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If Christians Were Treated Like Muslims
If Christians Were Treated Like Muslims
by Gary Bauer Posted 12/28/2010 ET Few Americans would deny that Judeo-Christian beliefs and values informed the Founding of this country and that they continue to shape much of American life today. Nor would many of us deny that Americans who embrace Islamic values are a distinct minority here. I raise these two facts because of an emerging reality: that, in a variety of contexts, American Muslims are treated better than American Christians. That might seem like a bizarre assertion, so think about it in another way: What if the Christians were treated like Muslims in America, and Muslims like Christians? If Muslims were treated like Christians in America, Muslims would have to tolerate the defamation of their holiest images in our national museums, acts which would be called "artwork" -- and, if particularly provocative, even given taxpayer-funded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. They would also have to accept Korans being burned and thrown into toilets, which instead of inciting worldwide outrage and retribution would provoke a collective shrug of the shoulders. If Muslims were treated like Christians, Muslims would be mocked by late night TV talk show hosts and lampooned in crude cartoon parodies. If Christians were treated like Muslims, conspicuous Christianity would be celebrated by our elites as a sign of our diversity and open-mindedness, not disparaged as an embarrassment, a nuisance and a breach of the law. If Christianity were treated like Islam, our students would be taught a white-washed version of Christian history, with the troubling bits miscast or omitted from textbooks and lesson plans. If Christianity were treated like Islam, if an evangelical Christian committed an evil act in the name of his faith, he would be portrayed in the media as a deviation from, not a personification of, the Gospel message. Meanwhile, our political and media elites would hasten to assure the public that evangelical Christianity is a religion of peace and that the vast majority of evangelical Christians do not support terrorism. If Christianity were treated like Islam in America, our president, a professed Christian, would proudly attend Christian-themed dinners and events while skipping Ramadan dinners, not vice versa. And Muslim politicians would go out of their way to assure people that their faith would not affect their policy-making. If Christianity were treated like Islam, Christmas and Easter would be publicly celebrated for what they are — the signature events of Christianity, marking the birth and the death and Resurrection of Christ — not stripped of all their theological meaning and transformed into secular holidays devoted to crass consumerism. If Christians were treated like Muslims, NASA would be tasked with reaching out to Christians and recognizing their faith's profound achievements and contributions to science, math and engineering, instead of being told to make Muslims feel good about their rather meager scientific accomplishments. If Christians were treated like Muslims, the Catholic Church's stances on sex, contraception and human life would be revered as welcome departures from our over-sexed, self-obsessed culture, not condemned as a cause of disease and death in the less-developed world. And if Muslims were treated like Christians, the application of Sharia law around the world would be met not with stony silence but with the outrage it deserves. If Christians were treated like Muslims in America, amusement parks would celebrate "Christian Family Day," (Six Flags recently celebrated "Muslim Family Day"), and Christians would be asked to embrace, not set aside, their religious convictions at the door when they entered the public square. Meanwhile, Muslim imams, not Christian pastors, would fear hate crimes lawsuits for preaching orthodox views of sexuality and sin. The notion that American Muslims face discrimination, even to the point of violence, is often posited by America's elites. But that idea evaporates under scrutiny. Remarkably few hate crimes are reported against Muslims (fewer than one-eighth those against Jews). What's more, Muslim immigration to America has risen sharply since September 11, 2001, and Muslims thrive, economically and educationally, once they arrive. In fact, it is Christians, not Muslims, who increasingly encounter cultural elites who are hostile to their beliefs and values. Sadly, Christians will never be treated like Muslims by America's elites. Why? Because Christianity can be attacked without fear of retribution. The Christian response to insult and attack -- "to turn the other cheek" -- contradicts the knee-jerk call to violence of many Islamists. It's also because left-wing elites and radical Islamists are united in the common cause of upending the Judeo-Christian culture and roots of American society. I’m not in favor of burning the Koran, and I don’t think insulting or defaming symbols of any religion constitutes art. At a time of the year when intolerance for public displays of Christianity is most acute, it is my Christmas wish that Muslims and Christians would be treated equally. Former presidential candidate Mr. Gary Bauer is president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families. LINK: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=40839&s=rcmp |
I think every American publication should print the Danish cartoon.
What are the Islamists going to do? Be mad at us? They already are mad. Try to kill us? They already are trying to do that. Are they going to hate us? They already hate us. Are they going to disrespect us? They already think we are sub-human. So, what have we got to lose? |
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Big Teddy :munchin |
What do we gain?
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Sir, Respectfully, what does America stand to gain from this? IMHO, you are absolutely correct regarding the Islamists, frankly if there is a solution other than killing them, or making them too fearful to continue, it isn't obvious. However every Muslim is not an Islamist, and 1.2 billion Muslims constitute 20% of the world's population. If every paper in the States collectively did such a thing, many Americans most affected by the extremists might for a moment breathe a collective " Hell Yeah", what is the tangible benefit beyond this? What comes next? Unless we decide to set aside our Constitution, American Muslims will still enjoy the same rights and protections as any citizen. Such an act coordinated on a national scale would likely only alienate Muslims worldwide, and strengthen the claims of a religious war AQ is desperately trying to keep alive. It would only make the job harder for our troops abroad. I don't want the first question asked to a US soldier making contact with an Afghan village to be, " Is it true every paper in your country printed a cartoon mocking Mohammed, or that your priests burn our Koran, yet you say you are my friend, and I should fight with you against the Taliban?" Religious folks have strong faith in their beliefs. None of them Christians, Muslims, Hindus etc. like being told they are foolish or evil. That artist years ago who presented a crucifix dipped in urine insulted Christians across the board, not just the violent nutty ones. I had previously never heard of Gary Bauer, I don' t know the man. His arguments are poorly researched and his level of tolerance doesn't seem very Christian to me, instead he comes across as just the type of angry rabble rouser Republics suffer in times of economic crisis. Luckily he lacks charisma, and it's clear he hasn't seen the Taj Mahal, studied geometry, algebra, or seen Jeff Dunham's hilarious Achmed the dead terrorist routine on late night TV. |
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Considering it is a punishable offense to criticize Islam, should we partially facilitate the punishment by conceding our 1st Amendment rights? |
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We will likely always disagree on your first sentence. However, it isn't a question of conceding IMHO it is realizing we are at war with the Islamists and fighting to win, without making the job of our troops any harder than it already is. If printing these cartoons would destroy the Islamists lets do it. But what is wrong with first simply killing the Islamists, and then taking steps via providing security and building schools in their regions to prevent them from replenishing their ranks? |
The central purpose of Islam is the struggle to make everyone on earth submit to Islam
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And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. (Sura 8:39) He it is Who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it conqueror of all religion however much idolaters may be averse. (Sura 61:9) Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Sura 9:29) And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice (Sharia) and faith in Allah; but if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression. (Sura 2:193) http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/c.../muslim/quran/ w4.0 THE FINALITY OF THE PROPHET’S MESSAGE (1) Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) is the last prophet and messenger. Anyone claiming to be a prophet or messenger of Allah after him or to found a new religion is a fraud, misled and misleading. (2) Previously revealed religions were valid in their own eras, as is attested to by many verses in the Holy Koran, but were abrogated by the universal message of Islam, as equally attested to by many verses of the Koran. Both points are worthy of attention from English-speaking Muslims, who are occasionally exposed to erroneous theories advanced by some teachers and Koran translators affirming these religions’ validity but denying or not mentioning their abrogation, or that it is unbelief (KUFR) to hold that the remnant cults now bearing the names of formerly valid religions, such as “Christianity” or “Judaism,” are acceptable to Allah Most High after He has sent the final messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) to the entire world (dis: o8.7(20). o9.0 Jihad (O: Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word mujahada signifying warfare to establish the religion. http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Trave.../dp/0915957728 ETA Quote:
Your positions leads me to believe that you think if we offend a few thousand Islamists, we’ll have to go to war with 1.3 billion Muslims? I don’t buy it because most all of those in that 1.3 billion didn’t chose to be Muslim. Imposition of Sharia forces everyone to become Muslim. How many would choose to live their lives without the constant domination of Islam if they had an option? Would the war against Hitler have ended sooner had we chosen not to offend Nazism? |
To be able to empathize and understand the root cause[s] of such fanaticism does not mean one sympathizes or agrees with their thinking or actions, or is willing to concede to them.
However, an inability to empathize, to not see beyond the superficial rhetoric and behind the eyes of the perpetrator[s], can only lead to an erroneously incomplete understanding and a furthering of their goals by fostering the grievances (real or contrived) which have given and continue to give rise to such war[s] - alienation, humiliation, demographics, History, and territory. "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." - Blaise Pascal And so it goes... Richard :munchin |
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"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing freedom of speech." "An Empire [Nation], like a cake, is most easily diminshed at the edges." - Benjamin Franklin ...And thanks for the well researched responses T-Rock. |
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As a nation of immigrants, how big or effective would our army have been then? Would Eisenhower have resigned his commission in this environment, what if his family was interned? With 1.3 billion Muslims in the world if even 10% acted on the central purpose you described, we would have daily carnage on a level that would make the West Bank look like a theme park. Of these 1.3 billion Muslims there are definitely violent extremists we must terminate, but what percent? And what percent are just normal average people (sheeple for the cynic) who work, worry about their kids and friends and just want to prosper. Do they agree with AQ or their despotic rulers, or as you suggested perhaps they currently have little option. Absolutes are often contradictory. Note I am not saying Southpark shouldn't be free to poke fun at whomever, the original premise here was a national campaign, that sends a very different, and IMHO unnecessary message. |
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Is there historical evidence that our choice "to offend Nazism" hastened the end of combat operations against Germany? |
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Is there historical evidence of authoritarian rulers who laid down restrictions on free speech, dissent, and criticism, to tighten their authoritarian grip? Did Roosevelt or Truman solicit Nazi propagandists to run their War Departments and National Security apparatus? Were there any concessions made to Nazism’s radical ideology by our Government during WWII ? |
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