Dr. J Loves The Mecca Thing..(*open Fire Phattys)

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Im sure some of you are getting sick of the Mecca thing...but here is an email I got from the infamous Dr. Jefferson.

[quote]Hopefully this will wake you up Jon and you will finally leave the CULT .... I'm praying for YOU!


POPE HAILED FOR PRAYING TOWARD MECCA LIKE MUSLIMS
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Pope Benedict wound up a fence-mending visit to Turkey on Friday amid praise from the local press for visiting Istanbul's Blue Mosque and praying toward Mecca "like Muslims".
The Pope, who sparked protests across the Muslim world with a speech two months ago seen as criticizing Islam, looked relaxed and pleased as he entered the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit for a mass at the end of the sensitive four-day trip.
His first visit to a mostly Muslim country, held under tight security for fear of protests by nationalists and Islamists, was highlighted by a series of conciliatory gestures culminating in a stop on Thursday afternoon in Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque.

"The Pope's dreaded visit was concluded with a wonderful surprise," wrote daily Aksam on its front page.
"In Sultan Ahmet Mosque, he turned toward Mecca and prayed like Muslims," popular daily Hurriyet said, using the building's official name.
His gestures, including support for Ankara's bid to join the European Union and praise for Islam as a peaceful faith, seem to have persuaded the Turks to move beyond the tension following his speech quoting a Byzantine emperor as calling Islam violent.
But in Islam's Middle Eastern heartland, Arab commentators still call for Benedict to issue a full apology for his speech. Shocked by the protests it triggered, the Pope has said he did not agree with the controversial quote but has not apologized.
Catholic officials also presented the mosque visit, where Benedict stood in silent prayer while Istanbul Grand Mufti Mustafa Cagrici prayed aloud, as a key moment of reconciliation.
[url="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-12-01T120223Z_01_L28626797_RTRUKOC_0_US-POPE-TURKEY.xml&src=rss&rpc=22"]LINK[/url][/quote]

Honestly,
for those of you familiar with Dr. Jefferson in the past he isnt really responding. I would rather go to guns if anyone has any ideas. Im strugglin majorly with some catholic reconciling issues right now and I feel I might be vunerable.

[jswranch]

[quote name='Revprodeji' post='1133934' date='Dec 3 2006, 02:23 AM']

Honestly,
for those of you familiar with Dr. Jefferson in the past he isnt really responding. I would rather go to guns if anyone has any ideas. Im strugglin majorly with some catholic reconciling issues right now and I feel I might be vunerable.
[/quote]
Can you expand a bit?

[N/A Gone]

??

[jswranch]

[quote name='Revprodeji' post='1133934' date='Dec 3 2006, 02:23 AM']
Im strugglin majorly with some catholic reconciling issues right now and I feel I might be vunerable.
[/quote]
What are some of these issues and how are they making you feel vulnerable?

[thessalonian]

On another board they (that is the vipers) claimed he "bowed down" and prayed with them. No such report in the news exists. Now it is idolatry to face in a particular direction. What would they have him do? Turn his back? Insult them? The only thing they would be satisfied with is if he had gone in their and said "your a bunch of pagans" and got shot. Even then, they might not have been satisfied and he would have been dead with no hope of working further to bring them closer to Christ. Paul did not go in to Athens and call the Greeks a bunch of pagans in Acts 17. He went so far as to quote their pagan sages and to use one of their alters as a springboard for speaking of Jesus Christ. These people are vipers and you will not convince them of anything. Stop trying. Pray for him.

[Matty_boy]

I recently heard a news report on closedcafeteria.blogspot.com explaining that the Pope prayed facing the east because that is the direction from which the Son of God will return (with the rising of the sun).

[Moneybags]

[quote name='Matty_boy' post='1134167' date='Dec 3 2006, 04:37 PM']
I recently heard a news report on closedcafeteria.blogspot.com explaining that the Pope prayed facing the east because that is the direction from which the Son of God will return (with the rising of the sun).
[/quote]

[b]For the exact same reason, I pray toward the East. [/b]

As a Traditionalist, I expect people would think I would be critizing him for visiting the Mosque. I'm not. He is a great man - he is the Holy Father. I can't criticize him. He deserves all of our respect; I'm sure he knew what he was doing.

[Myles Domini]

[quote name='St. Benedict' post='1134191' date='Dec 3 2006, 11:00 PM']
[b]For the exact same reason, I pray toward the East. [/b]

As a Traditionalist, I expect people would think I would be critizing him for visiting the Mosque. I'm not. He is a great man - he is the Holy Father. I can't criticize him. He deserves all of our respect; I'm sure he knew what he was doing.
[/quote]

For the same reason in the Orthodox Churches always have the priest and people sharing the same orientation during the Divine Liturgy. For this reason even in the West where it was not always possible to have the church facing east up until the late 60's it was common for priest and people to look 'liturgical east' together during the Holy Mass.