Under the protections guaranteed by the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as extended to the states by the 14th Amendment, the Imam and his congregants have every right to build their mosque.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
2. The issue of the location of the mosque is purely a decision of the people of New York City. If they have elected to involve government in the planning and placement of businesses, schools, religious buildings, etc., then they have to make a decision on whether this is an appropriate location.
3. Sarah Palin says Obama doesn’t get it with respect to the mosque. Specifically Sarah Palin said, “He just doesn’t get it, that this is an insensitive move on the part of those Muslims who want to build that mosque in this location. It feels like a stab in the heart to, collectively, Americans who still have that lingering pain from 9/11.”
What Mrs. Palin doesn’t say is probably far more important – the belief among Christian Conservatives that the construction of the mosque is a symbol of aggression by the Muslim faith in its attempt to dominate non-Muslim cultures. The Christian Conservatives view the construction of the mosque at this location as an act of aggression to which our nation must respond.
This is what Sarah Palin implies Obama, the Left and those left of Christian Conservatives do not understand. George Bush framed our war on terror in this same context. Under this line of reasoning, the mosque builders are enemy combatants and should not be afforded the same Constitutional protections afforded citizens of our nation.
So the visceral reaction by Christian Conservatives to deny these Muslims their mosque is NOT a violation of the Constitution in their eyes, but rather an act that protects our Constitution and the American way.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
It is hard to trust our goverment now, everything about politics. Hope real change will come not to late.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2010/aug/17/audio-rep-pelosi-calls-investigation-wtc-mosque-op/
It Is not conservative Christians that populate New York city in large numbers and it is the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers that oppose the building of this mosque in close proximity of the former World Trade Center complex. Therefore, I must take issue with your thesis being a conservative Christian intolerance of Islam. The original naming of the center being “Cordoba” made it very clear that this was in fact a building of a mosque on conquered territory. Like its namesake, the mosque in Spain, or the mosque built upon the Jewish temple, their is more at play here rather than simply building another mosque. Would you build a church in a financial district with astronomical rent and no residential (read congregants) nearby? It is being put there for one reason only and that is to take pleasure in the victory of a Muslim attack on America. To deny the obvious is foolish on your part and dangerous to the safety of all Americans, including Muslim Americans. Stop thinking that “conservative Christians” have some form of evil prism that obfuscates the truth. The truth really is as simple as it looks. That truth being that Muslims want to build a mosque near the site of a victorious Muslim attack, and that you are a bigot who denies the real concerns of most Americans by attempting to attribute it to one group rather than admit the concern is widespread.
In the words our president enjoys using, “Let me be clear.” The focus of the article was trying to understand how one group of people could justify a prima facie violation of the First Amendment.
I did not intend, nor did I attempt, a comprehensive review of the pro and con arguments of every possible cohort. Nor did I criticize the argument I considered. I am sure there are other groups that will and have offered rational justifications for denying the mosque builders its First Amendment right, some of them will even agree with the Christian Conservative logic as you did in your reply.
But calling me a bigot because I merely focused on ONE GROUP is really uncalled for and you owe me an apology.
big·ot audio (bgt) KEY
NOUN:
One who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
bigot noun
/ˈbɪg.ət/ n [C] disapproving
a person who has strong, unreasonable beliefs and who thinks that anyone who does not have the same beliefs is wrong
Noun
bigot (plural bigots)
1. one who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices
2. one who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
Jerry,
You singled out a single group whom share a common religion and attacked their judgment. You did not list any other religious group. Conservative Christians are some of the many whom oppose this act and are not particularly at the forefront of the opposition. You chose them because you are a bigot. Rather than look at the issue and evaluate different points of views or arguments you went straight to one group– that is playing at best a nominal role in the entire affair –to attack them. You did not mention the Jews in New York who are opposed to this mosque. Their are a lot more Jews in New York than conservative Christians. And rumor has it that the Jews and Muslims don’t get along too well. You did not mention Catholics, although there are more Catholics in New York than conservative Christians, either. There aren’t too many Buddhists, Confucianists, or Taoists, in New York but their opinion deserves to be heard and derided just as much as conservative Christians. Don’t you agree?
OK Jerry, I’ll buy your explanation. You’re not a bigot.
Now, I want to know why the blacks are prominately for the mosque, and therefore at emnity with other Americans. The blacks seem to not to be pro-American and seem more prone towards the muslims sentiments. Like President Obama clearly calling for the Mosque and then changing after the Muslim dinner to I don’t take sides, and Whoopi Goldberg, very pro-Islamist rights. And you know that Al Sharpton is on board. I’ll bet he wants a New Black Panter bridge to understanding where the voting precinct was located in Philly.
Yea, let’s examine them blacks.
Now Jerry, this is just an essay for uinderstanding, It’s really not bigoted, that is if we use the standard you set for yourself.
J Byron,
Thanks for your comment. Just to be clear, I am not taking a position in my post, merely trying to understand the motivations of those engaged in this dispute without judgment.
Jerry,
Point taken. I re-read your article, and I think I got my mistaken impression because of your laser beam focus on “Christian Conservatives”.
I think your point about not taking a position would be more obvious if you didn’t single out “Christian Conservatives” as being at war with the workmen on the Mosque. You see, what you say is true enough, but I believe you will find plenty of liberal and conservative Jews, Libritarians, athiest who happen to be patriotic and not least many liberal democrats who tear up at the singing of our national anthem.
Jerry, those 24% or so who are OK with the Mosque being built there are Liberal SuperHero Protectors of the weak and Islamist.
Period Jerry (and I seriously doubt any Patriotic American Muslim wants to see that 13 story monument of a Mosque in the shadow of America’s ground zero).
As the title of my post suggests, this was not intended to be a comprehensive view of the mosque issue. The focus of the article was trying to understand how one group of people could justify a prima facie violation of the First Amendment.
I made no comment about any other group’s opposition to the construction of the mosque.
It comes down to this…. no one is saying they can’t build a Mosque. No one is arguing their 1st ammendment rights. What people ARE doing is calling the Imams bluff. If he wants to “make it a bridge between the west and Islam” as he claims then they should be willing to move the Mosque as it is creating a sore spot with the populace. Additionally, it’s in an industrial district there are NO people living in the area so it calls into question why it HAS to be there.
There is no doubt in my mind that this action is to thumb it’s nose at this country. There is no reason if they want to promote peace and understanding that they should be against moving it. Additionally since Nancy Pelosi is calling for looking at the funding of those that oppose it and won’t address the Imam’s REFUSAL to expose his funders then I say call it what it is…. a religious sham hiding behind the first ammendment.
Jerry,
I will not dispute the facts as you have presented them. On the facvt side of this development, I don’t think anyone disputes.
Now, as to your tolerance and judgement, they of course are another matter.
First I would say tolerence can be a cruel master to the left. The one thing you on the left will not tolerate is intolerance. Do I have that right?
Would you allow the KKK to build a meeting hall on the sacred ground of the selma church which was burned in the 60′s by racists, ending the lives of the good black worshippers there? If your true to you’re convictions you must say yes. But then you would say, that’s a horrible thing, and not in good judgment. I would then point out, these are peaceful seperationist, not the violent breed that did the deed. You would still be sickened by the thought.
What’s the difference Jerry? Political correctness? Of course it is. These are what see and the left see as poor misunderstood minorities who need the understanding and power of the left white hero’s who stand up for the weak.
Tolerance and wisdom are not the common bedfellows the left assume they are.