Airborne Bacon in Subarctic Hades

I simply must apologize. It was not my intention. It is not my fault. I didn’t plan for it to happen and I am just sick about it. Honestly, if I could change a thing about it I would in a heartbeat. But it is a fact and I cannot ignore it and I can’t undo it. Hmm…what? Oh, what am I talking about? Well, I never thought it would happen, but I find myself in the unimaginable position of agreeing with <GULP> Obama.

Now before I get skewered for abandoning my conservative principals, know that I still think Obama is bad for our country and I still want to see the liberals run out of Washington on a rail. It is my view that he is trying to turn our republic into a socialist state.

Obama has been taken to task most recently over his position on the Ground-Zero mosque proposal. Two Islamic foundations purchased a building 2 blocks north of the location of the 9/11 attacks in New York with the intention of building a Mosque. This has created a political controversy as many in the media and as many as 70% of Americans decry the idea as being insensitive. They have called for whatever measures they can to block the project, including offering to give the new owners state-owned land to build their Mosque elsewhere.

The popular viewpoint is that Muslims should understand that having a Mosque so close to the biggest scar America has sustained—at the hands of radical Islam—is insensitive to the country and its people. Opponents fully expected the President to intercede and block the project. He did not. In fact, he made a statement to the opposite. “As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country,” Obama said. “That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.”

As much as I hate to admit it, the man has a point. No, no; hear me out on this. I have been beating the 1^st Amendment drum in blogs all year. I usually do it in support of public prayer or reminding people that the amendment does not mean that you cannot worship, but rather that the government cannot tell you what or how to worship. This is a fact. It is also a fact that the amendment does not exclude worship of any particular religion, so Muslims are just as protected as Christians or Jews.

If we as a nation forbid the building of a house of worship, then we are forsaking the very principles that founded our nation. It was the freedom to worship that drove the migration to the colonies in the 17^th century. We must remain true to that ideal.

Now, I am not saying that we should embrace a Mosque at ground zero. Quite the opposite; I agree with the 70% of Americans that it is insensitive to build on that specific site. I believe that there are probably enough mosques in New York already, but if they feel they need a new one, there are probably many other places to put it. It does seem like an intentional slight—like having our noses rubbed in it.

And, at the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, Muslims are building a “mega-mosque” in London at the same time they are trying to build the one in New York. Is this a coincidence? Both of these “houses of worship” will feature a commercial element. The New York site is supposed to have restaurants, theaters, bookstores and food court as well as prayer rooms and a community center. Sounds like perhaps the Muslims are trying to assimilate cultures here. Perhaps that is a good thing, or maybe they are trying to undermine us from within.

So, while I still want Obama out of office, he is dead on with his stance on this issue. If only he supported Christian principles as fervently. And if only he actually loved this country and the principles upon which it was founded. And if only he would realize that money doesn’t grow on trees and that the Federal government is not a charitable organization.