So there’s this big hubbub about a faith group wanting to build a structure in Manhattan to practice their faith.  This isn’t really news, let’s be honest, regardless of what the faith group is.  Now, if it were some fringey group or the First United Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, we might find it a little curious, but wouldn’t oppose it.  This is one of the world’s established and respected religions, after all (the first, not the fringey groups or followers of food-based deities)!

Oh, but wait!  There’s more!  This religion is Islam, the building is a mosque, and the location is near the site of the World Trade Center!  Horror of horrors!  I guess that changes everything, then!

But now my puny brain is getting confused.  The argument doesn’t make any logical sense, but I think I can sense what the outrage is about.  Let’s eliminate the possibilities first.

1)      It isn’t about building new things in Manhattan. We don’t have a problem with the idea of building new things.  We actually kind of like it.  Most of the time.

2)      There really isn’t a way to prevent the building of religious structures. What tools do lawmakers and local authorities use to prevent anyone from building anything?  If it means zoning codes; meets city, state, and national laws and requirements; and the practices within the structure do not break any laws, then there’s no way to stop it.  Most cities can’t prevent Wal-Mart from opening a concrete monstrosity, even when a majority of residents oppose it.

3)      Public opinion should not impinge on acceptable religious freedoms. I think I remember something in the First Amendment about this…and something about the way our entire form of government is structured around majority rule and minority rights that would certainly say something about this…

So, if we’re being honest, there are no legal grounds for opposing or preventing a nice group of people from building a structure to practice their faith.  And, since we’re being honest, let’s also recognize that this isn’t actually on the WTC site, but…

A famous conservative celebrity and her Facebook page strike again!  Nobody would have cared if this celebrity didn’t choose to make hay about it.  So now it’s a thing.  So why is it a thing, again?

Oh, it’s about Muslims building a mosque near the World Trade Center site.  Most of us connect the dots without thinking about it.  But let’s make it explicit.

The argument goes that this is offensive.  But why?  Because some Muslims flew planes into the WTC once upon a time.  OK.  But it wasn’t these Muslims.  Oh…I see.  You don’t actually want to say the words.  You don’t want to say them out loud because you know you’re not supposed to.  OK.  I guess I’ll have to do it for you.  You want to condemn all Muslims because of a few radicalized ones.  It is offensive to build a mosque near the site because you want to continue to blame all Muslims for 9/11/01.  Right.

I’m pro-choice, so do I condemn the building of Christian hospitals and clinics because some wacko kills a doctor?  Do I think all Christians are tangentially responsible for that killing?  The Bible is a violent religious text, after all.  Have you read it?

But really, it isn’t just that we want the government to adopt a racist and religionist view and it isn’t just that we want to blame today’s Muslims for a past crime; we actually want to be afraid of them.  We want a scapegoat for our outrage, so let’s assume that any Muslim is going to join el-Qaeda.  We don’t want the memories of loved ones tainted by the prospect that some people will use this mass grave as a launching pad for more violence.

I can understand that fear and I can respect the person that is fearful, but I thoroughly reject the arguments, the distrust, and all the negative (and unchristian) sludge that is being heaped on the group that’s planning it.  I’m not sure there are stronger words I could use to describe my opposition without spewing my own four-letter epithets.

But here’s the silver lining.  Let’s decide to see this as an opportunity, rather than something to fear or oppose.  Let’s choose to see this building project as symbolically beneficial.  I don’t know these people personally, and I don’t know what they are thinking, but I’ve got an idea.  Chances are, these aren’t mean people trying to rub something in someone else’s face, but compassionate and loving people that want to make the most of an opportunity for dialogue, education, and community-building.  My guess is that they want to use the location as a positive association.  An association that says that most Muslims are neither violent, nor seeking anyone’s destruction.  That says that most Muslims are loving and peaceful.  That says that most American Muslims, like American Christians, condemn what happened nine years ago.  I think that is a rich symbol that would be a great benefit to millions of Americans.