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Actually, some of us object as strongly as we do to bigotry and intolerance because we see that it conflicts with the message of Jesus Christ we believe is revealed in the Christian Gospel; our religious beliefs fuel our hatred of bigotry, particularly that bigotry that disguises itself as religious righteousness. <br><br>One thing I would say to Schwaller is that while his litany of supposed abuses of tolerance perpetrated against Christians by Muslim nations is, I suppose, interesting to some, it's entirely irrelevant to the argument at hand. At the very least, a nation whose Christians insist is a "Judeo-Christian country" ought to hold itself to the highest standards, not the most common ones. This applies whether or not Schwaller's post is factually correct. But for true followers of Jesus Christ, the imperative to love, serve, and respect others is unchangeable, whether directed toward those we call "brethren" or those we believe to be enemies (a belief that's problematic enough, frankly, and indicative of a flawed theology and a flayed heart). <br><br>I believe that Schwaller, if he exists as a single person or as a composite of a few, identifies as a Christian. He should know that it's not what "they" do to "us," but what "we" must do toward "them," and all because of what He did for US.<br><br><font style="" color="#8064a2"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3"><font style="" face="Verdana">Keely<br>www.keely-prevailingwinds.com<br></font></font></font><br><br><br><br><hr id="stopSpelling">From: deco@moscow.com<br>To: vision2020@moscow.com<br>Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 13:39:20 -0700<br>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Neighbors Doing the Right Thing<br><br>
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<div><font size="2">When groundless religious fantasies are held and there is no
method to determine the validity, once and for all, of any of them, intolerance
and the generation of ill-will is the preferred tool of the zealots and
their followers since they have little else to rely upon. Witness our
local cultmaster, Douglas Wilson clinging to words written in the age general
ignorance and superstition as the to-be-imposed guide to dealing with all of our
desires and actions.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">W.</font></div>
<blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 0px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px;">
<div style="font: 10pt arial;">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="font: 10pt arial; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(228, 228, 228);"><b>From:</b>
<a title="vpschwaller@gmail.com" href="mailto:vpschwaller@gmail.com">Glenn
Schwaller</a> </div>
<div style="font: 10pt arial;"><b>To:</b> <a title="vision2020@moscow.com" href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020</a> </div>
<div style="font: 10pt arial;"><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 09, 2010 12:59
PM</div>
<div style="font: 10pt arial;"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Vision2020] Neighbors Doing
the Right Thing</div>
<div><br></div>Absolutely spot-on Roger. It's not about intolerance,
hatred, nor<br>bigotry either. There are currently over 100 mosques in
the 5<br>boroughs in NY. With the exception of a small group of
fruitcakes,<br>general hatred and intolerance towards Muslims is not the
issue. In<br>fact I find it rather amusing how the Muslim community
points at the<br>anti-ground zero mosque group as being bigoted and intolerant
given<br>the number of Christian / Jewish / Catholic place of worship are
in<br>"traditional" Islamic countries:<br><br>Egypt has between 7 and 10
million Christians - but that is difficult<br>to verify since it is against
the law to take a census on Christian<br>numbers. Since church property
is owned by the county, a decree from<br>the President is required in order to
build non-Muslim churches. I'll<br>let you guess how may of these
decrees has been signed.<br><br>Saudi Arabia - No Christian churches are
allowed. The open practice of<br>Christianity is punishable by death.
How's that for a show of<br>tolerance.<br><br>Turkey - the Christian
minorities are forbidden to construct new or<br>restore destroyed churches,
may not possess buildings nor land, and<br>cannot open schools. Christians are
forbidden from the military,<br>political offices and some
professions.<br><br>Pakistan - where some 5 million Christians and "apostates"
would be<br>put to death if discovered.<br><br>Iran - conducts routine
"monitoring" of Churches and Christian<br>training centers are routinely
monitored with widespread closure<br>and/or destruction of these
centers. Christian bookshops have been<br>closed as of 1990, and the
circulation of Christian literature is<br>illegal. Several prominent
Christian leaders have been assassinated<br>or executed, and as of 2008, no
new churches have been built.<br><br>Intolerance
indeed.<br><br>GS<br><br><br><br><br><br>On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 10:50 AM,
lfalen <<a href="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com">lfalen@turbonet.com</a>>
wrote:<br>> This is very good and the way it should be. But it is not
relevant to the gorund zero problem.<br>> Roger<br>> -----Original
message-----<br>> From: "Tom Hansen" <a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</a><br>> Date: Wed, 08
Sep 2010 17:23:35 -0700<br>> To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>> Subject:
[Vision2020] Neighbors Doing the Right Thing<br>><br>>>
Yes.<br>>><br>>><br>>> This, in my heart and mind, is true
Christianity.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Courtesy of
WMC-TV (Memphis, Tennessee)
at:<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> <a href="http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13107746" target="_blank">http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13107746</a><br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>>>
---<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Cordova church welcomes
new Islamic Center to the
neighborhood<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> CORDOVA, TN
(WMC-TV) - In New York protesters continue to demonstrate<br>>> against
a proposed mosque near the site of the September 11th attacks.
This<br>>> protest comes days after a Nashville Mosque site was
vandalized. But here<br>>> in the Mid-South there's a different
sentiment. A Cordova church<br>>> congregation is welcoming a new
Islamic Center.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> The words on
the sign said it all, "Heartsong Church welcomes Memphis<br>>> Islamic
Center to the neighborhood."<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>>
"Once we put up the sign, within three days people from Memphis
Islamic<br>>> Center contacted us and were overwhelmed with emotion that
we would be so<br>>>
welcoming."<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Steve Stone,
pastor of Heartsong Church, said when he heard about plans for<br>>> the
multimillion dollar Memphis Islamic Center Complex being built near
his<br>>> church, he knew he had to
react.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> "I don't know a lot
about Islam and I only know one fellow who is a Muslim,"<br>>> said
Pastor Stone. "So I knew it was going to be a learning process for
me,<br>>> but we follow Jesus and he tells us to love our
neighbors."<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Stone said he
hopes that by putting out a welcome mat for Muslims, it will<br>>> send
a strong message to those who may have associated Christians with
being<br>>> anti-Islam.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>>
"People that associate Christians with folks that are afraid of or
don't<br>>> like Muslims, I can't judge those people that are Christian.
I believe that<br>>> to take the name of Christ and do hateful things is
a real insult."<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> To prove his
point, Stone told Action News 5 that the Heartsong Church<br>>>
congregation is taking its new relationship with members of the
Memphis<br>>> Islamic Center one step
further.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> "Their facility is
not quite finished and they came and asked us if they<br>>> might be
able to use our facility for Ramadan prayers which we took as a<br>>>
high compliment."<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Stone said
it's the beginning of a friendship he hopes will inspire others<br>>> to
love their neighbors.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>>
According to Pastor Stone, the congregations of both churches have gotten
to<br>>> know each other on a first name basis. They even call each
other brother<br>>> and
sister.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>>
-----------------<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>>
13107746_BG1.jpg<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> <a href="http://wmctv.images.worldnow.com/images/13107746_BG1.jpg" target="_blank">http://wmctv.images.worldnow.com/images/13107746_BG1.jpg</a><br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>>>
---<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> God
bless.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Seeya round town,
Moscow.<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Tom
Hansen<br>>><br>>> Moscow,
Idaho<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> "The Pessimist complains
about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change<br>>> and the Realist
adjusts his sails."<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> -
Unknown<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>><br>><br>>
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