My question however is this, if the Orthodox Church, or Catholic Church or any other Christian Church asked to build a house of worship on the site would there be the same amount of outcry? I understand that Americans to not trust Muslims and we think they are all terrorists. I will also admit that Muslims also do not help themselves by not speaking out and decrying the terrorists when they do their thing. I will also remind you that there have been countless Christians who have done similar things in the past, one think of the guy who blew up the building in Oklahoma City.
I always like to see if we can get to the root of the problem, so I ask again, is it that we do not want to see a church there or we do not want to see a Mosque there? In America we have the freedom to worship as we see fit, to include not worshipping at all. I understand the symbolism of having a Mosque at that site of all sites, but why to we object? What is the reason for our objection? If it is because of hate, that is wrong and the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires us to love our neighbor.
I think I could buy the symbolism as a reason to not want the Mosque there, but I would rather we just say we do not want any sort of House of Worship on the site and be done with it.
What are your thoughts?
Define "at ground zero"? As the GOA moved to rebuild St Nicholas Church? This church is "at ground zero" i a very real sense. Certainly St Paul's Chapel has become essentially a shrine church at Ground Zero.
Regarding your request for Muslims to distance themselves… there is no one voice for Muslims. They are essentially congregationalists or even more individualistic than that. And, for that matter, several leaders have spoken out in favour of real Islam – and even our own gov't has noted that it's not even correct to call them "Islamicists"
The issue is that we – non Muslims – must let ourselves see the distance between those who follow the teachings of the Koran and those who simply claim to be Muslims. But we have quite a plank in our own eye: I saw no mainline Christian leader distance himself from either attack committed in this country by self-described Christians nor any Orthodox leader distance himself from the terror committed in Serbia (and countenanced by the Orthodox there). We are willing to allow for that distance to be unspoken when it is a faux-Christian action. We should return the favour.
The problem with building this mosque isn't that they want to build one its where they want to build it.
I'm sure if they picked any other place in this city no one would care.Most people feel that this is a statement on the muslums part.
I believe the families of the victums should decided if this mosque should be built,if they say no then its no.linda