Religious Intolerance?

We've all heard of the Mosque that is being built in New York City by now.  I feel like to talk about it is just prolonging the agrument of whether it should be built or not, but this Mosque has caused huge uprising across the nation so it is something worth discussing.  According to TIME Magazine 61% of the American population oppose the building of this Mosque; 26% favor it and 13% are indecisive.  So the question isn't whether or not Americans oppose the building of the Mosque but why do we oppose it so much?  Some people are saying it's because Americans are religiously intolerant.  Is this true?  Are Americans religiously intolerant?  I don't think that religious intolerance is the case.  In the same article from TIME a specific example was used.  A man named Dr. Mansoor Mirza lives in a nearby town just outside of Oostburg, Wisconsin.  He lives and works there.  Being part of the Muslim community he decided to take a buidling that he already owned, on land that he already owned and turn it into a Mosque for local Muslims to come and practice in.  At first he thought he would have no opposition; however, when the Mosque building application went into the planning committie of the town everyone was outraged and strongly opposed the building of Dr. Mirza's Mosque.  The townspeople said they were opposed because Islam is a religion of violence and hate.  Is Islam a religion of violence and hate?  The majority of Muslims are not.  It is the extremist Muslims that set the reputation for the rest of Muslims around the world.  If Islam is a religion of violence and hate then so must all other religions be based off of violence and hate.  Now, I am a devote Christian so I'm not knocking any religions.  I'm just saying that based on historical context all religions have had violent pasts.  Look up the history of the Catholic Church if you don't belive me.  Americans are so strongly opposed to Islam because it was Muslims who attacked America on Setember 11, 2001 and killed nearly 3,000 of our own people.  So, are we a little upset at Muslims because the Muslims who attacked us on 9/11 were taught to hate America and that's the type of Islam we see?  Well, yeah.  We're mad at Muslims for attacking us on 9/11 just like we made Muslim people mad by attacking Iraq.  If someone attacks your country you are going to be mad at them, it's just that simple.  Are we religiously intolerant because of it?  I don't think most people are.  I think most people are just still extremely upset by what happened on 9/11.  It's coming up on the 9 year anniversary pretty soon and memories are still very fresh in people's minds.  To be honest, I don't think that opposition to this Mosque in New York is because of religious intolerance, I think it's because of the location.  The planned site is two blocks away from Ground Zero.  Most Americans consider Ground Zero sacred ground and by putting a Mosque there it would be a slap in the face to the victims and their families of 9/11.  I was reading a different article a couple a days ago and an example was used that I thought was just brillant.  We would never put a swatiska symbol outside the Holocaust Memorial, so why would we put a Mosque right next to Ground Zero?  If the builders of this Mosque were to move it to a different location then I think the opposition would decease. 

To get back to the story about Dr. Mirza and his Mosque in Wisconsin, he did eventually get to build it.  Shortly after tragedy struck.  A young girl, who was Muslim, disappeared in a local lake.  The community came together and supported the family through everything.  Neighbors even offered up their front yards to morners for prayer.  It's not religious intolerance.  Just like in this example a community came together to be there for each other despite their religious differences.

TIME Magazine, Is America Islamophobic?  August 30, 2010

Beginnings

Hello!  This first post does not have any news articles in it, but I wanted to kind of explain what I'd like to accomplish with this blog.  I am a conservative, just telling you up front; however, I like to know both sides of a news story and compare what they say and their differing viewpoints and then make my own conclusions.  Many people tend to watch or listen to one set station of news and just believe what they are told from that one station.  I must admit that at times I have done this too.  I feel like this is just laziness on peoples' part.  So, with this blog I want to take news stories and compare what the media from both sides of the spectrum (conservative and liberal) and hopefully other outlooks too, have to say about a certain topic.  Please feel free to leave your own comments as I will probably be including my own comments as well.  I hope that this will be a wonderful journey of discovering for not just for myself but for you too!