As one with a Southern Baptist heritage, THIS saddens me! 

By:Buster Wilson

Richard Land, chairman of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, has by and large, been a man I could support.  He has stood with us and for us on issues that affect the local church and religious freedoms.

But this week, I’ve been sadden to see him involved in two controversial issues through a new group affiliation of his.

He has joined the Jewish Anti Defamation League’s Interfaith Coalition on Mosques, an initiative that is fighting FOR the rights of Muslims to build mosques in America.

He has been in a position against the so called Ground Zero mosque, a position that I too hold.  There’s no doubt in my mind that they are building THAT mosque THERE for the purposes of gloating over the VICTORY obtained by the 19 jihadist hijackers on 9/11.  Why is there no doubt in my mind about that?  The name given to that mosque by it’s founders for one.  The Cordoba House.  Cordoba has reference to a victory mosque built over a Catholic church in Spain a couple of centuries ago.  The Iman who is spearheading that mosque also is a reason I have no doubt about why they want to build THAT mosque THERE.  But, I digress.  Suffice it to say that I am in agreement with Richard on THAT issue.

But along with joining this group who has the sole purpose of making the way clear for Muslims to advance their religion in America with the building of mosques without harassment, he has also taken a stance in FAVOR OF the building of the larger mosque by the Muslim community in Murphreesboro, TN. The community at large there are opposed to the local Muslim group building a larger, 15 acre facility, because of known “jihadist” activity that has been discovered out of that group in TN.  There are great fears from the community at large there, including many county leaders, that the larger, 15 acre facility, would be used as some sort of “training center” for the advancement of a radicalized mindset among the worshippers there.  With O’Reilly and FoxNews talking with the Iman who declares that one day the Muslim/Sharia flag will fly over the White House, I can understand Tennessean’s have grave doubts about this project.

And yet, Richard Land, representing the Southern Baptist Convention, is fighting for them to get that new worship center built! (Now, to all my SBC friends who wold write me to remind me that no SBC agency or agency head truly represents the churches of the convention because of their local autonomy, don’t.  I understand that.  I also KNOW that when Richard Land speaks, the world at large isn’t having to guess about whether or not he’s speaking for the Methodist, or Pentecostals, etc.  He is speaking for the Southern Baptists in America, whether the local church agrees with him or not.)

Here’s what he has said about these issues:

“To help preserve the First Amendment for all Americans, we have the right to the free exercise of our faith without the interference of the government,” Land said in a recorded audio interview at WorldNetDaily.com. 

“We agree with that as Baptists,” Land said. “We believe that people have the freedom to worship and to express their faith and to have houses of worship in the places where they live.”  “I would argue that we should never, ever make any religion illegal or should in any way discriminate against a religion,” Land said.
“I would say the Muslim community in Murfreesboro is definitely being victimized.” 

Yes, we too uphold the religious freedoms for all Americans.  BUT, we do not JOIN up with an organization to encourage the building of Mosques, Free Thinker’s Societies, Mormon Temples, etc, etc, etc. just because they had that RIGHT as Americans.  Yes, they have that right and I would stand with them or anyone to keep from losing that right, because if the Muslims lost that right, then soon Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Independents, we would all lose that right! I will fight for their right to worship as they please, as long as their worship doesn’t involve blowing me up.

But I will not get involved in helping make the way more readily open for them to advance the cause of their false gospels. 

And that’s the line that feel Richard Land has crossed.  He has joined a group is now filing court briefs to HELP Muslims get mosques built in this country.  Fight for their RIGHT, but don’t help them advance a “gospel” that is no gospel at all and will send people to hell.

And I disagree that the “radical jihadists” are a recent, small percentage of the Muslim religion.  Really?  I feel that non-violent, “peaceful” Muslims are the small minority of that religion’s population.

Just my opinion.  But the truth is, FACT is, that every single suicide bomber, rocket launched into Israel, bus stop blown up, plane downed, is done so in the NAME OF Islam and the Koran!  Someone help me understand where I’m wrong about that.

I wonder if Richard would expect Muslims to get involved with him to protect our right to build Baptist churches if all of the terror actions of the last 40 years had been done in the Name of Jesus Christ, The Word of God, by a group of “radicalized” Southern Baptists?

I’m just saying……….  Tell me what you think in the comment section below.