Mosque Madness

I keep on hearing a lot of controversy regarding the proposed mosque near ground zero. Frankly, I am baffled by it. I know some people who have very strong feeling regarding this project, but I have trouble seeing their side of the issue.

Here are some of the points I have heard, and my reactions to them:

I have heard that the building of a mosque in that particular spot is a "slap in the face" to the people who died there. My first thought is... why? The people building the mosque are, by reputable reports, peaceful people who abhor the violence preached by extremist groups. They have also been praying there for years in a nondescript building that the mosque will merely replace (according to the New York Times). The only change is the symbol of the building itself, which despite propaganda still represents a religion of peace.

I know it is tempting to point out that there are many high-profile cases of terrorism perpetrated in the name of their religion, but let's be honest: which of us can legitimately point a finger? Christians, put your hands down- the Crusades alone are a black mark. If you're not convinced, think of the recent murder of a doctor performing abortions. Whether you agree or not, it was murder in the name of religion. If you ask a Palestinian, the actions of Jews in Israel in their long conflict is tantamount to terrorism. A Jew would say the same thing about Palestinians. Catholicism, besides its bloody history in Europe, has a history of legal scuffles regarding their strict behavioral code in schools. Are we all tarred by the brush of our religions?

I have heard exhortations to protect America by protesting the mosque. My first thought? How does that protect America? Let's break this down a bit. America is a land of the free. A place where we can pursue happiness without fear of persecution based on religious beliefs. I believe that America stands as the land of tolerance. The way to protect these ideals, it seems to me, is to perpetuate them. By bringing down an effort to peacefully worship (and if you disagree on their intent, prove it. Innocent until proven guilty), we make ourselves into the very type of people we say we despise: full of irrational hatred, willing to lash out at people we don't know just because they have different beliefs.

If we act as if the mosque has any power over ground zero, 9/11 remembrances, or the memories of the fallen, we have already betrayed the sacredness of those memories. If we remember in our own hearts, NOTHING can touch that. So why do we get so upset about a mosque?

Bottom line: I would rather create peace instead of war. If what goes around really does come around, I can live with my decision. How about you?

Opinion vs. Fact

Okay, it seems that it is time for a little vocabulary lesson (pay attention- there will be a quiz later).

1. Fact: a piece of information presented as having objective reality

2. Opinion: a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter

Do we see a difference here? I have seen many discussion boards, online posts, and heard or been part of conversations where these two become mixed up. All too often we want to emphasize our point... or we are just in the habit of assuming a "my way or the highway" attitude... or whatever, but in the end we tweak the presentation of "truth" to bolster our points of view, perhaps without realizing what we're doing.

Let me give you an innocuous example: I see a dress in a store, and I say "That is an ugly dress. Who was stupid enough to design it?" This may seem pretty harmless, but the principle is that I am making my opinion into an absolute. To be accurate, I could have said "I think that dress is ugly and the designer incompetent". The difference is that in the second statement I am stating my own point of view and nothing more.

This may seem like nit-picking, but what if I switch the example and move to politics? How often do we get frustrated because people make statements that sound like fact, but because we disagree we say it is just an opinion? (i.e. That candidate is a lying, career politician.) How often do the people on the other side of the fence accuse us of the same tactic? Once we get into that kind of mud-slinging, nothing is solved and people just get more deeply entrenched in the opinions they already had. Then we go and vote.

What if I change the topic again to healthcare or science? Or religion? The sticky thing about these is that people think they have facts to back up their positions. Traditional healthcare people have medical studies to point towards; alternative medicine advocates use history and different medical studies as their proof. Atheists use science as their backup, while religious individuals can point towards documented events that science can't currently explain. EVERYBODY has fact on their side... so who is right? I'd say that as long as we are talking about things that can't be proven or disproven, due to conflicting evidence or the nature of the question itself, assume that each point of view is an opinion and be tolerant of other ideas. Until something happens that is absolutely conclusive, it is premature (and immature) to gloat.

The thing that gets to me most is the automatic tendency of humans to self-congratulate. We find the "facts" that suit us and we stop there. We don't often look too deeply into where our facts came from. We don't usually research the opposition's viewpoint. We don't even consider that something will appear in the future to totally change our thinking on the subject. We tend to automatically assume that we have THE ANSWERS (caps intentional) and that they are eternal.

Well, my favorite rebuttal is best encapsulated by a quote from-- ironically-- "Men In Black". A character says, "One thousand years ago, everybody knew that the world was flat. Five hundred years ago everybody knew that the earth was the center of the Universe. [...] Imagine what you'll know... tomorrow." The underlying idea is that we absolutely positively without-a-doubt know things, right up until they are disproved. Really, how intelligent can we be as a species if we keep on repeating this pattern over the ages?

Let's be ahead of the curve this time. Let's learn humility and tolerance, because they will last longer than fact, and they will make the world a better place than inflated opinions can ever manage.