Rights, Responsibilities and Islam

Published in the Lynchburg Ledger on September 3, 2010 

By Bill Wheaton

Press Media Group, LLC

For every right, there is a corresponding responsibility.

The Apostle Paul explains this very well in 1 Corinthians 8 when he answers the question posed to him about eating food sacrificed to idols.  He explains that the Corinthian Christians had a perfect right to eat the food as idols are nothing, but they had a responsibility not to if their action would cause others to “stumble.”

I think we all can think of instances where we chose to subordinate a right for a higher purpose.  The principle of being willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others is a Christian principle.  Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

In America, we have a right to build churches, synagogues, mosques and temples.  But when Muslims announced they intended to build a mosque just blocks from “Ground Zero,” where the Twin Towers once stood until Muslims brought them down by flying an airliner into each one, the outrage among families of the 9-11 victims was understandable.  This is a slap in the face and a kick in the teeth to them.  Many others, including myself feel it is unconscionable for them to even contemplate such a brazen act.  But once you understand Islam, you realize they don’t care.

The principles of Islam are in stark contrast to those of Christianity.  Where Christianity is a religion of  repentance and forgiveness, Islam is a religion of revenge and “holy war.”

Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who led New Yorkers through the terrorist attack and its aftermath, joined the growing number opposing the mosque.  He said on NBC “Today,” "If you are a healer, you do not go forward with this project.  If you are a warrior, you do."  Giuliani was referring to the controversial Imam of the mosque, Feisal Abdul Rauf.

Feisal Abdul Rauf has been involved in a series of conferences to push Sharia law throughout the world and some speculate that the planned 15 “ground zero mosque” would be dedicated to this purpose.  Sharia law is the instrument by which Islamic activists seeks to control the Muslim world and then the entire world.  Sharia law needs to be opposed for its imposition of theocracy over democracy, its human rights abuses, its systemic discrimination, its denial of human dignity and individual autonomy, its enslavement of women and for the cruelty and barbarity of its prescribed punishments.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomburg supports the building of the “Ground Zero mosque” as do many on the political left, such as President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and 5^th District Congressman Tom Perriello.  They see it as strictly a religious freedom issue, which it is not.  No one is questioning the right to do so, just the wisdom.

A recent Washington Times editorial says, “Mosque apologists have planted their flags on the First Amendment, claiming that the Constitution's guarantee of freedom of worship is absolute. But no constitutional rights can escape balancing tests, and in this case, the issue is not the freedom of Muslims to worship as they choose but the propriety of constructing a gigantic mosque so close to the greatest scene of Allah-inspired mass murder ever perpetrated in the country.”

If everyone is so concerned about the freedom to worship, then why all the opposition to rebuilding the only church destroyed in the 9-11 attack?   The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was destroyed in 2001 by the falling World Trade Center South Tower.   Talks between the church and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stalled last year and church leaders say they've been trying to resume them ever since.  The land on which the church stood is being used as part of the reconstruction site.

Instead of being concerned about who is funding this 10-story  “Ground Zero mosque” which is to include a swimming pool, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is concerned with who may be funding tho opposition to the mosque.  She said in an interview, ““There is no question there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some. And I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque is being funded,”  If that doesn’t frighten you, you are probably a Pelosi/Obama/Perriello socialist.

The left-wing media has weighed in on the issue.  The Associated Press issued an advisory to its writers and staff saying, "We should continue to avoid the phrase ‘ground zero mosque' or ‘mosque at ground zero' on all platforms."

Islam is a very real threat to us all.  It is not a religion of peace, but a religion of war and violence.  Two weeks ago, a medical mission team in Afghanistan was brutally lined up and murdered by Muslims.  One of those killed was the son of two people with a connection to the church I attend.  A Taliban spokesman claimed the killings telling the Associated Press that the group was "spying for the Americans" and "preaching Christianity." 

Instead of coddling Muslims, there are voices speaking out and telling the truth about Islam.  Brigitte Gabriel, who grew up Christian in Lebanon and suffered under Muslim persecution, is one such person.  In a speech delivered at the Intelligence Summit in Washington  D.C., she said, “I was ten years old when my home exploded around me, burying me under the rubble and leaving me to drink my blood to survive, as the perpetrators shouted, 'Allah Akbar!' My only crime was that I was a Christian living in a Christian town. At 10 years old, I learned the meaning of the word 'infidel.”

To learn more about the threat we face from Islam, visit http://americancongressfortruth.com/.

Islam is a religion and a culture that will demand its rights and ignore its responsibilities in their quest to spreads Islam by force and sheer numbers throughout the world.

Bill Wheaton lives in Concord, VA.  His email address is bwheaton@moreinformation.net.