Posted on 08/13/2010 8:40:00 PM PDT by smoothsailing
August 14, 2010
By Bryan Fischer
When Gov. David Paterson of New York stepped into the breach to offer a resolution to the exploding controversy over building the Ground Zero mosque, he quite deliberately offered to grant Islam a favored status under New York public policy that is denied to Christian churches.
Here's what the governor said (emphasis mine): "If the sponsors were looking for property anywhere at a distance that would be such that it would accommodate a better feeling among the people who are frustrated, I would look into trying to provide them with the state property they would need."
He added some mumbo-jumbo about a competitive bidding process, but that was obviously just for show. If he wants to provide state land for a mosque, trust me, he will find a way, and his liberal friends will back him to the hilt.
Offering to provide government property for a house of worship normally would provoke howls of outrage from our hypersensitive friends on the left, who see grotesque breaches of the wall of separation between church and state even where the wall of their fevered imaginations doesn't exist.
Can you imagine the firestorm that would have erupted had the good governor offered to find state property for a Christian church? He'd have been dragged into court by the ACLU so fast it'd give him a nosebleed.
The First Amendment, remember, only prevents Congress from the "establishment" of religion, by which the Founders meant granting one Christian denomination preference in law and directing taxes to its support.
This means, of course, that states are free to "establish" a state religion if they wish, meaning they remain free to select one Christian denomination and give it official preference in law. At the time of the founding, nine of the 13 original states did in fact have an established church, that is, one Christian denomination that was the official church of that state.
Wisely, in my view, all states had abolished state establishment by 1833, but they remain constitutionally free to do so if they wish.
But our secular fundamentalist friends, with no regard for original intent, are quick to see First Amendment violations in things as benign as the Pledge of Allegiance and our national motto.
Thus it is noteworthy that the left has been strangely and totally silent on this offer by the governor of New York to give official state sponsorship and support to the religion of Islam.
The explanation? Most likely, secular fundamentalists are easy on Islam for the simple reason that they share with Islamic fundamentalists a deep and abiding hatred for America and its traditions and values.
But the Muslims behind the Ground Zero mosque turned down Gov. Paterson's offer instantaneously. They remain determined to build their monument to the great victory of Allah over the infidel on 9/11 no matter who it offends, no matter who it insults, and no matter who it provokes. Are these the actions of a religion of peace? I don't think so.
© Bryan Fischer
ping
I was just recently asking about this and was wondering when they (in my view the ACLU) are going to jump on in ?
I swear, sometimes I just can’t work fast enough to get more ammo.
I agree with the author. Had any state offered to give up property for something like 1st Baptist of NYC or Sacred Heart Catholic or Christ Assembly of God, the ACLU would have him in court so fast he’d think he’d been transported by the starship Enterprise.
And everybody thinks white politicians have a corner on being stupid.
He wasn't serious about the land sale ~ he knows what the Islamofascists are up to ~ it's something Bloomberg maybe can't see, but you can't get their kind of BS past a blindman.
The Constitution simply does not exist to these people.
What do you expect something more than Detroit??
Patterson is mentally ill. Spitzer is a sex-fiend. Cuomo is a jerk, like his father. Weiner is the whiner-supreme. Bloomberg is just a total schmuck. Gillibrand is toast in November. Clinton is a commie sell-out. Schumer is stupider than dog crap on a hot summer day but he’s a shrewd SOB, as well as a disgrace to America.
Did I leave anyone out? Sorry, will get you the next go round.
Time to do some political “cleansing” in New York, from top to bottom, and don’t spare the bleach.
Such wishful thinking. New Yorkers are very liberal and keep electing these stupid commies. They get the government they deserve.
I understand Dr Clarkia’s parasite cleans works well.
And so to quote an American classic..."The enemy of my enemy is my friend"
I’m sure that’s not what the governor meant to do when he offered land just to get it away from the grave yard of the WTC.
Seriously I think we’re getting out of hand with this New York Mosque.
>> the ACLU would have him in court so fast
I agree.
Tempted to agree with you. The mosque has become a far bigger issue than it should've been.
But that's because, upon being approached with the plan, the city authorities should've nipped it in the bud.
That they didn't is an affront to common sense.
The NY State Constitution has a Blaine Amendment, which specifically bans State aid to sectarian institutions.
I have absolutely no problem with that, provided New York State owns property on the moon.
I guess you haven't' been paying attention, Constitutions (national or state) don't seem to be worth the paper they written upon with liberals in charge of government or the courts.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.