
Thomas Jefferson’s copy of the Qur’an, published in 1764. (courtesy of the Library of Congress). Image via 15-Minute History at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Center for Inquiry (CFI) joined in the calls to end plans for any worship center for Islam near the site of the destroyed World Trade Center. But they added a twist.
CFI called for the entire area to be free from religious institutions, since, they say, it was religiously-inspired violence that caused the trouble. Greg Laden has pithy comments at his blog, as does DuWayne Brayton from the opposite tack (Laden agrees with CFI, sorta, while Brayton thinks they’ve jumped somebody’s shark).
And Glenn Beck in ignorance leads us farther and further from the intentions of the “founders”:
- “ . . . to bigotry, no sanction . . .” (George Washington)
- ” . . . they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan, the Hindoo, and the Infidel of every denomination.” (Thomas Jefferson)
Also at Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub:
- Statement from the National Council of Churches’ Michael Kinnamon (a Disciple of Christ, by the way)
- “Hallowed Ground: Why other nations think we’re nuts”
- “Cat and Mosque at Dogboy and Mr. Dan”