Comments on: Statement on the September 11th Protest http://blog.archny.org/index.php/statement-on-the-september-11th-protest/ Sun, 19 May 2013 11:55:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Katherine http://blog.archny.org/index.php/statement-on-the-september-11th-protest/comment-page-1/#comment-11142 Katherine Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:21:00 +0000 http://blog.archny.org/?p=804#comment-11142 Catholic New Yorkers have also suffered from intolerance and persecution as our Muslim neighbors are now experiencing. Bigots didn't want us to build churches, convents and social institutions because it offended them. Catholic New Yorkers have also suffered from intolerance and persecution as our Muslim neighbors are now experiencing. Bigots didn’t want us to build churches, convents and social institutions because it offended them.

]]> By: Clau http://blog.archny.org/index.php/statement-on-the-september-11th-protest/comment-page-1/#comment-10543 Clau Sat, 02 Oct 2010 16:02:24 +0000 http://blog.archny.org/?p=804#comment-10543 Dear Archbishop Dolan, With all the conflict about the mosque near Ground Zero, I was wondering if you or your assignee could bless with holy water the building where the mosque is planned and the street in front of it. Let God's will be done in that area. God bless you, Clau Dear Archbishop Dolan,

With all the conflict about the mosque near Ground Zero, I was wondering if you or your assignee could bless with holy water the building where the mosque is planned and the street in front of it. Let God’s will be done in that area.

God bless you,

Clau

]]> By: Irene http://blog.archny.org/index.php/statement-on-the-september-11th-protest/comment-page-1/#comment-10065 Irene Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:19:54 +0000 http://blog.archny.org/?p=804#comment-10065 The other things that puzzles me is, if the opposition is based mainly on the mosque's location, that is, if people would be okay with the mosque , but just not in that particular place, it's hard to find a legitimate reason on which to base that position. I've heard the claim that it would upset some families of victims. Okay, but why? Do those families somehow feel that all muslims everywhere share some collective guilt for 9/11? While sympathetic to the families, I don't really see how we can concede to that kind of thinking. Also, I can't think of an instance, in our own history or elsewhere, where religious discrimination turned out to be justified, no matter how much sense it might have made at the time. The other things that puzzles me is, if the opposition is based mainly on the mosque’s location, that is, if people would be okay with the mosque , but just not in that particular place, it’s hard to find a legitimate reason on which to base that position. I’ve heard the claim that it would upset some families of victims. Okay, but why? Do those families somehow feel that all muslims everywhere share some collective guilt for 9/11? While sympathetic to the families, I don’t really see how we can concede to that kind of thinking.

Also, I can’t think of an instance, in our own history or elsewhere, where religious discrimination turned out to be justified, no matter how much sense it might have made at the time.

]]> By: Mary http://blog.archny.org/index.php/statement-on-the-september-11th-protest/comment-page-1/#comment-9951 Mary Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:12:36 +0000 http://blog.archny.org/?p=804#comment-9951 How does an ordinary Catholic work on “those issues which divide us?” When they call us racists and bigots and threaten persecution, how do we accomplish “a new and deeper understanding” of each other. Archbishop, we are ordinary people living in extraordinary times. We are the crowds that followed Jesus that he felt pity for. Few of us are theologians, politicians, diplomats or priests. We are living in a modern version of Bible times with electronics. There are golden calfs, pretend Messiahs and godless leadership. There is danger, fear and urgency and it gets worse every day. We are caught in a world rushing headlong into only-God-knows-what. I don’t know if you are old enough to remember a “I Love Lucy” episode where Lucy is supposed to take chocolates off a conveyor belt. When it starts to go faster and faster, she is stuffing the chocolates into her mouth, down her dress, into her pockets, anywhere to try to keep up. It’s hilarious. I wish our world were a barrel of laughs. But as it gets increasingly dangerous and menacing, tell us what to do. We need to know. How does an ordinary Catholic work on “those issues which divide us?” When they call us racists and bigots and threaten persecution, how do we accomplish “a new and deeper understanding” of each other. Archbishop, we are ordinary people living in extraordinary times. We are the crowds that followed Jesus that he felt pity for. Few of us are theologians, politicians, diplomats or priests. We are living in a modern version of Bible times with electronics. There are golden calfs, pretend Messiahs and godless leadership. There is danger, fear and urgency and it gets worse every day. We are caught in a world rushing headlong into only-God-knows-what. I don’t know if you are old enough to remember a “I Love Lucy” episode where Lucy is supposed to take chocolates off a conveyor belt. When it starts to go faster and faster, she is stuffing the chocolates into her mouth, down her dress, into her pockets, anywhere to try to keep up. It’s hilarious. I wish our world were a barrel of laughs. But as it gets increasingly dangerous and menacing, tell us what to do. We need to know.

]]> By: Irene http://blog.archny.org/index.php/statement-on-the-september-11th-protest/comment-page-1/#comment-9920 Irene Sat, 11 Sep 2010 11:28:52 +0000 http://blog.archny.org/?p=804#comment-9920 I read that Pamela Geller, one of the leaders of the anti-mosque protest, supports a number of extremist causes, including a White Supremacist South African group. I think that in itself tells us enough about the mosque protest. As I have been listening to some of the most vocal critics, while the conversation often starts out with reasonable concerns about the mosque, as the conversation expands it often reveals all kinds of bigotry and prejudice. I really appreciate the Archbishop and the rest of our Catholic leadership speaking out against this Islamophobia. I think it is important that we strongly and publicly condemn this intolerance; to do anything less will put us on the wrong side of history. I read that Pamela Geller, one of the leaders of the anti-mosque protest, supports a number of extremist causes, including a White Supremacist South African group.

I think that in itself tells us enough about the mosque protest.

As I have been listening to some of the most vocal critics, while the conversation often starts out with reasonable concerns about the mosque, as the conversation expands it often reveals all kinds of bigotry and prejudice.

I really appreciate the Archbishop and the rest of our Catholic leadership speaking out against this Islamophobia. I think it is important that we strongly and publicly condemn this intolerance; to do anything less will put us on the wrong side of history.

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