Tea Parties, Glenn Beck protest Muslim Family Day at Six Flags Great America

@MDOmnis: Suggest you learn some facts.

1) the proposed Mosque, is actually a community center, including things that other churches have (pool, recreational facilities, etc), as well as areas for prayers (what you would normally envision as a house of worship.

2) the proposed site isn't at ground zero, it's 2-3 blocks away, and has no direct line of sight to the WTC site.

3) the Imam who would preside over this center, has been preaching in lower Manhattan for over 13 years.

4) the local land use authority received NO objections from local residents at the planning meetings

5) The building already exists, they are just re-furbing it and re-purposing it.

6: You've obviously never been to Lower Manhattan, or you'd know that over 100K people live south of Houston St.

7) and more than that number of people stream into LM every day for work, etc. So the Cordoba house's reach is more than just the workers, just like any church or synagogue isn't limited to just its immediate geographic neighborhood. Especially in an area as dense as Manhattan

(Kudos to Jeff for his reasoned comments above and below this post)

MDOmnis said:
Don't try and tell me they aren't doing that to symbolize thier "great victory over the west" on September 11.

They're not. And wow, you must not know very many Muslims. The agenda you suggest is as silly as the gay recruitment agenda.

We gays stopped recruiting back when Kitchenaid stopped supplying the blenders we got as gifts. :)

eightdotthree said:

Do we assume that every Catholic man is a pedophile because of the bad behavior of Catholic priests? It's absurd to connect the entire religion with 9/11.

Yes, actually many people do. I'm sure if you asked the average person what percentage of priests have been accused, the response would probably be far greater than the actual number. And even those who aren't are guilty by association. Funny how that works for certain groups but causes an outrage when applied to others.

Anytime the Catholic Church says or does something that people don't like, they pull out the pedophilia/inquisition/crusades card as justification for why Catholics should not be allowed opinions. And they do it on "mainstream" news and talk shows. And funny they're never required to issue apologies. I'm talking people like Joy Behar (the saints were all psychotic), Kathy Griffin (a zero talent waste of protoplasm if there ever was one), Dane Cook. Now Anne Rice issued a press release stating she was "leaving Christianity" because she connected an entire religion with the behaviors of a few she didn't like.

Matthews, Olbermann and Maddow have an agenda and biases just like the folks at Fox do. Just because they're aligned mostly with your beliefs doesn't mean they aren't there. Studies have shown that people across the political spectrum get their "news" from sources that are most compatible with their beliefs.

Wow...quoting FAIL. :)

I so miss the days where a reporter sat down for a half hour twice a day and told you what happened and not what they think.

Don't try and tell me they aren't doing that to symbolize thier "great victory over the west" on September 11.

I won't try and tell you anything. In fact, I plan on not responding to you at all if you honestly feel that way. I have no use for people that think so irrationally about the world.

I love that they're celebrating a victory in your eyes, yet they have to deal with people trying to impeed on their basic rights, like going to a theme park event on 9/12. Victory indeed.

If I were a regular Muslim just trying to go about my business and worship, I would not want this. As a regular old Christian, I don't want people bombing abortion clinics either.

That makes no sense. On person who opposes the Islamic Center said “When I look over there and I see a mosque, it’s going to hurt. Build it someplace else.” That is ridiculous on so many levels to me. Why does seeing a Mosque hurt? Does seeing a plane hurt? Does seeing a sky scraper hurt? Does seeing a middle easterner hurt?

And what about the Oklahoma City Bombing? You know, the bombing that was carried out by an 'all American boy' that, up until 9/11 was the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil? Had Tim McVeigh claimed he did what he did on his Catholicism, would that then make it wrong for Catholics to symbolize their 'great victory' over the US by building a new church near the old Federal Building site?

Tekwardo said:
I don't watch the Daily Show, the Colbert Report, or SNL, and get my news from actual news sources.

Surely you're not suggesting that the Daily Show isn't a real news source. ;)

I just think if I wanted to go build a giant $140 billion dollar Christian church in the middle of Yemin or Saudi Arabia, the same people who are so okay with them doing this stuff here in our country would be saying, "why are we forcing our views on those people?" It honestly seems pretty hypocritical.

If they were interested in spreading the Muslim faith and promoting its good values, they'd build in Queens or Brooklyn or something where they'd reach far more people. The intent here is for this guy to give the middle finger to the west.

I'm not so sure about the Six Flags event. At least they were nice enough to not make it on the 11th which is a Saturday and probably would have been better attended. Different groups have their days at parks all the time. I don't really have a problem with any of it as long as they don't interfere with the day of other guests. Not all members of militias are wackos, so I don't know why that idea gets peoples panties in a bunch so much.

I just get annoyed that everything comes down to Tea Parties and conservatives being racist. The majority of people who support the tea parties are just looking for smaller government and lower taxes. It's the left that has tried to paint them all as rasists. People are uncomfortable with this mosque idea and the Six Flags day so they're voicing their opinion. It doesn't make them racists.

MDOmnis said:
I just think if I wanted to go build a giant $140 billion dollar Christian church in the middle of Yemin or Saudi Arabia, the same people who are so okay with them doing this stuff here in our country would be saying, "why are we forcing our views on those people?" It honestly seems pretty hypocritical.

If they were interested in spreading the Muslim faith and promoting its good values, they'd build in Queens or Brooklyn or something where they'd reach far more people. The intent here is for this guy to give the middle finger to the west.

I'm not so sure about the Six Flags event. At least they were nice enough to not make it on the 11th which is a Saturday and probably would have been better attended. Different groups have their days at parks all the time. I don't really have a problem with any of it as long as they don't interfere with the day of other guests. Not all members of militias are wackos, so I don't know why that idea gets peoples panties in a bunch so much.

I just get annoyed that everything comes down to Tea Parties and conservatives being racist. The majority of people who support the tea parties are just looking for smaller government and lower taxes. It's the left that has tried to paint them all as rasists. People are uncomfortable with this mosque idea and the Six Flags day so they're voicing their opinion. It doesn't make them racists.

Dude, thats what I said before. You gotta look deeper than the news your getting. Fact is, Its three blocks from WTC and there are a lot of news sources saying at Ground Zero. Read your constitution. They have every right barring a zoning infringement to have it where they want it.

Okay, so I lied, I am going to respond.

"why are we forcing our views on those people?" It honestly seems pretty hypocritical.

First, they're not forcing their views on anyone. They simply want to use a building there as a worship center. You know, because in America, they have that right to do so. And how is it hypocritical that they're doing that, when you hypothetically say they would do this or that if a megachurch was built in the Middle east (like there aren't any other forms of religion over there already?)?

The intent here is for this guy to give the middle finger to the west.

It's sad that you think that, but even if that's the case, guess what? He has the right to give us the finger. Because in America, we wanted freedoms that ensure his right. Saying that he can't do it, but we can, is hypocritical.

Not all members of militias are wackos, so I don't know why that idea gets peoples panties in a bunch so much.

For the same reasons you think all Muslims are giving the finger to the West.

It doesn't make them racists.

Perhaps, since this is a religion, and not a race, the term used should be Prejudiced. And yes, I feel that people who say these things based soley on the fact that someone is a muslim, is prejudiced.

P.S., I love that they're promoting their 'anti-Western agenda' by spending a day...At Six Flags.

One thing I just don't get is how quickly we label people in general.

Having been involved in leadership in Christianity, my experience is that we have a hard time getting 30 people to agree on a potluck dinner. And you're going to tell me that the over one billion Muslims to agree on anything, let alone "Death to America" or whatever stereotype?

And yes, if you read the bible outside of the historical context and tradition, large parts of it would sound like a terrorist manifesto (and have been used as such) so reading the Quran that way isn't particularly damning (get it?).

MDOmnis said:
I just think if I wanted to go build a giant $140 billion dollar Christian church in the middle of Yemin or Saudi Arabia, the same people who are so okay with them doing this stuff here in our country would be saying, "why are we forcing our views on those people?" It honestly seems pretty hypocritical... The intent here is for this guy to give the middle finger to the west.

It must suck to live with that much fear and hate. And don't tell me it's not, because that's exactly what it is. If there was no fear, this wouldn't even be an issue. What you've implied is that there's an Islamic agenda to stick it to God-fearing Christian white people. I can't believe you don't see the absurdity in that. And like I said, if you knew more Muslims, and had conversations with them, you'd know that.

And let's not forget that the United States were founded on the premise of religious freedom. There are no qualifiers for that freedom. We either embrace it or we don't.

I can't watch Fox "News" less than I do already. Which is not at all. And I do put news in quotes intentionally.

And like I said, if you knew more Muslims, and had conversations with them, you'd know that.

You know what, Jeff, I don't know a single Muslim, and I don't think that irrationally about them. It's called educating Yourself.

Edit:spelling

Jeff said:
And let's not forget that the United States were founded on the premise of religious freedom. There are no qualifiers for that freedom. We either embrace it or we don't.

Exactly! Which goes to prove the point of what HYPOCRITS Glenn Beck, FOX and others are who say they are looking out to keep America about "America." No, they want to shape it into THEIR version of what America "should be" and that is a Christian-theocracy. Period.

Various Six Flags parks have always had this event and usually they were always held late in the season so this really isn't new "news." Furthermore, for Six Flags to deny any religious group the ability to hold such an event, when Christian events are regularly held, makes the parks libel for discrimination. This cooked up controversy is yet another tool in the weapons of FEAR that the right-wingers draw out before an election and it is frankly pathetic and unAmerican.

Tekwardo - you're starting to talk in circles and take my quotes out of context. My original intent was to say I don't think anything that was quoted from Glenn Beck was racist. I think he finds it in ill taste and he said so. I think Muslims would find it in ill taste if he build his park in Saudi Arabia or if there was a militia day in response to Muslim day. It would be a slap in the face for them just as he feels a Sept 12 Muslim day is for some people here. Then you said something about muslims not going to ground zero the day after Sept 11 and I got off on a tangent about the mosque.

I don't really have a problem with Muslim Day at Six Flags, assuming they don't interfere with the day of other guests. Sure some people will probably complain, but really I don't have a problem with them going there as a big group and having fun.

We'll have to agree to disagree about the mosque. Yes, I agree they have the right to put it wherever they want (provided zoning and the community allows it) because this is a great country that affords freedom of speech, religion, etc. It doesn't mean I have to like it.

I find it kind of funny we're talking about all these rights that are granted to a group of people - the same group that generally doesn't come close to giving women equal rights.

MDOmnis said:
I just think if I wanted to go build a giant $140 billion dollar Christian church in the middle of Yemin or Saudi Arabia, the same people who are so okay with them doing this stuff here in our country would be saying, "why are we forcing our views on those people?" It honestly seems pretty hypocritical... The intent here is for this guy to give the middle finger to the west.

They just built a church Saudi Arabia actually.

The Latin Church in Baghdad. " The Catholic Church, the Latin Rite, better known as the Latin Chapel, was built in 1866 to replace a smaller one which has existed from 1721. It is a massive building with a large dome which can be seen from the roofs in any quarter of the city. The bell of the church rings daily at noon and at sunset. Permission to do this was granted about fifty years ago, previous to which time Christians were not allowed to employ bells."

But the big difference here is that we are granted religious freedom by our constitution.

I don't see how I took anything out of context, and I even confirmed that the correct term should be prejudice and not racism, but I do want to say this:

the same group that generally doesn't come close to giving women equal rights.

To adhear to a religion is a choice. America's constitution gives freedom to make the choice of religion. If you choose to be involved in a religion that has beliefs that go against the rights you're granted by your government doesn't make said religion a hypocrite when they're demanding to be treated fairly, yet they adhear to certain principles of the religion, because no one is being forced to stay in the religion (in this country)

If I were married, my wife would have the right to have an abortion, even if our religion dictated that doing so was wrong. And I'm not being a hypocrite to demand that my rights be adheared to, even if I choose not to take part in other rights because of my beliefs.

Hitler, gays, abortion, pedophiles, politics...wow, this thread has it all! (except coasters!) :)