My Way News reports: "A city panel Tuesday cleared the way for the construction near ground zero of a mosque that has caused a political uproar over religious freedom and Sept. 11 even as opponents vowed to press their case in court."
Comment: Well, that's a shame. Really - shame. I'm sorry multiculturalists, we really don't have to respect a religion that behaves in the way that Islam does. We are heirs of the Western liberal tradition and we don't have to respect a religion that subjugates women and demands conversion or death. Islam is all about submission, and there is no room in our tradition based on freedom and liberty for a religion of submission. We won't believe the lie. And what is the lie? It's right there in the news report:
But Zead Ramadan, president of the board of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Islam is "a religion of peace and justice." "The people here are trying to connect this vile attack on our nation to the religion Islam," he said, "though that exact act stands against everything that Islam stands for."If Islam is a religion of peace and justice then explain please why all of these acts of terrorism and murder are perpetrated by followers of Islam and in the name of Islam? Could it be because there is something in their book, in the text, that tells them plainly to kill infidels? Let's be honest here, we are not being constantly attacked by Buddhists, Harri Krishnas, Wiccans, Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Confucionists, Jainists, Bahais, or Shintoists. There is something peculiar going on with Islam. Could it be that Islam is not really a religion of peace?
It is up to the followers of a religion to live out the values of their religion. It is up to Christians to share the love of Christ, to live the values of love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness. We know that for the people we meet in the world, we may be the only Bible they ever read. The early Christians were known for their love and even today one of the most powerful means of sharing faith is living Christianity so powerfully that people want what you have. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These can be very attractive qualities in a world filled with angry, self-seeking, hate-filled people. And even if many Christians fall short in living out those values we know that this is what we strive for under the self-correcting guidance of the Holy Spirit.
If Islam is a religion of peace, then let followers of that religion demonstrate that. If they do, they will find the other religions of peace eager to welcome them to the marketplace of spirituality. Like Paul in the agora, Christians have never been intimidated by the marketplace of ideas, as long as we are agreed on some basic principles, like the sanctity of life and the freedom to choose religions and not have them imposed.
1 comment:
Wow, well said! I liked your comment about the marketplace of ideas. You know that in Saudi Arabia it is forbidden to preach or display any other religious sybols other than those of Islam? Bibles and crosses can be confiscated from visitors when they enter the country. And as for building a church in the kingdom, even one single church - forget about it! And how many mosques do we allow in the US?
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