WHY AN AMERICAN MUSLIM OPPOSES THE GROUND ZERO MOSQUE

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Solomon, King of Israel. Proverbs 22:3 NIV

A scan of national and international media reveals that non-Muslim support for the proposed Mosque near Ground Zero (GZM) seems just as strong as opposition to it. Evidence, I’m afraid, of a far too simple reading of a dangerous situation. Most supporters of the GZM cite the US Constitution’s protections of religious freedom. But they are failing to take into account critical facts about the GZM, its backers, and the nature of the global Islamist movement.

Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., is not so simple minded. Jasser is a devout Muslim and the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (aifdemocracy.org). He is a former U.S. Navy Commander, one of the first Muslim Americans to speak out against the violence of 9-11, Fort Hood and other atrocities, and has been a consistent voice of opposition to what he calls the global Islamist movement defined as those who promote the Islamic State and governmental sharia law. Jasser is also the host and narrator of the award winning documentary The Third Jihad, which was screened at Faith Community Church last March.

One of the things missing from most American’s analysis of this issue is the theological underpinning and societal longing of the global Muslim community for prosperity, prestige and power. That theology and longing coalesced in the 1950s along two lines. First is Secular Nationalist Islam, as seen in Egypt, Libya, and Iraq under Mubarak, Qadafi and Saddam Hussein respectively. Second is militant, theocratic Islamism as illustrated by the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia, the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Ayatollahs in Iran and the multiple tentacles of the Muslim Brotherhood running through al-Qaeda and many other violent as well as non-violent organizations in the U.S.

In an interview with Aaron Elias on PajamasMedia.com Jasser outlines three major reasons to oppose the GZM. First, it is an insult to the millions of Americans who experienced the horror of 9-11. Second, the mosque is clearly being funded by people connected to the Muslim Brotherhood and other supporters of the Islamic State and governmental sharia. That funding creates an open door in what would be the greatest Mosque on American soil for the same jihadist philosophy to spread in the heart of Manhattan. And third, it will send a message of weakness to millions of Muslims world wide. A message that validates and affirms everything the Bin Ladens and Zaraqawis and other Islamists have been telling them about America all along.

“It will be used by Islamist leadership around the world to say, ‘despite the violence that al-Qaeda perpetrated on the American population, political Islam will always be victorious and from its ashes has risen the largest religious Muslim structure in the United States,’” Jasser warns. “As the administration continues to move backwards, [outlawing] the use of any specific religious Islamic terms like jihad, Islamsim, and salafism, the Islamists continue to make unopposed headway in the contest of ideas. We are losing the war of ideas.”
For the full length interview with Dr. Jasser see: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/a-patriotic-muslims-warning-on-ground-zero-mosque

Religious freedom is a fundamental value in America. No one should oppose the kinds of mosques that Dr. Jasser and his fellow non-Islamist Muslims would build. But neither should anyone be so simple as to assume that the GZM is such a mosque.

DID JESUS EVER DISCUSS HOMOSEXUALITY OR GAY MARRIAGE?

The recent ruling by US District Court Judge Vaughn Walker striking down Proposition 8 in California has put the debate about homosexual marriage on the front pages again. One feature of the discussion about this issue in religious circles is the oft heard sound byte: “Jesus never said anything about homosexuals or gay marriage.” This can be confusing because at first glance it would seem to be correct. Enter the word “homosexual” into your Bible software concordance and limit the search to the four gospels and you won’t find Jesus using the word.

But people who are more familiar with their Bibles know that the argument is false. Jesus did address homosexuality and marriage and his stance on the issues is quite clear. I hope the following verses and brief explanations will equip you to clarify Jesus’ position on the matter should it ever come up in conversation.

First, Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi speaking to a first century Jewish audience. When he spoke in Matthew 15:18-19 of the heart as the source of sins he used the broadest term possible - the Greek word is porneia - to describe sexual sin. His comments aren’t limited to adultery, or rape, or incest etc. Porneia included the whole sweep of sexual sin. Any sexual intercourse outside of the marriage of a man and a woman was considered porneia. Dr. Don Fowler, professor of Biblical studies at Liberty University, adds: homosexuality was not overt in a Jewish world but when Paul took the gospel to the gentiles, homosexuality (especially among the Greeks) was notoriously common. In other words, Paul's strong emphasis was necessary whereas in Jesus' world it was much less so. Jesus didn't discuss pedophilia either because it wasn't a common issue in their world but the use of young boys for sexual purposes was common in Greek wealthier classes.

Second, Jesus said marriage is between male and female. In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus explained what marriage is by going back to the original design of God. The union between male and female is the order of creation. It is God’s design for men and women. Homosexual marriage had no place in Jesus thinking.

Third, Jesus condemned homosexual practice in his condemnation of Sodom & Gomorrah. – In Matthew 10:15 Jesus explains to his disciples that in the judgment to come the towns that refused their message would suffer a greater judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah. Again in Matthew 11 Jesus denounces Capernaum telling the people, “It will be more tolerable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Some people will say that Sodom was only judged for its brutality to strangers but you have to ignore the clear meaning of multiple Old and New Testament texts to arrive at that conclusion. Sodom and Gomorrah are bywords throughout the Bible for sexual perversion, especially homosexuality. Jesus, though he had many opportunities to do so, did not upend the teaching on Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament. He supported it and quoted from it.

Finally, other New Testament writings condemn homosexuality – The Apostle Paul’s writings against homosexual behavior are well known (See Romans 1:21-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). I do not have space here to elaborate on them but suffice it to say that they are in accord with the teachings of Jesus. Also, the Apostle Paul is Jesus’ personal envoy to the Gentiles (that’s us, see Acts 22:21). If we ignore Paul’s teaching on this subject we are ignoring Jesus as well.

Many people are being led astray by the idea that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. I hope this article helps you correct that mistake.