What happened to "freedom of religion"?
POSTED BY: Niki2
UPDATED: Sunday, April 21, 2024 23:47
VIEWED: 7822
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CNN had a special report last night, "Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door". I couldn't watch it; I don't need to; I know what's going on and it makes me want to spit. Just the short video clips shown in the promos disgusted me.Quote:
CNN
"Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door" examines a city in middle Tennessee that is torn apart by fear and suspicion as residents fight to block the construction of a large Islamic center. From New York to California, since Sept. 11, 2001, fears of radical Islam, terrorism and "Sharia law" have fueled opposition to mosque projects and launched a national debate around religious freedom protections. Murfreesboro, Tennessee has just over 100,000 people, 140+ churches, and one mosque. For decades, Muslims have lived and prayed in Murfreesboro without incident, but last May, when the Muslim community gained county approval to build a new 52,000 square foot Islamic center in town, hundreds of Murfreesboro residents took to the streets in protest. CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien chronicles the dramatic fight to block the mosque project in Murfreesboro and the fight over religious freedom; a fight that would ultimately include protests, vandalism, arson and an explosive lawsuit that would involve the U.S. Department of Justice.
What happened to our constant cries of "freedom of religion" in this country? It sickens me to see what's going on, the hypocrisy it represents, and the hate and ignorance of so many Americans.Quote:
Nationwide Protests Over Mosques Increases
From Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn to Temecula in California, angry Americans are participating in protests and are being met by other Americans supportive of their Muslim neighbors. Those opposed to the building of new mosques and Islamic centers cite traffic problems, but too often intolerance and fear is the chief motivator.
At the Sheepshead Bay protest, according to The Brooklyn Paper, one protester told the newspaper, “They’re not going to stay here alive.” The article stated that “…intolerance was common at the rally.” At the Temecula protest, signs like “No Sharia Law” represented the unfounded fear that Muslims were attempting to supplant American law.
A History of Religious Intolerance Continues
Religious intolerance in America can be traced back to the Puritans of New England, who would just as soon hang a Quaker or a Catholic. In the Calvinist Dutch New Amsterdam colony, Governor Peter Stuyvesant refused to accept a ship carrying refugee Jews. Virginia’s official Anglicanism made Sunday church attendance mandatory whether one was an Anglican or not.
During the 19th Century religious intolerance grew worse. Mormons were forced to trek to Utah after having been repeatedly uprooted by often hostile and violent neighbors. The Know-Nothing Party was formed in the 1850s to deny rights to Catholics. In the 20th Century, American Jews were subjected to Anti-Semitism. Today, intolerance targets Muslims.
Intolerance and Ignorance Perpetuate Fear
Anti-mosque protests continue in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Sheboygan, Wisconsin. According to the website of the Islamic Society of Sheboygan, “Muslim families have lived in that community for 25 years and have never had a place to pray.” Newt Gingrich, however, writes that “this is a test of our commitment to religious liberty. It is a test to see if we have the resolve to face down an ideology that aims to destroy religious liberty in America, and every other freedom we hold dear.”
The strength of the First Amendment’s free exercise clause, however, is most often threatened when religious intolerance is unchecked. In 1993, the Supreme Court struck down a Hialeah, Florida statute that forbade members of the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye from conducting animal sacrifices during Santeria ceremonies and rituals. Gingrich has said, “No churches in Saundi Arabia? Then no mosques near Ground Zero.” But what makes the Uni
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What ever happened to " freedom of speech " ?
Citizens voicing their views on an issue isn't what the Founders were worried about. It was the GOVERNMENT forbidding or demanding a certain religion be followed or practiced.
" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "
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Ah, so it's okay for the American people to not allow the practice of freedom of religion, long as it's not the government. I get it. That makes it even more egregious, to me; if we're a nation which preaches freedom of religion, we should be PROTECTING the rights of other religions than Christianity to be followed. Otherwise, it's hypocrisy to hold it up as part of America's principles.
It's not just people "voicing" opposition, it's people pressuring their local government, AND local governments on their own, finding ways to deny Muslims freedom of religion. But that's okay with you, apparently. Then I call you a hypocrite, as well.
Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off 
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It's sad what fear and those that would exploit it have done to this country. The hypocrisy is to be expected, it's human nature and infects our politics as much (maybe more so) than anything else. What I don't understand is why any truly religious person would be in favor of this kind of oppression. Don't they realize that as soon as it's 'acceptable' to oppress one religion it will become 'acceptable' to oppress another, and another, and perhaps eventually ALL religions.
If I were into conspiracy theories I'd think this the work of some cunning anti-religious mastermind aiming to pit one religion against the next until they are all destroyed/contained/oppressed or whatever + ???? = profit or something.
Even if I resented muslims (which I don't) I would advocate for their rights because (altruism aside) I know what affects them could eventually effect me.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Ah, so it's okay for the American people to not allow the practice of freedom of religion, long as it's not the government. I get it. That makes it even more egregious, to me; if we're a nation which preaches freedom of religion, we should be PROTECTING the rights of other religions than Christianity to be followed. Otherwise, it's hypocrisy to hold it up as part of America's principles.
It's not just people "voicing" opposition, it's people pressuring their local government, AND local governments on their own, finding ways to deny Muslims freedom of religion. But that's okay with you, apparently. Then I call you a hypocrite, as well.
I disagree.
" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "
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Quote:They still have it, of course.
Originally posted by AURaptor:
What ever happened to " freedom of speech " ?
They are using their free speech to limit freedom of religion, which is entirely legal, and VERY sad.
I am sad that free people would CHOOSE to do something like this.
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Happy and CTS: Beautiful. Right on, and exactly what I'm saying. If I hadn't seen the way our country has given in to fear and hatred on this subject for so long now, or if I were a young person who actually BELIEVED the things we spout about this country, I'd be shocked.
And that says even more; that we're not shocked to see this kind of oppression happening daily right in front of us. I'm ashamed of some of my fellow Americans, and can only hope with all my heart that this is a "vocal minority" and nothing more. Unfortunately, I don't think that is the case.
Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off
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Sorry Niki, but we already have enough crazies who want to hasten the next world war to bring back some long dead / imaginary savior and herald in a glorious 1000 years on Earth or some such. I don't really see any point in encouraging more of the same.
Be it the JC man or the 12th Imam, no thank you.
The less religion , the better.
" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "
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I disagree. I think religion is a positive force, and economics is driving the negative here.
I wonder why there wasn't more noise about Wicca and Scientology, neither of which subscribe to modern medicine as their mainstay on health, were deliberately not included in religions which were allowed to opt out of Obamacare in religious grounds.
That's what a ship is, you know - it's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs.
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What happened to "American exceptionalism" with regard to this issue? I don't see us as any better than anywhere else, and worse than some, when it comes to this crap:Quote:
Many Americans find it difficult to believe that the U.S. has anything to learn from Europe when it comes to religion. The recent controversies over mosques suggest otherwise. That’s because this is a story that has been playing out in Europe for some time, with results ranging from restrictions on religious liberty to a worsening of tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims. America cannot afford to go down the same path.
Anti-mosque sentiment is clearly on the rise in America. Efforts to block the construction of the proposed Cordoba Center in New York City are the most noteworthy, but proposed Islamic centers and mosques in places such as Murfreesboro, TN, and Temecula, CA, are also under attack. Why? Some opponents are quick to cite mundane reasons such as zoning laws or increased traffic. But one look at some of the placards in a recent Murfreesboro protest tells a different story. One stated: “Mosque Leaders Support Killing Converts Tell It!” And one protester told a local news station that “in Islam, a mosque means ‘We have conquered this country’ … They’re going to say, ‘We have conquered Tennessee.’”
Many Europeans are clearly anxious over Islam’s increasing presence and visibility because they, too, tend to define Islam as an inherently violent religion. The Swiss campaign against minarets succeeded because organizers tapped into popular fears concerning Islam, with minarets portrayed as weapons used by Muslims to conquer Europe. Polls indicate that plenty of other Europeans share these fears.
For their part, Muslims have adopted an accommodating attitude in the overwhelming majority of conflicts concerning mosques and minarets. They have agreed to relocate proposed mosques to less central (and less visible) locations. They have modified architectural designs so that mosques look, well, less mosque-like. They have kept minarets relatively short so as not to rival church towers and steeples, or they have simply not erected minarets. They have developed creative ways to issue the call to prayer, such as short-wave transmitters and text messaging, to ease concerns from non-Muslims over hearing the call from loudspeakers. In the Marseille mosque currently under construction, a flashing light will be used to issue the call to prayer.
Over and over again, Muslims across Europe have responded with respect and deference to local and national concerns and have followed the relevant laws affecting where or how they can build mosques. This is a far cry from the violent, anti-democratic reputation that the Islamic faith still has in much of Europe. But the second-class treatment Muslims have received is taking its toll, and tensions are rising between European countries and Muslims, particularly among the younger generations. Many Muslims continue to feel like foreigners and outsiders in their own country.
The European response to Islam continues in many cases to operate on unfortunate stereotypes and caricatures. It involves rendering that which is visible invisible, that which is present absent. In doing so, freedom of religion becomes the major casualty, hostility towards Muslims persists, and opportunities to build bridges between Islam and the West pass by.
We should think long and hard about whether we want to mimic Europe in its treatment of Islam. Our nation prides itself on religious tolerance and diversity. Our Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. But efforts to prohibit the construction of Islamic centers and mosques undermine these principles and move us closer to a Europe where restrictions on religious liberty are the most common means of “dealing” with Islam. We also risk missing some of the same opportunities as Europeans if we oppose the construction of religious centers whose purpose often includes helping non-Muslims
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