Friday, September 10, 2010

If you build it, they will...protest

I would really like to know what the big stinking deal is with building an Islamic Community Center near the former site of the World Trade Center. I mean, I've seen people comment that it's immoral and unpatriotic. Seriously, folks? Do we need to go back to grade school and remind all of you what those two words actually mean?
First of all, just because the WTC was bombed by cowardly terrorists who happened to be Islamic doesn't mean that every Islamic believer is a terrorist. One purple elephant does not mean all elephants are purple. Timothy McVeigh was raised Roman Catholic, but I don't see anyone protesting St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church that's right across the street from Ground Zero.
Second of all, it's not like they're trying to build it ON the actual site of the WTC, it's several blocks away. Just how far away does it have to be before freedom of religion is acceptable again? How close is too close? Nobody is trying to disrespect the memory of the people that died that day, and even if they were I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be doing it with a Community Center, of all things.
Last I checked, being unpatriotic meant not supporting one's country and its ways of life. Oh, wait a minute, isn't America the "land of the free" where freedom of religion supposedly abounds? Someone please explain to me how refusing to allow someone to build a Community Center that will allow them to practice their religion as they please results in them being unpatriotic? If you ask me, the only unpatriotic ones here are the narrow-minded, hateful people who are trying to use a tragic event like 9/11 as an excuse to discriminate and pass judgement.
And you want to talk about immorality? I don't see anyone protesting the strip joints that are already in the same vicinity of Ground Zero. Where are the protests for that? Or the gambling establishments? or the bars? How is a 13-story building with a prayer room and a bookstore more offensive to the memory of those who died on 9/11 than drunks and strippers?
And the pastor who thinks burning the Qur'an is the right way to go about this? He clearly doesn't know the Jesus that I know. And in regards to his claim that Jesus would burn the Qur'an too: the Jesus that I know doesn't burn things for the sake of a political agenda, nor is he intimidated by a religion of differing claims. Jesus doesn't need to play offense or defense, he doesn't need to justify his existence or explain his actions. In my opinion, Jesus would be more inclined to go hang out with the drunks and strippers and show them God's love and the freedom it brings, rather than further an agenda of hate.
and that's my opinion on the subject.

3 comments:

  1. I'm not quite sure how to comment...

    I'm dissapointed?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I take it you don't think the Center should be built...?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not really, I just don't agree with what you have posted. Too much generalization...

    ReplyDelete