing such things, certainly weren’t doing these things before the Iraq war (in the matter that it is happening now anyway).

But don’t worry, there will come a time when every guilty person will have to answer for his/her crime before the JUDGE of us all.

Hi, Andrea.

You’re absolutely right about my accusing you of justifying the Vatican’s stance on pedophile priests. I apologize.

However, I still don’t understand why it is you believe Islam is the “main threat to civil society.” I don’t agree with everything I’ve learned about Islam, but it almost seems to me that you are making a general statement about all Muslims. The only violent Muslims I have seen (yes, as reported in news articles) seem to fit a certain stereotype.

As for Muslims preferring to “hijack a passenger plane or two and stick them into the skyscrapers around Manhattan and the Pentagon…” I think you may need to do some research if you think a handful of men could penetrate so successfully probably one of the most well guarded airspaces in the world with absolutely no assistance.

Have you bothered to ask why the government has not even released airport surveillance video showing these men going through security or whatnot? Don’t you find it curious that about 99% of these men were Saudis, yet Saudi Arabia was never questioned or investigated for any ties to terrorism? Do you really believe Osama bin Laden (who they say is still alive) is really so elusive? Are you at all concerned that no weapons of mass destruction have ever been recovered from Iraq?

I don’t blame violent, misguided evil Muslims alone for these awful acts upon innocent people. I also blame the violent and willfully wicked men who seem to have benefited the most from these atrocities.

You can hate the Muslims and Islam all you want. But I can see plainly who it is who is terrorizing the world and spewing careless threats across the globe as if they were god incarnate. I can see plainly who it is who seems responsible for the weakening of the American dollar and the economic downfall that is surely descending upon us. It’s not a bunch of mean Muslims and it isn’t anyone hiding out in a cave.

Andrea,

I was very tempted to just post your comment and just leave it at that. “If I was you, I would thank President Bush for the toppling of Saddam Hussein and his regime.” Why would or should I? Saddam Hussein was no threat to me. Yes, unfortunately, the man was a tyrant to his own people. So if that is the standard, why doesn’t the U.S. topple Mugabe, Kim Jong Il and the dozens of other tyrants and dictators killing their own people either through violence or starvation? They are about as dangerous as Saddam Hussein…

And yes, I did read the 9/11 commission report. When I made mention of the air space situation, I was referring to the fact that our Air Force supposedly prides itself on how fast it can scramble jets to any location in the United States. Why were they told to stand down by Vice President Dick Cheney when they could have intercepted at least one of the planes? Why did that third building near the WTC collapse…when absolutely nothing had hit it or crashed into it? Might I also note that no plane debris was recovered from the Pentagon site? …And if you haven’t read about many of the 91// Commission board members entanglements with members of the Bush Administration… then it seems to be more evidence that it seems you believe only what is put in front of you.

Fortunately, this is my final reaction to your comments…if you persist in speaking of 9/11 truth, justification of the Iraq and the violence of Islam.

My work is not to convince anyone to believe or disbelieve any of these things. Read my ‘About/Statement of Faith.’

If you want to discuss these things, there are way too many Web sites out there where you can do just that.

And yes, you mentioned you’re an Atheist. If you want to share your story in relevance to that, I am all ears.