Apologies

This has been quite a week (after quite a weekend) and it's only Monday! There have been two apologies requested (well, one was demanded), and two apologies have been given. So, let's talk about the apologies.

The first (because it is less important): Pac-10 to Oklahoma. I don't have to tell anyone what happened, because if you don't know, you are living under a rock. The Pac-10 Conference has issued an apology to Oklahoma (at least the school, the coaches, and the players, no word on whether they are sorry toward the fans watching that sorry officiating). It is a real apology, one with meat on its bones, but, ultimately, doesn't really matter much. President Boren has requested that this game not go on either team's record book. But, the fact of the matter is that, regardless of any apology, we lost. That's that.


Second apology: Pope to Muslims. This one you might not have heard of (although, if you haven't, I still think you are living under a rock). Several days ago, the Pope, in his traditional Sunday blessing (in Germany - this fact may be important later), the Pope quoted a 7th Century Emperor as saying (I can't find it at the moment, so this is a slight paraphrase), Show me what Muhammed has brought that is new, and it is all evil and inhuman. Well, the Muslim community (I suppose I should say the extremists, but, since no one has condemned the reaction, I'm pegging the entire Muslim community as being in this group), has taken this as the Pope saying that Muhammed (and Muslims) was evil and inhuman.

However, we are, of course, lucky that Islam is not violent. What reaction has this prompted in the Religion of Peace?

Exhibit Number 1: This is what a real Martyr looks like. The Nun killed by Somali Muslims, apparently in response to the Pope's comments.

Exhibit Number 2: The London "Pope Must Die" Protest. I think that the title is self-explanatory.

Exhibit Number 3: The British Cleric calling for the Pope's death. Also probably pretty self-explanatory.

The Muslims burning American and German flags (what America has to do with the Pope, I'm not sure).

Seven Churches in Muslim countries have been firebombed.

The Pope has been burned in effigy. (Eh...just what Americans do when crucifixes are placed in urine and called art, right? Of course right)

And, of course, the Pope's comments are part of a larger conspiracy by America and Israel (Don't even think about the fact that the Pope was merely quoting from a 7th Century emperor....).

And, last, but not least, this is the start of a Crusade against Muslims. Of course it is...since we in the West are the ones who are calling for the conversion (by the sword) of the entire world...right.

The Religion of Peace - more like the Religion of Irony.

Well, everyone should be happy because the Pope apologized (of course, he apologized the way I would have - he's sorry for the reaction the remarks provoked; not necessarily sorry for the remarks). Of course, they're not happy because they don't believe the apology went far enough.

Well, I'm demanding an apology from them for all the crosses they have burned, all the American flags they have burned, and all the comments about Jesus being Allah's slave. I won't hold my breath, though, because I'd wait through all eternity and still be holding it.