Memphis Christians put out welcome mat for Muslims

Originally posted by Alien Mind
reply to post by mothershipzeta

 

I guess us racist redneck aren't all racist rednecks after all! I live about an hour away from memphis myself and there is a Islamic Center here where i live and guess what? No one has tried to burn it down! WOW!

You can't generalize people, and it doesn't matter if they're Muslim or rednecks. I have a good friend who normally votes conservative, and we often have disagreements. But when it comes to that mosque, he's very vehemently in favor of it. Why? Because not allowing people to build when they have permits is taking away liberties and freedom. And those are the 2 core values of the US.

That's why I don't get why anyone who calls himself a patriot would ever speak out against such a thing...unless he's either racist or religiously motivated. Both are not valid reasons to throw overboard liberties and freedom!

Originally posted by MrXYZ

Originally posted by Alien Mind
reply to post by mothershipzeta

 

I guess us racist redneck aren't all racist rednecks after all! I live about an hour away from memphis myself and there is a Islamic Center here where i live and guess what? No one has tried to burn it down! WOW!

You can't generalize people, and it doesn't matter if they're Muslim or rednecks. I have a good friend who normally votes conservative, and we often have disagreements. But when it comes to that mosque, he's very vehemently in favor of it. Why? Because not allowing people to build when they have permits is taking away liberties and freedom. And those are the 2 core values of the US.

That's why I don't get why anyone who calls himself a patriot would ever speak out against such a thing...unless he's either racist or religiously motivated. Both are not valid reasons to throw overboard liberties and freedom!

You apparently misread my post. I support any religion having a building to worship in. my post was directed to all those who would call all southerns racist rednecks.

reply to post by Alien Mind


That's what I meant

Just like it's wrong to generalize all Muslims, or Christians, or French by saying they're terrorists, dumb because they don't believe in evolution, or smelly because they can't use deodorants...it's also wrong to generalize all rednecks. I know quite a few ppl who call themselves rednecks, and not all of them are racist.

Originally posted by Alien Mind

Originally posted by MrXYZ

Originally posted by Alien Mind
reply to post by mothershipzeta

 

I guess us racist redneck aren't all racist rednecks after all! I live about an hour away from memphis myself and there is a Islamic Center here where i live and guess what? No one has tried to burn it down! WOW!

You can't generalize people, and it doesn't matter if they're Muslim or rednecks. I have a good friend who normally votes conservative, and we often have disagreements. But when it comes to that mosque, he's very vehemently in favor of it. Why? Because not allowing people to build when they have permits is taking away liberties and freedom. And those are the 2 core values of the US.

That's why I don't get why anyone who calls himself a patriot would ever speak out against such a thing...unless he's either racist or religiously motivated. Both are not valid reasons to throw overboard liberties and freedom!

You apparently misread my post. I support any religion having a building to worship in. my post was directed to all those who would call all southerns racist rednecks.

That's a strawman. And this is not a racial issue - it's about religious bigotry. And we both know (since we both live in the South) that there's a lot of both going on down here.

So what do we do? When someone we know says something racist or bigoted, call him out on it. Let him know that it's not acceptable to say those things around you.

I saw a sign in my area advertising "Born Here Contractors." I called them to let them know that name means I would never use or recommend them because of the bigotry in their name. I didn't use that word, of course.

It's not right for people to generalize, but remember that it wouldn't be possible for people to stereotype us if we didn't have far too many unapologetic racists. Blame THEM for our reputation, and try to fix it.

And don't be defensive when someone generalizes about southerners.

It is great to see this Pastor and his church respond this way. I hope that when or if the Mosque gets a chance to reciprocate, it will act likewise. I'm not saying they wont, I'm just saying that will complete the circle here in this instance.

But, please, let me ask the agnostics and atheists posting here....dont give your usual anti-Christian rhetoric here. This is a feel good story, and as others have said, should be promoted more by the media, but we dont need your continued smug answers about 'religion' as you call it. We know. We get your stance.

Just try leaving 'overcoming' your usual nature this once, like this Pastor has done.

Originally posted by nunya13
I knew someone would do something like this eventually. This makes my heart happy.

Do you mean someone from the press or someone who’s a Christian? If you mean someone from the press I’m also glad that this got reported on. If you mean someone who’s a Christian many Christians may have already been doing what this pastor has done but the majority of the press refuses to report on it.

reply to post by TrailGator


Well I'm an agnostic and think this is a wonderful story. People that are actually living up to the teachings of their faiths.

What a great example to the rest of the world, some people cringe at the thought of this I am sure. I think it is awesome that these Muslims and these Christians are doing this together. Why complain Allah is God and God is Allah and both church and mosque are places of worship to their respective deity therefore a church is a mosque and a mosque is a church. I wonder if there will ever be a day that more religions come together and instead of building Islamic communtiy centers or Young Mens Christian Associations when will there be an interfaith community center where leaders of seperate divinations not only get along with each other but encourage diversity and accept other faiths to come together and listen to different sermons and services... The building should be made circular so there is no angles or walls like the "round table" just my opinion though I guess

double post

[edit on 31-8-2010 by Brotherman]

These kind of issues really piss me off. Christian, Muslim, black, white, gay, lesbian, stupid, ugly, fat, etc... Who the hell cares? Do people really give two $###s about how someone else worships or what they do in their bedroom? In the end we're all the same - we want to love and be loved, go to work and come home safely to our families each day, eat, drink and be merry, play with our pets, watch TV, play xbox, and so on. If people stopped focusing on our slight differences and treated every other person as a human being there would be a lot less time wasted on completely stupid issues like church vs. temple vs. mosque vs........

-CoSiNe

p.s. I'm not sure if anyone has ever noticed, but all religions try to teach pretty much the same thing: Don't be an a$$hole.

[edit on 31-8-2010 by CoSiNe]

Pigs are flying!
Hell froze over!

The end of the world is at hand, 2012!

Ok sorry I had to have a chuckle about that.

But yes this is awesome news actually and I plan on seeing more where that came from!

It's like I have been going through this positive shift in my own ideas lately and now all of these GOOD news stories are popping up, and it just feels like some greater pattern is forming. I don't know how to explain it.

Last night I saw a interesting CNN story, possibly an IREPORT, and it was called Muslim road trip or something. And these two Muslim students were going on a road trip across America, and they stopped at a shop with huge Confederate flags all over it, thinking it would be some racist redneck.

And after they talked to the guy, shared photos and stories, they then said he was one of the coolest and nicest people they ever met. The Muslim guy said this "It's ironic because I went in expecting him to be prejudice against me, when he was totally accepting of me, and it turns out I was the one being prejudice against him."

I am seeing SANITY for once!!! This is totally not usual and I don't know how to react. I am not used to this!

What oh what will I do now that many people are becoming Sane and Good? I just don't know??

Maybe I should dance a jig and rejoice because This moment may not last long! I am very Thankful of this moment to realize Love still exists somewhere on Earth in some form of fashion. TYVM.

I want more though! Can't help it I just LOVE seeing people find the TRUTH! They are helping me find it too!

Originally posted by MrXYZ
reply to post by Alien Mind

 

That's what I meant

Just like it's wrong to generalize all Muslims, or Christians, or French by saying they're terrorists, dumb because they don't believe in evolution, or smelly because they can't use deodorants...it's also wrong to generalize all rednecks. I know quite a few ppl who call themselves rednecks, and not all of them are racist.

Acceptance by the general public of a derogatory term, such as "redneck", does not lessen the insult to the people the original stereotype was intended to demean.

[edit on 31-8-2010 by 23refugee]

Originally posted by muzzleflash
And after they talked to the guy, shared photos and stories, they then said he was one of the coolest and nicest people they ever met. The Muslim guy said this "It's ironic because I went in expecting him to be prejudice against me, when he was totally accepting of me, and it turns out I was the one being prejudice against him."

Yes, preconceptions hurt us all. Learn from that and we'll all be better off.

Originally posted by intrepid
Excellent article. This is what Christianity and Islam is supposed to be about.

I will second that! Thanks to the OP for this speck of brightness among all the depressing stuff.

Finally, FINALLY, someone started paying attention to the message instead of the messenger. I was pretty much disapointed with ATS lately thanks to god and atheist extremists, war and anti-war extremists and all sorts of unreasonable people that stroll around here.
I guess news like this could be a beginning of a standard. What does it take to treat a human being like a human being? I don't know yet what to believe, but I believe we can be HUMAN TO OUR FELLOW HUMANS, no matter what. Great, great news.

Wow! Star and flag given to the op and to the Pastor for opening the doors to the church to persons of the Islamic persuasion.

We need more of this in our nation.

If these two groups of people can come together and unite without a political or secular angle tells me that we can come together.

Funny how people praise this church with one corner of their mouth and chide a recent massive spiritual gathering in DC with the other corner. A gathering that sought unity across many religions, cultures and races.

Oh, sorry different messenger in this instance. Good work!!

Hmmm...

I have mixed feelings about this situation. It is good to see Christians acting as Christians in the sense that they are welcoming others and trying to show Christ's love, but something still bugs me about it.

Christians are supposed to go take the message to people, not bring people to the message (part of the reason the church is filled with so much corruption and discipline is near non-existent). I personally would be appalled at having some other religion using our building as their place of prayer. Christians and Muslims do not worship the same God, as many would try and say that they do. Christians and Muslims can work side by side, but worship is a completely different matter.

I suppose my question is if there wasn't another way to show this same love, respect and kindness. Surely something else could have been done other then letting a group of people practice a religion you believe to be false in a place designated to worship your own God.

Originally posted by CoSiNe
Do people really give two $###s about how someone else worships or what they do in their bedroom?

Based on the protests outside mosques and states banning same-sex marriage, apparently some people do.

Sure, it's unAmerican to deny others the right to worship or love as they wish, but that's sadly become a characteristic of self-described "patriots" who worship the flag but desecrate the Constitution on a daily basis.

Originally posted by mothershipzeta

Originally posted by CoSiNe
Do people really give two $###s about how someone else worships or what they do in their bedroom?

Based on the protests outside mosques and states banning same-sex marriage, apparently some people do.

Sure, it's unAmerican to deny others the right to worship or love as they wish, but that's sadly become a characteristic of self-described "patriots" who worship the flag but desecrate the Constitution on a daily basis.

Now there's a nice spot between a rock and a hard place.
Shall I stand up for another's religious freedom or shall I generalize all Muslims for being the same bigots as the "patriots"?
Will my willingness to stand with another oppressed minority be reciprocated or will that common bond of Abrahamic religious disgust for homosexuality override any concerns for my freedoms.
The Constitution is amendable and subject to interpretation, after all.
Is the enemy of my enemy my friend?