This is an interesting development. At one time, this would probably not be important. However, Islam concerns many people. Why, there seems to be a tendency for Muslims to destroy themselves and others in the name of their God. Plus, Islam all over the world lack tolerance for other religions. Recent violent attacks on Christians in the Middle East is an example of Muslim intolerance.
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world, the Vatican said on Sunday.
Monsignor Vittorio Formenti, who compiled the Vatican's newly-released 2008 yearbook of statistics, said Muslims made up 19.2 percent of the world's population and Catholics 17.4 percent.
March 13: The interior of the first church building in Doha, Qatar.
DOHA, Qatar — Qatar's first Christian church has no cross, no bell and no steeple.
And when 5,000 faithful flock to Our Lady of the Rosary to celebrate its historic consecration this weekend, they pray no one will notice.
Father Tom Veneracion, the parish priest, is worried about a backlash.
"The idea is to be discreet because we don't want to inflame any sensitivities," he says. "There isn't even a signboard outside the church. No signs at all."
Qatar's fledgling Catholic community considers its sprawling $15 million saucer-shaped facility a victory. A 15-minute drive into barren desert, it has been built with the blessing of the nation's emir.
But some people in this Muslim country have branded it an offense; one prominent politician has called for a national referendum to determine its fate.
Bill Clinton is starting to turn the heat up on Mr. Obama. This entire campaign is really a treat. The Clinton's pounded the Republicans over race issues for years. Now, the race issue is being used to pound them. Bill said:
"I never heard a word of public complaint when Mr. Obama said Hillary was not truthful," that she had "no character, was poll-driven," Bill Clinton said earlier this year. "He had more pollsters than she did. ... When he put out a hit job on me at the same time he called her the senator from Punjab, I never said a word."
He was referring to an Obama campaign memo from last summer that criticized Sen. Clinton's ties to India, referring to her as the "Democrat from Punjab." The former president's reference to a "hit job" evidently had to do with documents the Obama campaign once circulated questioning the former president's financial dealings.
Lynda Carter
