I've been thinking about the mosque being planned as part of a project two blocks from Ground Zero in New York. There has been some very heated conversation regarding the pros and cons of such a project. Some believe freedom of religion mandates that all religions have opportunity so the project should be approved. Some believe the horror of 9-11 prohibits the construction of a house of worship that is identified with the religious sentiments of those who perpetrated the attack.
To begin I confess I am nowhere near an authority on Islam. As a matter of fact I confess I am not a great fan of this particular religious system. I am a Christian without compromise. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. It is my hope that my faith inform my opinions regarding issues of the day.
So as a follower of Christ and a non-champion of Islam what should I think about building a mosque in such close proximity to the place where terrorists attacked?
I have been reminded of some of our statements in the aftermath of 9-11. One of the telling remarks was "we will not forgive - we will not forget." If that is our sentiment there would certainly be no mosque near Ground Zero - or anywhere else for that matter.
We will certainly not forget. That day has been burned into our minds and souls. But what about forgiveness?
I've been saying - because I read it somewhere and can't remember where - that the three great world religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam each make a unique contribution. Judaism gives us a great depth of family and community. Islam contributes devotion to prayer. Christianity's unique contribution is forgiveness.
So I have a challenge. I may easily identify with those who lost loved ones and friends in the terror attacks and cannot really blame them for not wanting any symbol of our "enemy" to be constructed. Even so I am not able to say "I will never forgive." Central to my faith is the message of Jesus and his instructions to forgive - even your enemy.
Personally I would probably hope to be more sensitive to others and would not initiate a project that would have the effect of the Islamic Center in New York. With that said I would also choose to error on the side of religious freedom, even for those with whom I do not agree or find common ground.
I'm not sure what will actually happen but I hope we are able to still the storm surrounding this passionate issue. When it all gets settled I will always take the best of our Christian faith and put it up with the best of any other philosophy or religion and watch Christianity carry the day and win the hearts and souls of people.
Glad to get that said. It's been a really good day. Church was super. The spirit and joy were priceless. I pray that the Living God intersect your life today and that you recognize and respond to the grace at work in your life!
I hope you've had a good day too.
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The Victory Mosque affair has seriously damaged the image of The Religion of Peace™ in the eyes of ordinary Americans. We can consequently expect a lavish petrodollar-funded campaign of taqiyya (lying about Islam to the infidels) in the MSM, in an attempt to lull the public back to sleep.
So, as a high priority to immunize the American people against the coming onslaught of Islamic propaganda, could bloggers please familiarize their readership with the techniques of lying, deception, feigned moderation, guilt-inducement, diversionary tactics, twisted logic and half-truths embodied in the Islamic practice of taqiyya.
There's a description of the main features of taqiyya HERE ... http://crombouke.blogspot.com/2010/01/twelve-tactics-of-taqiyya.html
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