Good news out of Katy
Finally, good news out of Katy.
Interfaith group promotes tolerance in forums | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
A Katy man’s decision to stage weekly pig races to protest a mosque’s construction has prompted an alliance of local clergy to conduct a series of forums aimed at what they characterize as preventing bigotry and promoting religious acceptance.
Local Christian and Jewish leaders say they chose Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to launch the discussions. Leaders from Christian, Jewish and Islamic denominations delivered speeches Monday night to about 200 people at Katy’s Living Word Lutheran Church, touting the significance of being able to live, worship and be respected in a community of choice.
Good for Katy’s Living Word Lutheran Church for hosting this and for the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic leaders for opening a dialog that isn’t steeped in fear and ignorance.
Interfaith group promotes tolerance in forums | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:
Rabbi Todd Thalblum of Houston’s Temple Sinai said he does not think there would be the intensity of neighborhood opposition if a church or synagogue were planned for the site.
He said many of the objections are because of a lack of knowledge about Islam and are not rooted in hatred.
Thalblum said members of the ministerial alliance were dismayed when they learned about Baker’s Friday pig races and what it considers to be an anti-Muslim Web site, www .katyislamicassociation.net.
“The Web site is intimidating, and if it were my choice I would take it down,” Thalblum said. “The pig races are a joke and make the Katy community look backwards.”
Speakers at the event included leaders from the Roman Catholic Church, the Islamic and Jewish communities.
Questions from the audience varied, including what training is needed to become an Islamic leader and how to find the best translation of the Quran.
Mike Aus, senior pastor of Living Word Lutheran Church and a member of the Katy Ministerial Alliance, said an important goal of the meetings is to help bridge cultural gaps and to learn more about Islam.
“I want Katy to be seen as a community of tolerance that shows respect for people from other cultures and welcomes them with open arms,” Aus said.
I certainly agree with the Rabbi that there wouldn’t be as much of an outcry if it was a church or a synagogue, but I have read everything Craig Baker and friends have written and disagree that it isn’t out of hatred. I could probably agree that, other than a small group that includes Craig Baker and the people who put up that horrible website, most of the objections are out of ignorance and hopefully this kind of co-operative forum will relieve those people of their fears. I would seriously have problems attributing Criag Bakers and friends actions to anything but religious bigotry.
It’s good to see the religious community come together for this and I hope they gain a lot of ground.
Technorati Tags: Craig Baker, Katy, Texas, Pig races, Living Word Lutheran Church, Rabbi Todd Thalblum, Temple Sinai, Mike Aus, Katy Ministerial Alliance
Filed under: KIA, Katy Islamic Association, Katy Ministerial Alliance, bigotry, craig baker, katy, pig races, texas
