Religiosity

'I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end; where all men and all churches are treated as equal; where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice" - President John F. Kennedy, speaking on the issue of religion at the Greater Houston Ministerial Association on September 12th 1960.

It is perhaps fitting that as I write I am on an airplane, headed to the airport named after America's 35th president, and to a city that is once again embroiled in religious controversy. The problem is that it is a phony controversy. The latest brouhaha surrounds a plan to build a Muslim community center in the heart of New York City, a few blocks from that hallowed acreage known as Ground Zero, the site of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks and location of the soon to be unveiled memorial to the victims of that awful tragedy.

The right wing media noise machine, the religious nut jobs and surprise, surprise the leadership of the Republican Party are up in arms over plans to build the Muslim community center, a development that is perfectly legal and has received the backing of the mayor of New York and the President of the United States. The religious zealots who are trying everything in their power to stop this proposal from going ahead are using the argument that it is somehow un-American to allow free people to gather in a spirit of community and practice their faith without fear of reprisal. Their logic of course is because the 9/11 attacks were carried out in the name of Islam by less than two dozen extremists, the entire Muslim race should not only be discrimminated against, but if these people had their way, persecuted as well.

It is pretty nauseating to listen to the Republicans in particular as they deliver their regular diatribe of hate mongering and racial insensitivity. This is the party of Lincoln, a man whose presidency, and the history of the United States, was defined by his promise to deliver emancipation for black Americans. Six hundred thousand Americans died in a civil war that was fought so that every citizen could be free from racial discrimination and be guaranteed equal rights under the law.

Once again, religion is being used as a weapon of hatred and racism. It's sickening to watch this same old movie play out one more time. Will we, as mortal human beings, ever learn from the lessons of history? As it relates to this issue, it doesn't appear so.