Hitler Part Deux

In the years since 9/11 there has been an onslaught of negativity towards American Muslims. I know most will deny that with comments like, “I don’t have anything against Muslims.” or “I don’t hate Muslims”, but their speech and actions say something completely different.

A link was published on facebook last week showing that Six Flags was having a “Muslim Only Day”. The person who posted it went on a rant about how dare Six Flags do something like this, and questioning why our ‘government’ is supporting such a large ‘take over’ by the Muslims. It only took a quick search to go to the Six Flag’s website and find out what was really going on.

Does Six Flags have a secret Muslim agenda? Are they supporting the Muslims while ‘dissing’ on ‘real’ Americans? The answer is NO.

Six Flags offers any group the ability to have a special day for them at the park if they apply for it. They can have special tickets printed up for the occasion, advertising materials provided to the group, group discounts, easy entry into the park, and they will even cater your event for you with special requests such as vegetarian, vegan, kosher, or even…gasp…Halal.

After reading the entire website I found where there was a way that any group or organization (religious included) can plan a day like this. Check it out for yourself:   https://www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/groups/religious.aspx

So what makes the Muslims any different than the Catholic Youth Day? Well, the Catholic’s didn’t bomb New York and DC on 9/11 you might think or say. Well hate to break it to you but, true Muslim’s didn’t either. Muslim extremists bombed us on 9/11. Not Muslim American’s.

Let’s look at extremists for a moment. Muslims do not have a corner on this. All through history there have been extremists of all kinds, political and religious. Let’s take Martin Luther, a leader of the Reformation and ‘father’ of the Lutheran Church.

It is fact that Martin Luther was an anti Semite. He wrote that the goal was to convert all Jews to Christianity and if they wouldn’t then they should not be allowed to live among Christians. He also said they should be shown “no mercy or kindness”, and “drafted and expelled for all time”. (Luther, Martin. On the Jews and Their Lies, Luther’s Werke. 47:268-271; Translation. Martin H. Bertram, in Luther’s Works. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971.)

It was the writings of Martin Luther that basically gave the Nazi’s grounds and a free pass to do to the Jews what they did, and because this way of thinking was based in the teachings of the father of the countries faithful majority, the Germans just went along with it. Most had probably been raised to dislike, distrust, or even hate the Jews. Not unlike white American children in the south being taught hatred towards black people ‘back in the day’.

And lest we forget that the Catholics, of which I am one, did the same thing to the Muslims during the Crusades. I would venture to say that there is some basis for the Jews and Muslims to actually hate Christians….wouldn’t you agree?

But yet, here in America, I have encountered nothing but kind and peaceful Muslims. I am sure there are those who are very passionate about their faith and things that are going on back in their homeland. I am of Irish decent, and I can tell you I was VERY passionate about the war in Ireland. But that did not give me the right to hate anyone, let alone act out towards anyone or any group.

When the Catholic Priest abuse crisis was at it’s height, I was the brunt of quite a few verbal attacks because I am Catholic. I would think to myself, why are people hating on me? I did not abuse any child. I did not have anything to do with the cover up. I do not approve of those actions. But that did not stop people from criticizing me for what a few in my church did. To this day, I still get harsh comments about it. I was being accused and verbally punished because I was ASSOCIATED with the church as a whole. That is no different than blaming all Muslims for the actions of a few.

If your minister, Rabbi, Priest, Imam, or even government did something you did not approve of, do you feel you should be held accountable for their actions? Hated for their decision? Captured, tortured, or murdered for something you did not agree with? Shunned by society as a whole because of who or what you are?

Put yourself in their shoes….do they fit?