Two recent issues have sparked debate about whether or not we are a nation of religious bigots: a mosque at ground-zero and the Quran (Koran) burning.
First a video that poses the above question:
Here is a link to a great website (www.factcheck.org) that discusses the facts in regards to the 'Ground Zero Mosque':
http://www.factcheck.org/2010/08/questions-about-the-ground-zero-mosque/
Here is another video that discusses this issue by the key figure in the middle of this controversy:
Next is the recent story of the Florida Pastor who plans on a September 11th Quran (Koran) burning:
Here is a Time article that discusses this issue:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2016731,00.html
Finally, here is some reaction to this issue:
So, what do you think? Are we a nation of religious bigots? How does our own history (as Mormons) factor into this debate?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
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In regards to the Ground Zero Mosque--Sure, it's legal, and they have a right under U.S. law to build it, but I don't feel it is an ethical thing to do. When Christians came to the New World and did, for lack of a better word, harmful things to indigenous peoples, after a while if you had a cross around your neck and on your property, you were associated with pain and harm. Should the indigenous people have taken the time to find out that not all of the Christians who came were harmful? Sure, but when you feel threatened you instinctively don't do anything other than have your guard up. This is all that some Americans are doing--keeping their guard up.
ReplyDeleteThe builders of the Mosque, again, have a legal right to build their faith center where ever they want--but at the same time, they should consider the circumstances and time-frame: sometimes people want any publicity they can get, even if it’s negative. And building a Mosque that close to Ground Zero, within 10 years of the tragedy is going to get you negative publicity, no matter what you think, say, or do. We can argue forever about if it is right or wrong, but in the long run, while it’s legal, it is still in bad taste.
As far as Mormon history goes, there are two sides to the story...Remember Joseph Smith was an advocate of obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. Well, obeying, honoring, and sustaining the laws he agreed with at least. Sure, Mormons in the early days were persecuted, and I don’t mean to make light of this, but at the same time, a portion of their persecution came because they refused to follow what the leaders of the land said was lawful. Take polygamy for instance. The U.S. deemed it unlawful...So, instead of saying 'okay, we will follow the laws of the land,' the early Mormons left the country and, in essence, made their own country, the land of Deseret.
Mormons, who claim that their prophet is the one true prophet, and that their religion is the one true religion, often take the mindset that whatever they do is correct because they are the only correct religion. But just because one has priesthood authority does not mean that any action they take is sanctioned of God. Perhaps if we look at it like this—Those who built, and worship, at the Mosque feel that their religion is the correct religion. Subsequently, isn’t it possible that if they feel their religion is the correct one, then this feeling justifies any actions they take? Building the Mosque to reverence their correct faith is nothing more or less than what Mormons have done in the past. Didn’t early “Mormons” (if you will) in the Bible destroy entire cities at the behest of God, and then set up monuments proclaiming that they were the correct religion? Similar things happened in the Book of Mormon as well—only difference is, Mormons believe that God sanctioned them, and therefore, that makes it okay…(as a side note, I sometimes wonder if God sanctioned everything printed in the scriptures, or if the people actually felt that He did because, as mentioned previously, since they were in the “correct” religion, anything they did was right, whether it was or wasn’t.)
We can say whether the building of the Mosque is in good or bad taste, but in the long run, it is a far cry less from what Christian sects have done…and if we as Mormons try to lift our heads higher and say “But those were the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Baptists…they weren’t us!” Be careful—for Mormons also claim that the stories told in the Bible and Book of Mormon are FACT—and some of those aren’t any less brutal than what the “Catholics” and other Christian sects have done historically.
Perhaps Christians should be more accepting of the Mosque, because, historically, ALL sects of Christianity can trace their roots back to a time when similar things were done—and considered OK.
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