The Ground Zero Mosque . . . what do you think?

[Flick James]

My wife is from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her parents moved here when she was a child to get away from a city that was, at least in the 1970's, full of violence and bigotry and oppression (It's a much nicer place now). Even though that time known as The Troubles has simmered down quite a bit, that separation between the catholic Irish and the protestant loyalists is still on everybody's mind, and while things have been calm and peaceful for some years, it is a watchful peace that could erupt if just the wrong event happened. All of this is founded in a religious struggle. This is America. We're not supposed to have that here. If we're going to be a nation that is above what the terrorists did, and if we're supposedly a Christian nation, as I keep hearing we are, shouldn't we be turning the other cheek? Isn't that something that Jesus was trying to teach? I'm not a Christian, but there are many here that think we are a Christian nation. As such, I find it odd that we are a far cry from several doctrines that I always thought were Christian, such as "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" and the aforementioned "do not resist an evil person; but whoever stikes you on the cheek, turn the other to him also."

For somebody who isn't a Christian, this the second time in as many days that I have quoted from the Bible. I don't want to exacerbate a war of words and ideologies like I did with the drug issue recently. I have since felt bad about that. I don't want to offend anybody of faith and I'm not trying to quote out of context or pick and choose verses, as I think I've heard is an inappropriate thing to do. The reason I brought up the biblical quotes I did was because I had a conversation with my Irish father-in-law, and although he grew up in the midst of the troubles in Northern Ireland and made the decision to leave because it was getting too dangerous for his family, he has a very astute view on religious tolerance. He pointed out to me that, in the midst of the potato famine in Ireland, the catholics and the protestants, despite famine and starvation and people in grave need, continued to fight each other, and in many cases would turn people away who were in dire need and on the verge of death, because they weren't of the proper faith. The Quakers who were in Ireland at the time, who were largely very gnostic in their beliefs and accepted all people as being of God, were the only ones who were routinely helping anyone who came to them, catholic or protestant, because it was a time of great peril and that's what you did in such times. His main point was that, despite them holding laregly gnostic principles, they were behaving more Christian than those who were supposed to be Christians.

If we are Americans, and we value the doctrines of freedom, and if we truly are greater than other nations, then shouldn't we be above that kind of thing? I believe we should.

[Flick James]

Oh, when I said that there are many here who think we are a Christian nation, I wasn't meaning this site, just the U.S. in general. I just wanted to clarify the wording.

[lester1/2jr]

I'm fine with these anti mosque ads if thats what they want to do but this woman is really annoying and not an assett to her cause

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ufsXUHfMY

[Skull]

Most people here know that my birthday falls on the 11th September and 9/11/2001 was the most horrible day in my life, next to 16 May 2008 when my Dad passed. I have never had a proper birthday since and do not expect to have one in a month's time. 

wow that sucks...

At this point I'd move my birthday.

I just feel that a mosque anywhere near Ground Zero is defaming the memories of those who died in the Twin Towers and in the planes on that horrible day.

I do have mixed feeling about this issue... I do know terrorist did this but I'm not sure about blaiming the whole religion although the terrorist has made this into a religious war.

[trekgeezer]

This isn't happening just in New York, check out this Jon Stewart video.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/11/stewart-takes-on-ground-z_n_678224.html

[indianasmith]

Flick, that was a brilliant observation!

I guess what I think is that, while there should be no legal prohibition, most Americans would think more highly of Islam as a whole if they exercised a little tact and built it further away.

[lester1/2jr]

Manhattan is not like most places.

[Flick James]

I guess what I think is that, while there should be no legal prohibition, most Americans would think more highly of Islam as a whole if they exercised a little tact and built it further away.

I would agree with that observation. A bit more tact may be in order.

[lester1/2jr]

New Yorkers have bigger fish to fry

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

I think its because it is a mosque that people are upset.  If they had been Baptist terrorists, people wouldn't object to a church being built nearby.   

There are millions upon millions of Muslims who just want to get on with their lives and condemn terrorists and terrorism.  Abortion clinic bombers do not reflect Christians at large, and the 911 bombers do not reflect all Muslims.

-Ed

[indianasmith]

True that!  But there are far many more Islamic terrorists in the world than there are Baptist ones!  I mean, in the last decade, how many abortionists have been murdered by fanatical Christians in America - or in the whole world, for that matter?  Probably no more than two or three in this country. I know it is less than 10 for the last decade.  I don't know about elsewhere.

Now, how many have been killed by Islamic terrorists and extremists in the same decade?  Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.  Even though the vast majority of the world's Muslims are not violent people, there are so many Muslims worldwide (over a billion) that if only 10% are radicalized enough to actively practice jihad against the West, you are talking over a hundred million potential terrorists!  That is more men than Hitler ever commanded, even at the height of World War II!  It is a good thing they are such primitive barbarians - if they were as technically advanced as the West, we would be in deep trouble!

What Islam needs is an internal Reformation that will completely and finally reject the "sword passages" of the Quran, just as the Catholic church renounced religious warfare in the 1960's.  Let each faith lay its Scriptures and ideals out there, without force or the threat of force, and may the True God win!

[Skull]

Now, how many have been killed by Islamic terrorists and extremists in the same decade?  Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.  Even though the vast majority of the world's Muslims are not violent people, there are so many Muslims worldwide (over a billion) that if only 10% are radicalized enough to actively practice jihad against the West, you are talking over a hundred million potential terrorists!  That is more men than Hitler ever commanded, even at the height of World War II!  It is a good thing they are such primitive barbarians - if they were as technically advanced as the West, we would be in deep trouble!

Gee they have to be primitive barbarians to believe such a silly reward. A smart person wouldnt kill themselves for 32 virgins. Actually what is that? The first 32 days in heaven you are training a virgins to sexually please you (talk about work) then afterwords you got 32 annoying woman for the rest of your life... Gee that sounds like Hell to me.

What Islam needs is an internal Reformation that will completely and finally reject the "sword passages" of the Quran, just as the Catholic church renounced religious warfare in the 1960's. 

I dont think its the sword passages is the problem. Actually I even doubt the terrorist leaders really believe the Quran, they are using the passages to mind control uneducated and the insane to do the deeds.

The terrorist leaders motive is power and its not based on the Quran or even Mohammed's teachings, althought they are hiding behind it to insite additional support from other uneducated people.

I really think the FBI/CIA should treat these "Terrorist Leaders" like Charles Manson, because Charles Manson used a simular method to get his family to murder, actually Charles Manson told the police his motive was to start a race war (which is quite simular to the terrorist starting a "holy war"). 

Let each faith lay its Scriptures and ideals out there, without force or the threat of force, and may the True God win!

Oddly I thought their all the same God with different names.

[BTM]

http://www.masjidmanhattan.com/   

Hmm.. interesting, I love how the author of this article puts the word "Bigots" in the title, because, of course, anyone who has concerns about a new mosque being built near ground zero is automatically a bigot.  (Never mind that there are MUSLIMS who think a new Mosque being built is a bad idea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VwL8IqnZ2o).  This is also the same logic that anyone who opposes the war is obviously anti-military and anti-American.

I guess my question though would be, if there's ALREADY a Mosque nearby, why the sudden interest in building another one? 

I don't know, just seem like certain just insist on stirring things up just to see what happens...

[Jim H]

I guess my question though would be, if there's ALREADY a Mosque nearby, why the sudden interest in building another one?  

It's primarily a large Islamic community/education center.  It just will also have a mosque in it.  

According to some of the people responsible for building it, they wanted to use it (in part, anyway) as a place for outreach and understanding to the non-Islamic community in Manhattan.  

[Trevor]

My wife is from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her parents moved here when she was a child to get away from a city that was, at least in the 1970's, full of violence and bigotry and oppression (It's a much nicer place now). Even though that time known as The Troubles has simmered down quite a bit, that separation between the catholic Irish and the protestant loyalists is still on everybody's mind, and while things have been calm and peaceful for some years, it is a watchful peace that could erupt if just the wrong event happened.

I think your wife and I could talk about a lot, as regards the ugly violence that reared its' head in Ireland when she was a young girl and the bloody civil war that erupted in Rhodesia when I was a young boy. I still believe that growing up in a war zone messed me up a little inside, but still made me tough too.

As regards my previous comments, I have to say that I am all for religious freedom ~ those people that piloted the aeroplanes were fanatics, hiding behind the words of the Quran and the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), just like those idiots in the Inquisition and the Crusades were hding behing the Bible and the teaching of Jesus Christ ~ but I feel that anything like having a mosque near Ground Zero would be like me erecting a hotel or resort on the site of one of the Anglo-Boer War concentration camps in South Africa. It is just wrong.