Nyc Mosque Rhetoric May Harm Persecuted Christians

[truthquest]

NYC Mosque Rhetoric May Harm Persecuted Christians

We need to be aware of the message we are sending to the Muslim world where our Christian brothers and sisters may suffer persecution from our statements and actions regarding this mosque and Muslims.

Society|Thu, Sep. 02 2010 09:07 AM EDT
NYC Mosque Rhetoric May Harm Persecuted Christians
By Michelle A. Vu|Christian Post Reporter

The sometimes hateful rhetoric being used by opponents of the proposed mosque near ground zero can result in violence against Christians living in Muslim-dominated countries, warned a ministry leader who works with persecuted Christians.

“I think it’s important to remember, as Americans are often unable to do, that there are millions of Christians in the Middle East,” said Dr. Carl Moeller, president/CEO of Open Doors USA, on Wednesday.

Moeller, who noted that there are some 10 million Christians in Egypt and six million in Pakistan, said the “more vile and hateful” protests against the proposed project can inflame Muslim extremists. Since extremists in the Middle East cannot take their anger out on Americans, they take revenge on local Christians, which they associate with America, he said.

Several years ago, the Danish cartoons that poked fun at the Muslim prophet Mohammed caused massive rioting in the Middle East, Moeller recalled. During the uproar, angry Muslims beat up local Christians and torched churches.

“We talk often about our rights as Americans to protest. It is true,” Moeller said. “But we also have responsibilities, not only to our societies but to those vulnerable communities that are at risk because of our actions.”

For months, average Americans, politicians and recently even President Obama have been drawn into an emotionally-charged debate about whether a $100 million Muslim community center and mosque should be built two blocks from ground zero.

Proponents of the project, called Park51, maintain it would be a symbol of America’s religious tolerance and strengthen interfaith relations. Meanwhile, opponents say the center would be an offense to the nearly 3,000 people who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Recently, New York Gov. David Paterson waded into the controversy by offering to discuss with the developers of Park51 about moving the center elsewhere.

SoHo Properties, the developer of Park51, expressed interest in the discussion with Paterson.

In the mean time, Moeller has called on Americans to try to remain civil in the debate.

“When we let our emotions get out of hand and we let our disagreement spill over into hatred and vilification, then that is being echoed and amplified in the Muslim world,” warned Moeller. “The ultimate result is innocent people being killed, pastors being killed, and churches being burned throughout the Muslim world.”

Open Doors works to strengthen believers suffering from interrogation, arrest and other forms of oppression because of their faith in over 45 of the most persecuted countries worldwide.

NYC Mosque Rhetoric May Harm Persecuted Christians | Christianpost.com

 

[Templar81]

To buid a mosque there would be a dreadful slur on the memories of those people who died in 9/11 and a grave travesty.

 

[veteran]

It is the Russian communists that love to hear great swelling words of disarmament and apathy from the American people. And they are one of the main suppliers of arms to radical Islam. Appeasers to Islam need to go into a hole somewhere if they're afraid of the fight against the radicals of Islam that's coming.

Christianity is not a religion of disarmament or appeasement policies. It is a religion of PEACE. And sometimes it takes a two by four, or our military to keep that peace. Radical Islam doesn't like it because our American soldiers have disrupted their Islamic plan to destroy the West. Islamic radicals first tried to blow up the NY towers in 1993, setting off explosives in it. They murdered our troops in Lebanon, attacked the USS Cole, and hi-jacked our planes even back to the 1970's. It took a real President like Regean to shut Gudaffi up in Libya. The Islamic world cheered when the twin towers fell. It's time to wake up, because Islam is a religion of violence, otherwise there would exist moderates among Islam telling their believers to not turn to violence over a religious cartoon or for doing the same book burning antics they themselves have done with The Bible.

 

[Templar81]

Veteran! I agree with your post but for one point. The Russians havn't been commies for 18 years, their mostly gangsters now.

 

[Selene]

In Muslim-dominated areas of the Middle East, Christians are still being persecuted and treated as second class citizens regardless of whether you build a mosque near the Twin Towers or not.

 

[Templar81]

We've moved forward and they're still living in the middle ages. Chrsitians such terribly in Muslim countries and can't even build new churches or have processions or use bells. They can't have good jobs and are heavily taxed. Officially the authorities say that CHristians should be protected but they always turn a blind eye when churches are burned and Christians killed.