Political Advocacy Tracker is a roundup of what Christian activist organizations have been talking about the past week.
New York City officials approved the building of the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" last week, but some religious liberty advocates continue to decry the decision.Â
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), said one could be against the center while still maintaining that the group should have the freedom to have a mosque in lower Manhattan.
Speaking on Public Radio International's To the Point, Land said, "We have consistently defended religious freedom, separation of church and state. And we believe that Muslims certainly have the right to build mosques, to have places of worship that are convenient to them in their communities … I certainly defend the right of Muslims to have mosques and places of worship in lower Manhattan but not, not at Ground Zero."
BreakPoint's Chuck Colson co-wrote the Manhattan Declaration, a document that places religious liberty next to life and marriage as leading issues of Christian conscience. But he was "distressed—aghast, in fact—over the controversy about building a mosque at ground zero." For Colson, the issue was not a question of religious liberty.
"The construction of the mosque at ground zero is not about tolerance. And it isn't about religious liberty. This is about prudence: the good sense to do what is right," said Colson. "If [Muslims]—and Mayor Bloomberg—don't have the prudence to respect the sensibilities of others, then Congress ought to step in. With the upcoming elections, I'm sure your congressman will be all ears to your concerns."
Family Research Council's (FRC) Ken Blackwell disagreed with those who "see the building of a mosque within sight of the place where 3,000 Americans were murdered on 9/11 as a test of American tolerance and openness." He said President Obama should "take a strong stance against any mosque at Ground Zero" and "stand up for Americans this time!"
Faith in Public Life announced that 40 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders signed a statement saying they were "deeply troubled by the xenophobia and religious bigotry that has characterized some of the opposition to a proposed Islamic center and mosque near where the World Trade Center towers once stood." Evangelicals, such as New York Faith and Justice executive director Lisa Sharon Harper, were noticeably absent from the list of signers. Jim Wallis and Joel Hunter did not sign the statement, but each wrote in support of the center on the Washington Post On Faith blog.Â
The Islamic center in Manhattan is not the only mosque that has received opposition. Muslims have also faced opposition in Wisconsin and California. Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) News Erick Stakelbeck, who is described as a "terrorism analyst," went to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this week to report on another Islamic center. According to Stakelbeck, the controversy is not the existence of the "mega-mosque." He said that there are questions about funding sources for the center, ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and support for Hamas.
American Family Association's (AFA) Bryan Fischer said that this and plans for all other new mosques should be banned because "each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government."
"If a mosque was willing to publicly renounce the Koran and its 109 verses that call for the death of infidels, renounce Allah and his messenger Mohammed, publicly condemn Osama bin Laden, Hamas, and Abdelbaset al Megrahi (the Lockerbie bomber), maybe then they could be allowed to build their buildings. But then they wouldn't be Muslims at that point, now would they?" said Fischer.
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