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Where the rubber hits the road for our Christian faith
After 9/11 President Bush reminded Americans that the attack was the work of a few terrorists and not the Muslim people. "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam," Bush said a few days after 9/11. President Obama reached out to Muslims worldwide in his 2009 Cairo speech, where he insisted that "America is not -- and never will be -- at war with Islam." Yet partly because of the furor over the "mosque" near Ground Zero, a new wave of anti-Muslim feeling has arisen. Gen. Petraeus recently spoke out against a planned burning of the Qur'an by a church in Florida, an act which Petraeus says threatens American operations in Afghanistan and harms America's image in Muslim countries.
Did we (Muslim and non-Muslims) do enough after 9/11 to heal the nation? If not, what should we have done? What more can we do now?
Did we do enough after 9/11 to heal the nation? No. At my church this past Sunday one of the prayer concerns was the sad decision of the Muslim community in Pittsburgh not to hold a central celebration for the end of Ramadan for fear of violence. That our peaceful Muslim neighbors continue to be fearful and wary of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" reprisal is a measure of our failure.
So what should have been done?
"Do to others as you would have them do to you," says Jesus in Luke 6:31. Later in that Gospel, He elaborates upon the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself by telling the story of the Good Samaritan who helps the injured Jew.
We need to remember that the Jews in Jesus' time considered Samaritans heretical and unclean. It was not easy for the lawyer to acknowledge to Jesus after the story that "the one who showed mercy," the Samaritan, was the one who loved his neighbor.
This is an instance where the rubber hits the road for me as a Christian. Fear has trumped love in our society in the years since 9/11 and what we can and need to do now is recommit ourselves to the hard work of loving our neighbor.
"There is no fear in love," wrote John in his first letter, "Perfect love cast out fear" (1 John 3:18).
By
Janet Edwards
|
September 7, 2010; 5:33 PM ET
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Posted by: woodstock-41 | September 11, 2010 7:43 AM
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Janet is living in the comfort and safety of America. She is selfish to ignore the world realities where Islamists are hounding and killing populations for just being non-muslim. Just check out what is happening in this border district in India facing Islamic Bangladesh, classic demographic warfare by Muslims once they reach the "threshold" of Intolerance! Lesson for America!
NO RESPITE DESPITE ARMY PRESENCE
http://hindusamhati.org/
NO RESPITE DESPITE ARMY PRESENCE. TODAY MORNING AGAIN MUSLIMS ARE ATTACKING DIFFERENT HINDU VILLAGES AROUND KARTICKPUR AWAY FROM THE MAIN ROAD.
HINDU WOMEN ARE FLEEING FROM BISWANATHPUR TOWARDS KARTICKPUR AS A LARGE MUSLIM MOB IS PROCEEDING FROM DOGACHHIA SIDE. POLICE IS TOTALLY HELPLESS. SEVERAL RAF PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN SEVERELY BEATEN UP BY THE MUSLIMS. EVEN ARMY IS UNABLE TO STOP THE MUSLIM MOB.
"KHEJURDANGA KARMAKAR PARA" VILLAGE JUST NOW BURNT. IT IS 2 KM. INSIDE FROM THE MAIN ROAD. ARMY IS NOT GOING THERE.
WOMEN ARE SCARED. ARMY IS NOT GOING INSIDE AS THEIR NUMBER IS TOO SMALL, ONLY ABOUT 200
SITUATION EXTREMELY WORSE. HINDUS ARE WAITING FOR MASSACRE. ALL SIDES ARE BLOCKED BY THE MUSLIMS. NO ROUTE TO ESCAPE.
Posted by: futuralogic | September 8, 2010 7:41 PM
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Dear Fellow Americans, Hark: N E W--Y O R K:
Sweet Sweet Momma Amerika is a risen Again!
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