Karl Keating's Appeal for Catholics

Karl Keating, owner of the website www.catholic.com recently sends email to subscribers for an appeal to all concerned Catholics.

His appeal is about Dan Brown's recent attack on Catholic belief in his book the Da vinci Code...


If you thought The Da Vinci Code was bad, wait until you hear about this hateful smear! Receive 5 free copies of Catholic Answers’ new answer guide, Angels and Demons.Details below . . . or click on this link now! http://www.catholic.com/angels.asp

Dear Friend of Catholic Answers,

I’m sure you remember the virulently anti-Catholic, and basically anti-Christian movie, The Da Vinci Code, which infested the world’s movie theaters last year and raked in $758 MILLION at the box office. Although The Da Vinci Code was fiction, it was sold to audiences under the false premise that it was “really true.”Consider these examples of the heresies and blasphemies with which The Da Vinci Code was rife:

* Jesus is not God. He was only a man.

* Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.

* Mary Magdalene is to be worshiped as a goddess.

* Jesus got Mary Magdalene pregnant, and the two had a daughter.

* That daughter gave rise to a prominent family line that is still present in Europe today.

* The Bible was put together by a pagan Roman emperor.

* Jesus was viewed as a man and not as God until the fourth century, when he was deified by the Emperor Constantine.

* The Gospels have been edited to support the claims of later Christians.

* In the original Gospels, Mary Magdalene rather than Peter was directed to establish the Church.

* There is a secret society known as the Priory of Sion that still worships Mary Magdalene as a goddess, and this group is trying to keep the truth alive.

* The Catholic Church is aware of all this and has been fighting for centuries to keep it suppressed and often has committed murder to do so.

* The Catholic Church is willing to and often has assassinated the descendents of Christ to keep his bloodline from growing too large.

Words cannot describe the absurdity of these assertions. You wouldn’t expect any discerning individual to take them seriously. But that’s the problem: apparently there aren’t too many “discerning individuals” around these days.

The Da Vinci Code was taken seriously by millions of gullible people, egged on by the media, which ran news stories and documentaries exploring the premises of The Da Vinci Code.One such “documentary”—produced by ABC and titled “Jesus, Mary, and Da Vinci”—was hosted by a Catholic reporter, Elizabeth Vargas, who basically said, “Gosh, what if these things are true!”Ridiculous?

Yes. But worse. Scandalous! As you know, giving scandal is one of the most serious sins anyone can commit. God does not take it lightly when someone causes one of his children to fall.

That’s why Jesus’ words about causing scandal were recounted in three of the Gospels, when he said:Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matt. 18:6; cf. Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2)

The Da Vinci Code—written by novelist Dan Brown—did indeed give scandal, both as a novel and as a Hollywood movie. The novel sold more than 70 million copies (more than any other fictional work in U.S. history) and has been translated into over forty languages. The movie has been seen by more than 60 million people worldwide. And with every screening, more souls are brought nearer to the point of losing faith in Christianity in general and in the Catholic religion in particular.

You see, all it takes is to plant a seed of doubt—which is what The Da Vinci Code does so cleverly—to shake the faith of weak Catholics, nominal Christians, and anyone who was even considering a conversion.

Dan Brown knows his book is pure fiction, but he doesn’t care. According to the New York Times, Brown has made $250 million off The Da Vinci Code novel. And that’s not counting what he made from the movie. (He was paid six million just for the rights. Tens of millions more ended up in his bank account from movie tickets and DVD sales.) And now he’s going to do it again—with yet another attack on the Catholic Church.

His first novel in this anti-Catholic series (written and published before The Da Vinci Code) is titled Angels and Demons—and it too has become a best-seller because of the media hype over The Da Vinci Code.

Angels and Demons is described as “a science vs. religion thriller set within a Swiss physics lab and Vatican City.”

Whatever.

I won’t go into detail about the plot. But it’s basically another one of Brown’s fictional conspiracy theories—complete with Vatican intrigue, dark secrets, sex scandals, murders, Masons, assassinations, you name it. The only thing he didn’t include is a Keystone Cops chase scene.

I have no problem with mysteries/thrillers. But Dan Brown is trying to slime the Catholic faith to make a buck. And when he leads audiences astray—as he clearly did with The Da Vinci Code—he gets into serious trouble on a moral level.

As I mentioned, God does not appreciate being mocked. Nor does he look kindly on those who cause his children to sin. But again, Dan Brown doesn’t care. He calls himself a Christian—and he claims that his movies cause people to “think,” “debate,” “dialogue,” etc.

He says Christians should “use the book as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith.”Right. But introspection and exploration should be based on fact, not outright fiction. And especially not fiction that blasphemes the Son of God.

Would Brown write a similar novel encouraging “debate” about the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion? Or “exploring” the idea that the Nazi Holocaust never happened?

Would he even live to see another day if he wrote insulting fiction about Mohammed?

No.

So he picks on the easiest target of all: Catholics.

We’re an easy target for several reasons:

1. We don’t fight back like we should; instead, we just hope that this guy will get lost.
   
2. We’re used to being picked on and misunderstood, so we’ve lost our sense of outrage.
   
3. We know we’re right, so it doesn’t bother us when people attack our faith. And
   
4. Many of us don’t know our faith and just clam up and offer zero resistance.
   

We’re easy prey for bullies.But that’s not the case here at Catholic Answers. Not by a long shot.We do defend the faith. And when it gets dragged through the mud (as in The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons), we stand up and fight.

Often, we take the fight to the enemy. And that’s why I’m writing to you today.I need your help to persuade director Ron Howard to decline the invitation to make the Angels and Demons movie. Would you be able to send us a gift of $35.00 or more? Click here. http://www.catholic.com/angels.asp

Howard was the director of The Da Vinci Code—and he’s being wooed to come back and direct Angels and Demons.But it’s not a done deal.Why? Because the critics hated The Da Vinci Code. People were falling asleep during the movie or else getting up and walking out—even at the Cannes Film Festival where it debuted.

Howard is quoted as saying that the overwhelmingly negative reviews were “frustrating” to him. Serves him right, though. Catholics and Protestants alike—by the millions—asked him to take out the anti-Catholic/anti-Christian stuff, and he ignored us.

Apparently he didn’t mind making an anti-Catholic/anti-Christian movie. In an interview with Newsweek, he was quoted as saying, “It would be ludicrous to take on this subject and then try to take the edges off. We’re doing this movie because we like the book.”

The “edges” Howard describes are what the Da Vinci controversy is all about: a deep, dark conspiracy about hiding the true nature of Jesus. But the hit he took for making that movie should tell him that a director of his talent shouldn’t make movies that insult and mock God.

And that’s what we need to communicate to him—before he signs on as director of Angels and Demons—by sending him the enclosed postcard by the tens of thousands.Ron Howard needs to re-think his role as director of another mediocre movie based on a mediocre novel with a controversial, highly insulting, and blasphemous message.

And this time, it’s different.

Howard has been stung by The Da Vinci Code because of the poor reviews it received. Now it’s time to tell him to decline Angels and Demons—if for no other reason than to redeem himself for making The Da Vinci Code.

So right now, I ask that you to mail a postcard to Ron Howard. Tell him as a faithful Catholic, you were offended when he made the anti-Catholic movie The Da Vinci Code, which mocked Jesus Christ and your religion.

Tell him that you understand he is now considering being the director for Dan Brown’s similar story Angels and Demons, which insults the papacy and the Vatican.

Urge him to reject any offer to make Angels and Demons and use his God-given talents to make movies that uplift the good in all of us.

Please send your postcard to

Mr. Ron Howard
c/o Imagine Entertainment
9465 Wilshire Blvd.,
7th FloorBeverly Hills,
CA 90212USA

And then, please send us a gift of $35.00 or more so we can have the funds necessary to do battle against Angels and Demons, which is set to be released right before Christmas of next year. (How convenient.)

Click here now to donate and receive your 5 free copies of Angels and Demons. http://www.catholic.com/angels.aspWe’re going to produce a special report to expose Angels and Demons for what it is: Catholic-bashing of the worst sort. And then we’ll distribute it to parishes across the country in order to alert our fellow Catholics about the danger of this new movie.We need gifts of $35, $50, $100, and even $500 and $1,000 to make that happen. Or else Angels and Demons will do more damage to our people. Please donate now to help with this very important project.http://www.catholic.com/angels.aspWe fight now or regret it later.Please let me hear from you soon.Sincerely in Christ,Karl KeatingP.S. The latest reports in the news media indicate that Tom Hanks has signed on to star in Angels and Demons, as he did in The Da Vinci Code. But apparently it took a really big paycheck. One source says, “It’s the biggest salary ever paid to an actor in the history of Hollywood.”I’m reminded of the question Jesus asked in the Gospel, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?” Answer: nothing.So please pray for Tom Hanks.And send a special gift to Catholic Answers. Click here. http://www.catholic.com/angels.asp

It’s time to fight—and we need your help!

A Muslim Friend's Letter to Slain Father Ragheed

ROME, JUNE 6, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of a letter written posthumously to Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni by a Muslim friend of his who is a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Father Ragheed and three deacons were shot and killed in Mosul, Iraq, on Sunday after Mass.

* * *

In the name of the compassionate and merciful God,

Ragheed, my brother,

I ask your forgiveness for not being with you when those criminals opened fire against you and your brothers. The bullets that have gone through your pure and innocent body have also gone through my heart and soul.

You were one of the first people I met when I arrived to Rome. We met in the halls of the Angelicum and we would drink our cappuccino in the university's cafeteria. You impressed me with your innocence, joy, your pure and tender smile that never left you.

I always picture you smiling, joyful and full of zest for life. Ragheed is to me innocence personified; a wise innocence that carries in its heart the sorrows of his unhappy people. I remember the time, in the university's dining room, when Iraq was under embargo and you told me that the price of a single cappuccino would have satisfied the needs of an Iraqi family for a whole day.

You told me this as if you were feeling guilty for being far away from your persecuted people and unable to share in their sufferings …

In fact, you returned to Iraq, not only to share the suffering and destiny of your people but also to join your blood to the blood of thousands of Iraqis killed each day. I will never forget the day of your ordination [Oct. 13, 2001] in the [Pontifical] Urbanian University … with tears in your eyes, you told me: "Today, I have died to self" … a hard thing to say.

I didn't understand it right away, or maybe I didn't take it as seriously as I should have. … But today, through your martyrdom, I have understood that phrase. … You have died in your soul and body to be raised up in your beloved, in your teacher, and so that Christ would be raised up in you, despite the sufferings, sorrows, despite the chaos and madness.

In the name of what god of death have they killed you? In the name of which paganism have they crucified you? Did they truly know what they were doing?

O God, we don't ask you for revenge or retaliation. We ask you for victory, a victory of justice over falsehood, life over death, innocence over treachery, blood over the sword. … Your blood will not have been shed in vain, dear Ragheed, because with it you have blessed the soil of your country. And from heaven, your tender smile will continue to light the darkness of our nights and announce to us a better tomorrow.

I ask your forgiveness, brother, for when the living get together they think they have all the time in the world to talk, visit, and share feelings and thoughts. You had invited me to Iraq … I dreamed of that visit, of visiting your house, your parents, your office. … It never occurred to me that it would be your tomb that one day I would visit or that it would be verses from my Quran that I would recite for the repose of your soul …

One day, before your first trip to Iraq after a prolonged absence, I went with you to buy souvenirs and presents for your family. You spoke with me of your future work: "I would like to preside over the people on the base of charity before justice" -- you said.

It was difficult for me to imagine you a "canonical judge" … And today your blood and your martyrdom have spoken for you, a verdict of fidelity and patience, of hope against all suffering, of survival, in spite of death, in spite of everything.

Brother, your blood hasn't been shed in vain, and your church's altar wasn't a masquerade. … You assumed your role with deep seriousness until the end, with a smile that would never be extinguished … ever.

Your loving brother,

Adnam Mokrani
Rome, June 4, 2007
Professor of Islamic Studies in the Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture,
Pontifical Gregorian University


Original text: Arabic. Translation by ZENIT.

Teachings by INC written by the late Eraño Manalo

Felix Manalo left no official writings of his church. The present LIST of his church's teachings were only formulated and uphold during the leadership of Felix Manalo's son-- Eraño Manalo. The book was entitled: Manalo, Eraño G. Fundamental Beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ). Manila: Iglesia ni Cristo, 1989 (source: WikiPilipinas). This "Fundamental Beliefs" cannot be found in any leading bookstores but kept secret in Central.  Only its paid ministers have their own copies deducted from their monthly salary as INC ministers. -CD2000

The book Fundamental Beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ),[1] written by Eraño G. Manalo, summarizes the beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

The titles of the 27 bible lessons and their summaries are:

1. The Bible : The words of God are written only in the Bible. The Bible should be the only basis of service to God. This is the truth which will teach man salvation from punishment on Judgment Day. Thus, each member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo should give value to the teachings of God written in the Bible by fulfilling them in his life.
2. The true God : The Father Who created all things is the only true God. There are no three persons in one God; thus, reject the belief in the Trinity.
3. The true religion : The belief that all churches belong to God is false. Christ founded only one true Church - the Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo). Therefore, we value the Church because herein are we able to do the kind of service acceptable to God and through which we shall be saved.
4. The Church of Christ : The Church of Christ is the Church that Jesus will save (Acts 20:28 Lamsa) because He made this Church His body and heads it Himself - before God, the Church and Christ are one new man (Eph.2:15 NKJV; Col.1:18 NKJV). This is the reason why Christ is able to answer for the sins of His Church without violating God's law, that whoever commits a sin, the same must die for that sin (Dt.24:16). Hence, false is the belief that salvation can be attained by means of faith in Christ alone even without membership in the Church of Christ. The Church is necessary not because it saves but because it is the entity that Christ will save (Eph.5:23 TEV).
5. History of the church built by Christ in the first century : The Church built by Christ during the first century was apostatized (Acts 20:29). This was led away by false prophets which arose in the Church after the time of the Apostles (Mt.24:11 RSV), and those who remained firm in the faith were slain by ravenous wolves (Mt.7:15). The fulfillment of the prophesied false teachers who will lead the Church away are the Catholic priests. They introduced false teachings (1 Tim.4:1,3) into the Church until the Church became the Catholic Church - a church essentially different from the Church of Christ as described in the Bible.
6. Proofs that the apostasy of the first century Church of Christ took place : The apostasy of the Catholic Church from the Church established by Christ in the first century took place with their turning away from the teachings of God taught by Christ and His Apostles (Worship of Images, Mass, Popes and Priests as vicars or successors of Christ, Mediator Saints, Purgatory). Therefore, the apostasy takes place whenever there is a teaching of God the Catholic Church violates. In view of this, all the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church should be rejected.
7. The origin of other churches : We should not be surprised at the number of churches today that are not of Christ. It is not Christ who established them but the enemy or the devil (Mt.13:24-30,36-39 NKJV). These churches that do not belong to Christ are the Catholic Church and her offsprings, the various Protestant denominations and sects. Only one Church belongs to Christ, the Church of Christ.
8. Not by faith only : Many Protestant groups uphold the belief that faith alone in Christ is sufficient for salvation. They have excluded other conditions such as baptism (Mt.16:15-16), Church Membership (Jn.10:9,Acts 2:47, 20:28 Lamsa), suffering for Christ's sake (Phil.1:29), works (Js.2:14,17,20), preaching by the messenger of God (Acts 16:32-33), remaining in the true church (Jn.15:5-6), holding firm and obey Gospel (1 Cor.15:1-2 NIV), enduring & remaining till end (Mt.24:13). Their faith-alone concept of salvation is in direct conflict with the Bible where we can find pronouncements that man is not justified by faith only (Js.2:24).
9. One organized church : One should not deny the necessity of one organized church as the Church of Christ.
10. The Church of Christ in the Philippines : The Church of Christ which emerged in the Philippines (a country in the Far East) in these last days was established by virtue of the fulfillment of the prophecies of God (Isa.43:5 Moffatt) and of Christ (Jn.10:16;Acts 20:28 Lamsa). This is the third group (Acts 2:39) of people in the Church established by Christ. This arose in these last days after the apostasy of the Church built by Christ in the first century as a result of the work done by false prophets. Even the spread of this Church in the Far West (Isa.43:4-6;59:19 NKJV) is a fulfillment of God's prophecy written in the Bible.
11. Brother Felix Y. Manalo - God's Messenger in the last days : The messenger of God (Rom.10:15 NKJV) in these last days (Isa.43:6) is Brother Felix Y. Manalo (Rev.7:2-3). It was not he who built the Church of Christ but it was Christ Himself (Mt.16:18) by virtue of the fulfillment of the prophesy (Jn.10:16). Brother Felix Manalo was only utilized by God as His instrument to preach the pure Gospel of salvation in these last days. His authority as God's messenger is clearly stated by various prophecies in Scriptures (Is.41:9-10; Is.46:11-13; Rev.7:2-3). Hence, it behooves man to have faith in the commissioning of Brother Felix Y. Manalo.
12. The promise for those who endure persecution : Persecutions cannot be avoided because overcoming it serves as basis for inheriting the kingdom of heaven (Mt.5:10-12). Thus whatever kind or extent of persecution a member of the Church of Christ may face, he should not falter or withdraw. He should instead pray to God for assistance in order to overcome religious persecutions.
13. Membership in the Church of Christ : The proper way of joining the Church of Christ is that which is done because of faith (Rom.5:2) in God and in Christ (Jn.14:1-2) as well as the recognition and acceptance of the Church and of God's commissioning of His messenger in these last days (Jn.6:29). If the motive for joining the Church of Christ is pure and proper, the man who joins the Church would be able to perform all the commandments and Church disciplines, the performance of which proves that he is a true member of the Church of Christ. He does not easily discouraged and neither does he drew back. Instead, he remains firm in his election.
14. The Lord Jesus Christ, Part I : Christ should be highly honored and worshipped by members of the Church of Christ because this is the will of God (Phil.2:9-11). Christ should be recognized as the Son of God (Mt.3:7), Lord (Acts 2:36), Saviour (Acts 5:31), Mediator (1Tim.2:5), a holy man who did not commit sin (1 Pet.2:21-22). The attributes mentioned here give no indication to His nature which we believe is of a man (Jn.8:40); He is not the true God. (Ezek.28:2) Man should also renounce the belief that Christ is true God and true man (Hos.11:9)
15. The Lord Jesus Christ, Part II : The clear distinctions of Christ from God are proofs that the true God is not Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ possesses attributes surpassing the ordinary man but this does not mean that He is God. God has attributes which we do not find in Christ. If Christ can do wonders such as miracles, all these are done by God through Him as God's instrument. On His own powers alone, Christ cannot do anything. Christ Himself states, "I can of my own do nothing."
16. The Lord Jesus Christ, Part III : Teachers of the "Christ is God" doctrine also use the Bible. But we should not allow ourselves to be deceived by them because we cannot read any text in the Bible where Christ says He is the true God. If that is the case, why do they have biblical texts to prove their contentions? Those biblical texts have been given erroneous interpretations (Jn.1:1,14; Isa.9:6) or wrong meanings (1 Jn.5:20) or even based on verses wrongly translated (Rom.9:5).
17. Leading a new life : It is not enough for man to join or become a member of the Church of Christ to be saved. He should lead a new life, too. Members who lead a new life are truly of Christ and of God. Thus, all sinful ways should be renounced and he should live by the teachings he has received.
18. Worship services : Each member of the Church of Christ believes that constant attendance in worship services is one of his obligations. Great blessings accrue to those who constantly attend worship services while great sins are committed by those who disregard this responsibility.
19. Our voluntary contribution : The Church of Christ believes that it is God who gave the command to contribute and give thanksgiving offerings to support the needs of the Church. To fulfill these obligations is to lay up a good foundation for the attainment of eternal life.
20. The brotherhood : The Church of Christ believes that it is the will of God for us to love one another as true brothers and sisters. Hence, if anyone has sinned against us, we should forgive him and we should reconcile with those who are mad at us.
21. Other prohibitions : The members of the Church of Christ believe that it is God who forbids the eating of blood and prohibits marriage with those of other faiths. Elopement is an act of disrespect for parents and this is a sin in the eyes of God.
22. On baptism : The Church of Christ believes that baptism is necessary for one to become a disciple of Christ and for the attainment of eternal salvation. But this should be done in accordance with the teachings of the Bible.
23. Missionary work and praying : The Church of Christ believes that each member should do missionary work or share his faith with others. Each one should learn how to pray to God so that he would not weaken in faith and thus be able to resist temptations.
24. The church administration : Each member should submit to the Administration placed by God in the Church by means of total agreement with the teachings and rules observed in the Church of Christ.
25. Unity : The Church of Christ believes that unity is God's teaching and that division within the Church is an evil thing. This unity is implemented by the Church of Christ not only during election time but also in all its works in the service of God.
26. Judgment Day : The Church of Christ believes that God has determined the Day of Judgment which will take place on the second coming of Christ. This is the great day when the Church of Christ will receive the reward promised by God -- the everlasting home for God's chosen people.
27. Overall instructions : Summary of the lessons and general instructions.

Where is the Muslim outrage?

Source: Boston.com, Sept. 9, 2004 - THEY ARE still burying the victims of the latest atrocity committed, some believe, in the name of Islam -- the slaughter of hundreds of children, teachers, and parents in an elementary school in Beslan, Russia. And from Muslims the world over, as usual, has come mostly silence.

There have been no public demonstrations by Muslims anxious to make it clear how outraged they are that anyone could commit such unspeakable deeds for their version of Islam. There has been no anguished outcry by Islam's leading imams and sheiks. Prominent Muslim organizations in the West have not called press conferences to express their disgust. Once again the world has witnessed a savage episode of Islamist terror, and once again it strains to hear a convincing rejection of the terrorists from those who should care most about Islam's reputation.

That is not to say there has been no criticism at all. Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to assure him that "this terrorist act . . . goes against religious teachings and violates human and moral values." Syria's official news agency decried the massacre as "a terrorist, cowardly action." Sheik Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi of Al-Azhar University in Cairo lambasted the murderers for "taking Islam as cover" and said that "those who carry out the kidnappings are criminals, not Muslims."

But these are boilerplate denunciations, practically meaningless -- particularly when they come from sources that sustain Islamist fanaticism (Saudi Arabia), shelter and support terrorists (Syria), or defend suicide bombers as praiseworthy "martyrs" (Tantawi). They condemn no terrorists or terror organizations by name. They offer no help in destroying the infrastructure that recruits, funds, and trains them. And they contain no hint that the global scourge of Islamofascist jihad is a cancer eating away at the Muslim world.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which issues dozens of press releases every month, had nothing to say about the bloodbath in Russia until I requested a comment. The statement CAIR then issued doesn't even acknowledge that the killers were Muslim:

"No words can describe the horror and grief generated by the deaths of so many innocent people at the hands of those who dishonor the cause they espouse. We offer sincere condolences to the families of the victims and call for a swift resolution to the conflict in that troubled region." At least CAIR went through the motions of condemning the butchery. Other voices preached a different message altogether.

Ali Abdullah, an Islamic scholar in Bahrain, announced that the bloodshed in Beslan "is the work of the Israelis who want to tarnish the image of Muslims." In London, Islamist cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed told the Daily Telegraph: "If an Iraqi Muslim carried out an attack like that in Britain, it would be justified because Britain has carried out acts of terrorism in Iraq."

Fortunately, a few Muslim commentators have denounced the evil being done in the name of Islam, and have done so courageously and unambiguously. (The Middle East Media Research Institute has compiled their reactions at www.memri.org.) One in particular stands out: an extraordinary column in the pan-Arabic daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat by Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, the manager of the Al-Arabiya news channel.

"It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists," he begins, "but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims.

"The hostage-takers of the children in Beslan were Muslims. The hostage-takers and murderers of the Nepalese chefs and workers in Iraq were also Muslims. . . . The majority of those who manned the suicide bombings against buses, vehicles, schools, houses, and buildings all over the world were Muslim. . . . Does all this tell us anything about ourselves, our societies, and our culture?. . .

"We cannot tolerate in our midst those who abduct journalists, murder civilians, explode buses; we cannot accept them as related to us. . . . They are the people who have smeared Islam and stained its image. We cannot clear our names unless we own up to the shameful fact that terrorism has become an Islamic enterprise; an almost exclusive monopoly implemented by Muslim men and women." When it is no longer astonishing to encounter such sentiments in the Muslim world, we will know that the corner has been turned in the war against Islamist terror. Jeff Jacoby's e-mail address is jacoby@globe.com.