[Vision2020] Neighbors Doing the Right Thing

[Glenn Schwaller]

Absolutely spot-on Roger.  It's not about intolerance, hatred, nor
bigotry either.  There are currently over 100 mosques in the 5
boroughs in NY.  With the exception of a small group of fruitcakes,
general hatred and intolerance towards Muslims is not the issue.  In
fact I find it rather amusing how the Muslim community points at the
anti-ground zero mosque group as being bigoted and intolerant given
the number of Christian / Jewish / Catholic place of worship are in
"traditional" Islamic countries:

Egypt has between 7 and 10 million Christians - but that is difficult
to verify since it is against the law to take a census on Christian
numbers.  Since church property is owned by the county, a decree from
the President is required in order to build non-Muslim churches.  I'll
let you guess how may of these decrees has been signed.

Saudi Arabia - No Christian churches are allowed. The open practice of
Christianity is punishable by death.  How's that for a show of
tolerance.

Turkey - the Christian minorities are forbidden to construct new or
restore destroyed churches, may not possess buildings nor land, and
cannot open schools. Christians are forbidden from the military,
political offices and some professions.

Pakistan - where some 5 million Christians and "apostates" would be
put to death if discovered.

Iran -  conducts routine "monitoring" of Churches and Christian
training centers are routinely monitored with widespread closure
and/or destruction of these centers.  Christian bookshops have been
closed as of 1990, and the circulation of Christian literature is
illegal.  Several prominent Christian leaders have been assassinated
or executed, and as of 2008, no new churches have been built.

Intolerance indeed.

GS





On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 10:50 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
> This is very good and the way it should be. But it is not relevant to the gorund zero problem.
> Roger
> -----Original message-----
> From: "Tom Hansen" thansen at moscow.com
> Date: Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:23:35 -0700
> To: "Moscow Vision 2020" vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: [Vision2020] Neighbors Doing the Right Thing
>
>> Yes.
>>
>>
>> This, in my heart and mind, is true Christianity.
>>
>>
>>
>> Courtesy of WMC-TV (Memphis, Tennessee) at:
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13107746
>>
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ---
>>
>>
>>
>> Cordova church welcomes new Islamic Center to the neighborhood
>>
>>
>>
>> CORDOVA, TN (WMC-TV) - In New York protesters continue to demonstrate
>> against a proposed mosque near the site of the September 11th attacks.  This
>> protest comes days after a Nashville Mosque site was vandalized.  But here
>> in the Mid-South there's a different sentiment.  A Cordova church
>> congregation is welcoming a new Islamic Center.
>>
>>
>>
>> The words on the sign said it all, "Heartsong Church welcomes Memphis
>> Islamic Center to the neighborhood."
>>
>>
>>
>> "Once we put up the sign, within three days people from Memphis Islamic
>> Center contacted us and were overwhelmed with emotion that we would be so
>> welcoming."
>>
>>
>>
>> Steve Stone, pastor of Heartsong Church, said when he heard about plans for
>> the multimillion dollar Memphis Islamic Center Complex being built near his
>> church, he knew he had to react.
>>
>>
>>
>> "I don't know a lot about Islam and I only know one fellow who is a Muslim,"
>> said Pastor Stone.  "So I knew it was going to be a learning process for me,
>> but we follow Jesus and he tells us to love our neighbors."
>>
>>
>>
>> Stone said he hopes that by putting out a welcome mat for Muslims, it will
>> send a strong message to those who may have associated Christians with being
>> anti-Islam.
>>
>>
>>
>> "People that associate Christians with folks that are afraid of or don't
>> like Muslims, I can't judge those people that are Christian.  I believe that
>> to take the name of Christ and do hateful things is a real insult."
>>
>>
>>
>> To prove his point, Stone told Action News 5 that the Heartsong Church
>> congregation is taking its new relationship with members of the Memphis
>> Islamic Center one step further.
>>
>>
>>
>> "Their facility is not quite finished and they came and asked us if they
>> might be able to use our facility for Ramadan prayers which we took as a
>> high compliment."
>>
>>
>>
>> Stone said it's the beginning of a friendship he hopes will inspire others
>> to love their neighbors.
>>
>>
>>
>> According to Pastor Stone, the congregations of both churches have gotten to
>> know each other on a first name basis.  They even call each other brother
>> and sister.
>>
>>
>>
>> -----------------
>>
>>
>>
>> 13107746_BG1.jpg
>>
>>
>>
>> http://wmctv.images.worldnow.com/images/13107746_BG1.jpg
>>
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ---
>>
>>
>>
>> God bless.
>>
>>
>>
>> Seeya round town, Moscow.
>>
>>
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>>
>> Moscow, Idaho
>>
>>
>>
>> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
>> and the Realist adjusts his sails."
>>
>>
>>
>> - Unknown
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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