Round Two:Pope Benedict 16th Comes Out Swinging!

Yesterday, the Pope came out slugging with hard lefts and rights After a disappointing first round last year when the Pope quoted a Byzantine emperor who linked Islam to violence. After riots, calls for his death and the murder of a nun shot in the back by Orcs the pope said he was sorry Muslims had misunderstood his words.

This time the pope has come out looking to reclaim his title as Defender of the Faith. Not mincing words the Pope attacked Muslim nations who persecute Christians and force them to live as second-class citizens under Shariah Islamic Law. Not stopping there the Pope also defended the rights of Muslims to convert to Christianity. Muslims are not allowed to convert and those who do so are murdered under 7th century Islamic law.

"Another cause highly esteemed by all of you is the defence of religious liberty, which is a fundamental, irrepressible, inalienable and inviolable right rooted in the dignity of every human being and acknowledged by various international documents, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The exercise of this freedom also includes the right to change religion, which should be guaranteed not only legally, but also in daily practice. In fact, religious liberty corresponds to the human person's innate openness to God, who is the fullness of truth and the supreme good. An appreciation for religious freedom is a fundamental expression of respect for human reason and its capacity to know the truth. Openness to transcendence is an indispensable guarantee of human dignity since within every human heart there are needs and desires which find their fulfillment in God alone. For this reason, God can never be excluded from the horizon of man and world history! That is why all authentically religious traditions must be allowed to manifest their own identity publicly, free from any pressure to hide or disguise it."

In a direct reference to Orcs running amuck the Pope stated:

"Terrorism is a serious problem whose perpetrators often claim to act in God's name and harbor an inexcusable contempt for human life. Society naturally has a right to defend itself, but this right must be exercised with complete respect for moral and legal norms, including the choice of ends and means. In democratic systems, the use of force in a manner contrary to the principles of a constitutional State can never be justified. Indeed, how can we claim to protect democracy if we threaten its very foundations? Consequently, it is necessary both to keep careful watch over the security of civil society and its citizens while at the same time safeguarding the inalienable rights of all.

Terrorism needs to be fought with determination and effectiveness, mindful that if the mystery of evil is widespread today, the solidarity of mankind in goodness is an even more pervasive mystery.