Park51: Religion and Politics

"Faith leaders support 'Ground Zero mosque'." National Catholic Reporter 46.22 (2010): 20. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 7 Nov. 2010.

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In the article “Faith leaders support ‘Ground Zero mosque’,” it begins by saying that more than 40 church officials are “deeply troubled” by America because of their disagreement with the Ground Zero mosque. It also talks about how Sarah Palin claims to be a Christian, and uses it to her benefit, but doesn’t practice her beliefs. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has made Muslims look like demons and provides fear to all Americans, making Americans draw back from the idea of diversity. If Gingrich and Palin agree with the mosque, and realize the mosque is needed to make a step in man-kind, they would “make a more lasting contribution to our nation.” New York executive director Chloe Breyer thinks the Islamic community center will “enrich the city” and is the “kind of initiative needed in New York.” If America were to provide approval for Park51, it would be a starting point to start “loving thy stranger,” which has proven to be a very hard idea to grasp here in America today. The article states, “Fear-mongering and hateful rhetoric only undermine treasured values at the heart of diverse faith traditions and our nation's highest ideals,” meaning we let media get in the way of morals, and it shouldn’t be that way.

This article is important because it agrees with Park51. Because of only 23% of people agreeing with the construction, it is hard to find someone not only to be willing to back it up, but to write about it as well. The article helps the reader hear a very different persepective, one that is not heard of regulary, so it opens up a whole new side of information to somebody that might disagree with the construction of Park51. It helps the reader also think about the morals of America. Not allowing the construction will not only present legal issues, but also raise questions about the ignorance in America. If America were to allow Park51, it would show that we are ready to move on and know that Muslims as a whole were not responsible for the terroristic attacks on September 11th.