Islamic school leases space in Caldwell
Memorial Presbyterian Church in Charlotte
Posted on 11/16/2006 7:24:45 AM PST by SquirrelKing
Islamic school leases space in Caldwell
Memorial Presbyterian Church in Charlotte
With membership and contributions plummeting, the session of Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian Church voted unanimously in April to lease the congregation's largely unused gymnasium and education building to the Charlotte Islamic School in Charlotte, N.C.
Islamic school leases space in Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. Encouraged by the congregation's pastor, Dr. Charles McDonald, the session figured the 14-month lease was both an act of toleration and a budget-booster. But toleration turned out to be a one-way street.
At the insistence of the Islamic school and with the acquiescence of Caldwell's leaders, two large crosses were removed and stained glass windows with Christian symbols were covered up.
And, while the congregation accepted the initial decision about leasing the facility to the Islamic group, the cover-up of the congregation's Christian identity has drawn some heated response, as reported by The Charlotte World on May 21.
"The church's pastor … enthusiastically told the congregation about the new tenants," The World said, quoting McDonald's view of the arrangement from a column he wrote in the church's newsletter: "McDonald told readers that the Arabic name of the God of Islam is Allah, and that Allah is 'basically the same God of Judaism and the God and Father of Christianity.'"
"Dan Johnson, who leads a weekly Bible study at the church, says some folks in the congregation seem uneasy with the new rental arrangement, but didn't initially protest," The World said. "But when the Islamic school asked the church to remove or cover up Christian symbols in the rented buildings – and the church acquiesced – Johnson says uneasiness turned to anger for some."
The major daily newspaper in Charlotte, The Charlotte Observer, also ran a recent article about the Charlotte Islamic School and its lease of the Caldwell facilities. But, in its May 18 story, The Observer took no note of the controversy at the church. Rather, it focused on an intra-Islamic controversy.
Charlotte's only Islamic school was part of the Islamic Center of Charlotte, a mosque, until school and Islamic leaders disagreed over who should control religious education in the Islamic community.
The Islamic school at Caldwell Memorial, near downtown Charlotte, has 110 students in pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade.
That's far more than the number of people who regularly attend Sunday worship. According to congregational data posted by the Presbyterian Church (USA), Caldwell Memorial had 129 members at the end of 2002, an average worship attendance of 27 and an average Sunday school enrollment of 10 that year.
The 2002 budget was $69,000, down from a high of $207,000 in 1997.
"So, for now, it seems that the folks who visit Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian Church may not be able to see stained glass windows with Christian images," The World said, "but they will be able to clearly see two large signs on both sides of the church grounds. Those signs read: 'The Charlotte Islamic School.'"
An office worker at Caldwell Memorial told The Layman Online that McDonald was not available for comment.
I am amazed at this - but hardly surprised. As far as I can tell [from making phone inquiries and talking with friends of mine from Charlotte, this relationship still exists. I'm sure it is touted as "progressive" and the picture of tolerance - but it boggles my mind to think of this occurring. Especially when I can only imagine the reaction of the local Imam would be to me requesting to establish a Christian school in the basement of their mosque.
Sleeping with the enemy alert!
The Left.......giving our country away with both hands.
Islam is not the real problem for these folks.
Give unto Allah that which is Allah's.
It looks like in this case their own name is soon to be ironically descriptive.
How have we come to this??
Nancee
So much for the stated Islamic notion that Christians "are people of the book"~LOL!
Better headline:
A dead church exposes reason for its demise
The ACLU fights for the separation of Christianity and the state.
But Islam and the state together is okay.
I thought the Protestants took the crosses down a few hundred years ago. My, how time flies.
It's probably related to neighborhood demographics, too. African Methodist Episcopal may be flourishing in the area, or Korean Baptists, or Iglesia Pentecostalia.
Man cannot love both God and money. Choose thou. Whom will you serve?
The collection plate has liberalized churches all over the world. Even the Catholic church has gone pro-sodomite. They're selling the souls of their congregations to the devil in exchange for cankered silver and gold.
It would be interesting to see what happens if the church decides not to renew the lease. At any rate, it's a dead church.
I would rather sell the Church or donate it to the town for something other then an Islamic school. In my eyes they don't belong in a Church. Now I have this thing going on with myself about Muslims. I happen to think they are not this religion of peace and I don't trust them. It just bothers me that they are in a Church and have had the windows and crossed removed. I would think it would be distasteful for them as well to be in a Church. I can not see them letting Christians use one of their mosques for a Christian school.
Nope, just crucifixes.
Hide it under a bushel
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