Freedom of Religion . . . for Some?
Last Sunday I preached at my local church, and I am attaching a summary version of my sermon here. I am speaking as a Christian pastor to my fellow Christians. During this season of Ramadan, a primary holiday for Muslims, and with “Islamophobia” being stoked by demagogues, Christians must speak up. These are dangerous times.
Last Sunday I preached at my local church, and I am attaching a summary version of my sermon here. I am speaking as a Christian pastor to my fellow Christians. During this season of Ramadan, a primary holiday for Muslims, and with “Islamophobia” being stoked by demagogues, Christians must speak up. These are dangerous times.
My Scotch-Irish ancestors came here seeking religious freedom. Many Muslim immigrants have also come here seeking religious freedom: the freedom to practice moderate Islam and to walk away from the distortions and misuse of the Quran to support terrorism and the abuse of women and children.
As Christians, we must remember that our history is littered with the misuse of our Bible to support slavery, the Crusades, the genocide of Native Americans, the abuse of women and children. Our hands and our history are not clean.
So we should be able to understand from our own experience that it is not difficult for some people to take and misuse sacred texts to support their own personal agenda contrary to the fundamental message of a faith tradition.
The opposition to the Muslim community center in Manhattan is xenophobia at its worst: fear of “the other.” In this case, “the others” are patriotic Muslim Americans who are working hard to encourage moderate Muslim values. I know these people and have worked with them: I share their values.
I firmly believe that the best way to counter terrorism from the Muslim fringe is to support and encourage the witness of moderate Muslims—and to support their First Amendment rights to worship when and where they choose.
The people of New York City don’t seem to have a problem with Muslims building a new community center in a neighborhood where they have been worshipping for years. If the demagogues prevail and the Muslim community center is not built, then the terrorists win. Ten years after the 9/11 attack, the terrorists continue to export fear, mistrust and chaos.
As patriots and people of faith, we can stand against this. And we must.
Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune
FaithTrust Institute
www.faithtrustinstitute.org
Freedom of religion
Let me explain:
9/11 has not only changed the face of our great country, but has also changed our world. We, the American people, are simply not the same people that we were pre-9/11. We have been violated and scarred by our wounds as if a child or woman scarred by abuse at the hands of their batterer. Trust has been broken and replaced with fear and suspicion, and this is a fundamenatal reaction of the human condition.
The USA was deceived and betrayed by Islamic sects who came to our country purportedly on friendly terms - to study, to work, to raise families, in search of 'freedom'. These sects infiltrated our communities and falsely became 'one of us' in order to deceive and eventually attack us from within. These are indisputable facts. It was a tactic that has unfortunately repeated history - I refer to both Native Americans and African slaves.
But history is history, and hopefully the USA has learned from her mistakes. Many Americans believe that she has, and that our historical, political, societal growth further proves that progress. Nonetheless, 'recent' history dictates reality for America's people. The deception, the betrayal, the loss, will not be soon forgotten. It may be easy for some, such as the average Joe, far removed from the terror, destruction, chaos and death, not to comprehend the unimaginable terror of those moments... moments that must have seemed like eternity. It is not hard to distance ourselves from the pain of the senseless loss of life when it does not directly affect US - when it is someone else's mother, brother, child, friend, or spouse. But for those who were there, those moments live on, and they will continue to live on for years to come. The survivors and family members of victims can not 'move on' because they are frozen in a time that revisits their dreams and their daily thoughts. For many, it is the first thing they think of when they awaken, and the last thing they remember before falling off to sleep. For some, 9/11 will live on for generations. Parentless children do not comprehend the politics behind the loss of their beloved parents. For survivors, their guilt binds them to that place and time. Some events are so traumatic that victims never fully recover, and we must respect, and are called upon to understand, the rawness of their memories and their pain. The truth is, some wounds simply do not heal.
While I support freedom of religion, I can not forget that horrific day when America was attacked, without provocation, by Al Qaida supremacists simply because they do not approve of our western way of life. It was a cowardly, diabolical act of aggression.
Thus, we should not be alarmed when the American people react with outrage and hostility at the proposal to erect a mosque on this sacred American landmark. We should not be surprised when our President's proposal is met with disdain and seen as outlandish and grossly insensitive, given the gravity of the attack on the American people, the American culture and on American soil.
Understandably, and in my opinion, rightly so, the American people can not be expected to feel indifferent about such a proposal that would essentially bring honor to an ethnocentric group responsible for not only the loss of human life, but for the loss of trust, our sense of security and for many, a way of life. This is in no way an insignificant matter or small infraction and the American people should not be asked or expected to overlook an assault of such grave proportions on our political and religious beliefs. The gravity of this senseless act must NOT be rewarded and most assuredly not rewarded by the very people under attack.
Right or wrong, the muslim community is now widely suspect in the eyes of the American people. Wounds are still fresh, memories still vivid. Right or wrong, the consideration of 'right or wrong' or 'fair' is presently highly debatable and is not of imminent concern for many Americans. At this time, reality takes precedence over 'right or wrong' and reality is, America is still hurting.
The muslims of NYC are entitled to a place of worship, but not on this sacred site. A mosque on this site would stretch well beyond a slap on the face or the thumbing of the nose; it would be the desecration of the American spirit, and our very soul.