J.R. Briggs
Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep
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Thoughts on the mosque at Ground Zero
There have been many headlines the past several days regarding the construction of a mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. It’s kicked up quite a dust storm of controversy. And it’s caused me to reflect quite a bit.
The past few days I’ve wondered what a wise response might be to the situation. I’ve tried to listen well, read up on all the information and think critically – and Christianly – regarding the issue at hand. I’ve wondered what a proper response would be – not as an American, not as a American Christian, not as a Republican or Democrat, not as a liberal or a conservative, but as a follower of Jesus who reads the Scriptures, listens to the Holy Spirit and seeks to honor Christ in the way I live and think and act and speak.
The issue is such an emotional issue that if we’re not careful we can allow our passion to get the most of us. But attempting to use my brain more than my heart on this, I’d like to share a few opinions (and they are just that – opinions) as clearly as I possibly can regarding the situation:
What has caused the most controversy are the comments of President Obama three days ago at a White House Ramadan dinner, where he said:
“As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.” Some Christians (among many others) have been critical of the President’s stance to support the efforts to have a mosque/Muslim community center build at Ground Zero. Some have asked, ‘How could our president be so cold-hearted to support Islam in such a way when the mosque would be in the shadow of a gravesite of 3,000 dead Americans?’
This may surprise some, but unlike many other Christians, I don’t expect the President – any president regardless of who they are for that matter – to act Christianly. Instead, I expect the President to act patriotically. It’s not to say that presidents past or present can’t be – or aren’t – Christians, but the position of President of the United States of America is to uphold the laws and values of America. He’s upholding the laws of the Constitution, which is what he promised when he took an oath when he was sworn in. Simply put, we cannot expect a President charged with enforcing and instilling the values and laws of the American Empire to live out or honor the values of the Kingdom – especially when many of those values are in direct conflict. When you mix politics and religion, you always get politics.
Regardless if you are for or against our current President, Obama’s job is to primarily uphold American rights (not kingdom values) – which includes freedom of speech and religious expression “in accordance with local laws and ordinances.” We should not be so surprised he has taken such a stance, as he is simply doing what he pledged to do by taking the role as the Commander in Chief.
Someone else pointed out that if we don’t allow people to build because of their track record of killing thousands of Americans, then as a nation we shouldn’t allow the construction of another type of building at Ground Zero either: McDonald’s.
Secondly, many who have spoken in support of the mosque being built speak of the importance of “tolerance.” (Tolerance is such a misconstrued term; it’s probably worth an entire blog post at some point in the future).
Is building a mosque at Ground Zero illegal or inherently wrong? No.
But is it wise? I don’t think so.
I wish the Islamic community in New York City would also be “tolerant” of the situation, realizing how volatile, symbolic and emotional this area of the U.S. is and what it means to Americans. It’s a lightning rod of American ideology. Our lives changed forever on that fateful day. And quite frankly, not enough time has gone by for
the American people to truly heal from such a horrendous experience of September 11, 2001. It might be different if this happened 40 years from now. But its been less than nine years.Could a compromise be struck? Could the mosque be built in Manhattan 20 or 25 blocks away from Ground Zero, rather than just two? Wouldn’t it be an act of tolerance by the Islamic community to voluntarily choose to back away from this situation with some perspective and be willing to move it a further distance away?
Most Americans know (and if they don’t, they should) that the Islamic jihadists who ran planes into buildings on 9/11 do not accurately represent the beliefs of Islam. Study Islam and you will realize it’s a peaceful religion. A misguided religion, but one that is most certainly rooted in peace. I have Muslim friends at the mosque in our community. When I think about a mosque at Ground Zero I don’t think in terms of theory or politics. I envision the faces of my Muslim friends here in Lansdale such as Imam Mohammed, Shahad, Amhed and Shakir who are kind, compassionate and peaceful human beings. Many areas (though certainly not all) of their lives are worthy of emulation. Let’s make sure that we are not clumping hateful Islamic terrorists in the same category with all Muslims. And if Muslim/American relations are to be improved (as I think they should be) it would be best if we befriended Muslims first. This doesn’t happen through policy in Washington, but by action in your – in my – local community.
For those of us who consider ourselves Christians, we’re called to love our neighbor as ourself. But it gets more specific than that. Our call is care for the Triad close to the heart of God: the alien, the orphan and the widow. What does it mean for us to care for those who are foreigners, immigrants, those non-citizens in the U.S and abroad? I believe this includes Muslims, yes even Muslims at Ground Zero in mosques. For those Christians saying, writing, gossiping, blogging, protesting and shouting hateful things towards Muslims, those behind the mosque at Ground Zero or at our President and other politicians, stop it. Right. Now. You are not being helpful. You are not being accurate. You are not representing our Founder well. Jesus said to love your Muslim as yourself.
No doubt, the situation is quite complex. I’ve not tried to over-simplify the issue at hand, but simply force us to look at the situation critically – as much with our heads as with our hearts.
In closing, its important to keep this in mind: As Americans, the question is not: “Is this right or wrong?” Instead, it is: “what is most wise in this situation?” As followers of Jesus, the question is not, “How do we fight for religious rights and freedoms?” Instead, it is “How do we love well?”
What are you thoughts?
How are you processing the events of the last few days yourself?
Tim said...
1I’m really tracking with you here JR (and drafted something similar – doh!).
Being a son of Egyptian immigrants (who left for religious freedom), and now living here in north Jersey, I am really trying to process this in the way of Jesus. I do appreciate you not oversimplifying it and asking that the Islamic community be sensitive as well (and I am not implying that they have not – it’s a process for all of us). But as a Christian, I/we have to take seriously Jesus’ teaching of loving others, everyone including our enemies, former enemies, mistaken enemies, possible enemies, etc.
May the Lord give us wisdom and sensitivity as we discuss these matters.
08/16/10 10:19 AM | Comment Link
Aaron said...
2“Someone else pointed out that if we don’t allow people to build because of their track record of killing thousands of Americans, then as a nation we shouldn’t allow the construction of another type of building at Ground Zero either: McDonald’s.”
That comparison is wholly invalid. The people that died on September 11th did not have the free will to elect otherwise. They were going about their business and were not actively choosing to be in the path of a plane used as a weapon.
People who willingfully engage in an exchage of money for services (food in this case) do so on their own free will and make a conscious choice to do so. McDonald’s is not holding people with a gun to their head forcing them to consume fries and burgers and not a salad. By participating in commerce, both parties value what the other party is offering, and make a willingful choice to exchange.
If you wish to comment on the wisdom of a person’s choices that is one thing, but it should probably be placed in a separate blog post. Equating fast food restaurants and the killing of thousands of innocents is a rather poorly though out and innappropriate comparison in my opinion.
08/16/10 11:31 AM | Comment Link
Kevin Rogers said...
3Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sober-minded and Christ-like in my estimation.
You may also be interested in a recent statement from Canadian Muslims. See it at my blog
http://communitychaplains.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-canadian-muslims-are-saying.html
08/16/10 12:34 PM | Comment Link
J.R. Briggs said...
4Aaron,
I agree with you.
Not sure what the intent or tone of the commenter was re: McDonald’s but I think it was a bit tongue-in-cheek.
There is a difference. But the comparison is interesting: I took it to be that we all have elements in us that are unhealthy – we could point the finger at just about anybody and we’d be disqualified in some way of another.
08/16/10 12:38 PM | Comment Link
Sam Hartman said...
5J.R. et al,
I agree that the POTUS is to be, above all, the keeper of laws in this country. I agree that there is precious little that legally stands in the way of the mosque being built. The various connections that this mosque has to Hamas, the 100′s of other mosques in close proximity to the proposed site, the obvious sympathy that the “good” Muslims should have about building so close to Groud Zero, etc. etc. etc. are all valid points and make accepting the plans much more difficult for the average American to swallow. Despite this, again, there is little that legally can be done to prevent what I personally deem as a severe slap in the face of an entire nation.
That said, what bothers me about what Obama said is the astounding level of hypocrisy he displays when espousing the need for maintaining “religious freedom”. How many stories have you heard lately about kids being expelled for bringing Bibles to school, teachers disciplining students for doing religious artwork at Christmas, efforts to remove religious writings from textbooks, or valedictorians having their graduation day speeches censored for fear of a reference to God? If you can’t think of dozens, you aren’t paying enough attention.
Want to make an argument about the need to keep God out of the public schools? Fine. I’ll counter you points with several more examples. Did you know it has been found unconstitutional to….
1. Have a planter placed in a public cemetery in the shape of a cross
2. Individuals to pray public prayers that reflect their own personal faith
3. Display the Ten Commandments in a public courthouse even if it is surrounded by other historic law documents
4. Give a fellow citizen religious materials while riding public transit
All of these, plus many more, have all been ruled on by the Supreme Court, which also happens to a place where you can’t pray as a student group found out on May 5th. Care for some examples from states? Take Minnesota, where a state employee was told they could not leave their car in the parking lot because of a religious bumper sticker. In Pennsylvania, a school employee was suspended for wearing a necklace with a cross. A Wisconsin college banned a Bible study held amongst students while allowing similar groups to discuss any other topic.
Now, try to balance that with a two rulings by the Supreme Court in 2002 and 2005 that found it constitutional for public schools to require classes in Islam where students must offer prayers to Allah while reading the Koran. How can this be acceptable when it is unconstitutional for students to voluntarily say “under God” during the Pledge of Allegiance?
Has Obama been on those Supreme Courts? Has he personally been involved with those decisions? Of course not. It would not however, take a great leap of faith (pun intended) to assume that he agreed whole-heartedly with them.
All of those rulings and dozens more were made under the guise that we simply can’t allow any group to be offended. The thinking is that we as Americans must not cause a minority group any kind of annoyance. Oh, the grand emotional distress it must cause an atheist to see the Ten Commandments in a courtroom. What pity we must show to the Muslim who has to endure the agony of seeing a nativity on the public square?
If Christians must, by law, refrain from nearly every form of religious expression for fear of potentially upsetting the emotionally poor Jew/Muslim/atheist/etc who has to bear up under the strain of seeing a one inch cross on a necklace…. Why can Muslims build a 75 million dollar mosque on arguably the most sacred and emotionally distressing piece of land this country has seen during it’s history?
Want one more “apples to apples” example of the hypocrisy? Google St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Groud Zero. This church was destroyed on 9/11. For nine years they have been trying to rebuild and have been buried in stacks and stacks of paperwork. The mosque project has been completed in a fraction of the time. To the average American, this has to seem strange, you know, if anyone had heard about it.
I am truly and honestly proud to say that I live in a country that gives minority religious groups a right to assemble and practice as they so choose. I just wish the majority had the same right.
08/16/10 8:25 PM | Comment Link
T Weaver said...
6Kevin-
Thanks for the article about the Imams condemning radical Islam. It is about time. I only wish this was done the first time the World Trade Center was bombed, or even after 9/11. But it’s a start.
08/16/10 8:56 PM | Comment Link
Dave Gerhart said...
7I think we’ve been wrestling with the same thoughts this week [grin]
http://encounteronline.blogspot.com/2010/08/mosque-at-ground-zero.html
08/16/10 10:06 PM | Comment Link
Jim Pace » A wise friend reflects on the proposed mosque in NYC… » author of the book Should We Fire God said...
8[...] JR, take it away… [...]
08/17/10 3:47 PM | Comment Link
Grant R said...
9Perhaps we ought to think of some other teaching of Jesus about taking something out of our eye before worrying about what is in the other fellows. Obama is not the Chief Christian or head of any other religion in our country and his position as President does not require him to do anything to promote Christianity. That said, he does have a leadership responsibility to unify us and lead us in a way that promotes American ideals such as freedom of religion. I am tired of those that expect our schools, courts and the like to teach Christ to students, etc. That is our job and I do not want someone else to do it for me – they will probably try and corrupt it for their own purposes. Oh wait, they – the politicians – are already doing that.
08/17/10 10:32 PM | Comment Link
Karin said...
10Sam Hartman made some truly excellent points!
Also check out Meredith Wheeler’s comment on this same issue on earthlytents.
08/20/10 7:36 PM | Comment Link
J.R. Briggs » Thoughts on the Islamic Center near Ground Zero » Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep said...
11[...] been much discussion since my post Thoughts on the mosque at Ground Zero. Most of the discussion has been fruitful and beneficial (though not all has been intelligent or [...]
08/30/10 8:08 AM | Comment Link
On the Islamic Center near Ground Zero | elmorelian said...
12[...] the Philadelphia area, J.R. Briggs, invited me to offer a somewhat formal response to his post on August 16. I’m happy to join the conversation. Notwithstanding the reality that doing so – at this point [...]
08/31/10 10:28 AM | Comment Link
gabe said...
13I think the mcdonald’s comparison would be looked at differently if it were set up a little more comparatively.
Ask people this and see what the result would be…
Do you think it’s appropriate to put a McDonald’s inside a hospital known for treating obesity related illnesses? And would you be in favor for or against it?
You will have an overwhelming amount of people say it’s inappropriate and they wouldn’t support. And we’re talking about a RESTAURANT! I think McDonald’s would not do that unless they wanted to send a big F@#$ YOU! to all the people affected by the contents of their food.
I’m able to see through you weak comparisons. Come up with something better next time.
10/22/10 9:42 AM | Comment Link