Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Religious Violence Breaks Out in New Jersey
Christians and Muslims came to blows at a recent funeral in New Jersey. The problem is this incident is not isolated.
More and more people seem to be coming to the conclusion that Muslims and other faiths can't live together in peace. When I question this view the answers always seem to be the same. People in Canada are saying that it is the fault of the Muslim community. They say that the Muslims have the view that any other faith than their own are infidels that if they can't be converted, must be killed. I have very strong hopes that the people who think that all Muslims believe this are wrong. I hold out hope that there are more reasonable Muslims who do not feel this way and who only desire to live in peace with the rest of us and respect each person's right to practice their faith in a manner which they choose. Last summer I had the chance to work on several houses where the tenants were Muslim. In the majority of cases we were treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. This included being treated to coffee, deserts, and conversation. I would have to say that these folks ended up being among the most pleasant people we have ever worked for. The topic of religion never came up. My point being that it is possible to live, work, and play in peace with persons of all other faiths. The moderates among us must speak up loudly if we are to stem the tide which very much seems to be taking us down the road to another great religious war.
More and more people seem to be coming to the conclusion that Muslims and other faiths can't live together in peace. When I question this view the answers always seem to be the same. People in Canada are saying that it is the fault of the Muslim community. They say that the Muslims have the view that any other faith than their own are infidels that if they can't be converted, must be killed. I have very strong hopes that the people who think that all Muslims believe this are wrong. I hold out hope that there are more reasonable Muslims who do not feel this way and who only desire to live in peace with the rest of us and respect each person's right to practice their faith in a manner which they choose. Last summer I had the chance to work on several houses where the tenants were Muslim. In the majority of cases we were treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. This included being treated to coffee, deserts, and conversation. I would have to say that these folks ended up being among the most pleasant people we have ever worked for. The topic of religion never came up. My point being that it is possible to live, work, and play in peace with persons of all other faiths. The moderates among us must speak up loudly if we are to stem the tide which very much seems to be taking us down the road to another great religious war.
# posted by Wil Smith : 5:22 p.m.
