Sunday, August 15, 2010

Freedom of Religion is Theatened

As I write this, freedom of religion in this country is being threatened by the very people who frequently advance the myth that there is a government conspiracy to somehow limit the Christian religion. There is no evidence of such a conspiracy, but we hear it, especially at Christmastime. However, the threat about which I write is a very real one. There are currently two Islamic mosques near the site of the World Trade Center tragedy (notice I didn't use the term, "ground zero.") Both have been in existence for years. The Muslim population has grown in such a way that the two no longer have room and have decided to consolidate and build a new facility.

Enter the right wingnuts, who say that building such a mosque near the site of the Trade Center is somehow an affront to those who died there and to this country. No matter of course that many Muslims died in that horrific action, perpetrated, by a group of nuts who claim Islam as their religion. How dare Muslims build a new church near this site. It has become a shrine for fundamentalist Christians in this country, who advance hatred for the Islamic religion and desire to keep the flame burning. They are, of course, supported by their enabling politicians, who use the site as political fodder to keep reminding the American voter that they are vigilant watchdogs of this country's safety.

So, using this logic, let's say a member of a Baptist church becomes a serial killer of the most horrific kind, who uses his religion to justify his actions. Near the scene of one of his murderous acts, a Baptist congregation decides to build a new church. Let's say that his victims are all Jewish, because he hates Jews, and the new church site happens to be near a synagogue. Jews everywhere rise up and protest this act on the part of the Baptist congregation as being an affront to Jews everywhere. Jewish politicians rant about it on TV. Ignorant Alaskan presidential hopefuls spew forth hatred.

What are Christians to do? There is, obviously, an effort, here, to limit the Christian religion. What happened to freedom of religion? Oh, yes, there was that little thing about the Muslim mosque. Nothing much, really. Just a minority religion and they aren't even true believers. All of them are crazy killers, who single out Christians...

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