Some responses to the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’

For those who would like to listen to more than talking heads for perspective on the now controversial proposal for an Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero – here is a post by a Christian blogger, JR Woodward, who has assembled links to some thought provoking responses.  His questions at the end are ones I would suggest we consider. We need to form our thinking carefully on such matters.  I just learned today, e.g. that the group wanting to build are Sufis – a more mystical form of Islam often persecuted by Muslim radicals.  Take a look at some of these articles.

In my choice blog entries for this week, I would like to direct you to what I believe are some good blog posts to read in regard to this current debate. Posts that might help shape a Christ-like attitude and response. Typically I point to three blog posts, today I’m pointing to five different entries.

Ground Zero Mosque: It’s a Simple Question
Professor John Stackhouse teaches at Regent College, an international graduate school of Christian studies in Vancouver, Canada. I’ve appreciated a lot of his writing, including this blog post. While there may be many nuances to this on-going debate, his simple question helps bring things in perspective.

Hospitality, Part I and Part 2
While my friend, William Guice, is not writing in relation to this particular issue, I thought that the series of posts that he is writing about – Hospitality Part 1, andHospitality Part 2, will certainly help to shape our responses to how we ought to treat “the other.”

A Christian Response to the Islamic Community Centre Near Ground Zero
Julie Clawson, author of Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices, writes this article in Common Ground News Service. In one of the paragraphs of this post, she speaks about how some of the victims of families who lost loved ones in 9/11 are speaking out on behalf of Muslims in support of Park51.

Why America Needs More Muslims
While Joshua, the author of this post doesn’t claim to be speaking from a Christian perspective, he brings an important point to this whole conversation, and that is if more American’s actually knew Muslims, this would probably not be such a big controversy. As a person living in Southern California, I have developed some meaningful friendships with a number of Muslims, and because of this, I understand what Joshua is saying here.

Wisdom Lacking on All Sides in Ground Zero Mosque Affair
The last post is from Pamela K. Taylor, a modern Muslim. This post was part of the On Faith series that is hosted by the Washington Post. Pamela has been an active member of the American Muslim community for 25 years, and is a strong supporter of gender equality in the Muslim world. She brings a nuanced perspective that is worth reading. One of the most important contributions her article makes is how this debate is shaping the perspectives that the rest of the Muslim world has on Christians in America.  Missiologists, take heed.

While I have had to focus on a number of other things over the last ten days, I am still hoping to write a blog post about this debate, time permitting.  In the mean time, I think it is important for all of us who follow the Prince of Peace to learn what Jesus meant when he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

What do you think of these blog posts? What blog posts or articles have you found helpful in shaping a Christ-like response to this issue?