Why Christians Should Support a Mosque near Ground Zero

More than once I have heard stories of churches who were denied the opportunity to build a worship center where they deemed fit. Sometimes there was a hidden agendas, sometimes there were legitimate zoning issues. Regardless, they felt that their freedoms, their religious freedom no less, was being restricted.

Having watched this 'ground zero' mosque debate for a while, I think this opinion by Ms. Parker says what I would say. We should let that mosque be built, no, better yet, we should applaud the building of that mosque, precisely to highlight the differences between those who embrace freedom and those who appose it. Some have argued that because there are virtually no churches in Saudia Aribia, that somehow means we should champion restricting the religious freedom of Muslims. But is that the standard we want to stoop up to? Are we saying we want to be like them?

I like what one talking head said the other day on TV. "If an Evangelical, anti-gay rights church wants to build in the middle of a gay friendly neighborhood in San Fransico, let them! That is what religious liberty is all about."

As Christian sojourners, temporary visitors in this nation, we should advocate for what is in the best interest of both us and our temporary home, namely religious liberty. When we ensure religious liberty for others, we ensure it for ourselves; and we set a sharp contrast between us and those who would appose religious liberty, one of the founding principles of this country.