• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statement
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Opioid Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Opioid Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Public Education
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
    • NC No Torture
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

Statement on the New York Muslim Community Center Controversy

North Carolina Council of Churches · September 21, 2010 · 1 Comment

Adopted by the Governing Board, NC Council of Churches, September 21, 2010

The North Carolina Council of Churches represents 6,200 congregations in 17 denominations statewide. The North Carolina Council of Churches condemns all religious violence. As people of Christian faith, we value a teaching common to the Abrahamic faiths, which in the Christian tradition is expressed as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  As Christians in a nation largely founded by religious refugees, we value the freedom of religion guaranteed by our Constitution and proudly proclaimed worldwide as a foundational principle of United States government and society. For freedom of religion to have substance and integrity, it must extend to people of all faiths. 

In that spirit, we are saddened and deeply concerned by the recent controversy regarding the proposed Muslim community center near Ground Zero in New York, and we stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters in affirming their right to build on a site two-and-a-half blocks from Ground Zero. While acknowledging the deep and lasting pain and suffering that the September 11 attacks caused, we stress that Islam, an Abrahamic faith with 1.5 billion adherents worldwide, is not the violent extremism represented by Al Qaeda terrorists. There are many Muslim leaders who have spoken out against the violence of Al Qaeda and who have entered into warm and respectful interfaith dialogue with Jews and Christians. In the struggle against religiously justified violence, these are the kinds of alliances we need to nurture.

As followers of the God whose messengers announced his Son’s imminent arrival with the words “be not afraid,” we explicitly reject public policy based on fear and the divisive zealotry to which it leads, and we urge all people of faith to do the same.

Filed Under: Issue Statements Tagged With: Christian Unity, Civil Discourse, Interfaith, Peace, Religion & Society

North Carolina Council of Churches

About North Carolina Council of Churches

The Council enables denominations, congregations, and people of faith to individually and collectively impact our state on issues such as economic justice and development, human well-being, equality, compassion and peace, following the example and mission of Jesus Christ. Learn more about our work here: www.ncchurches.org/about

Reader Interactions

More Like This

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
On Not Going to Church
Thanksgiving Notes

Comments

  1. AvatarJames Randall says

    September 23, 2010 at 5:13 pm

    No one disputes their right to build the mosque. What is in question is the sensitivity or lack thereof for building on the site. Further while there are numerous Islamic leaders who do speak for peace there are more who refuse to condemn the jihadist extremists.

    While the NCCC may represent my denomination, PC(USA), it does not represent me.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

Statement on the New York Muslim Community Center Controversy

Latest Tweets

Amazing news for the leaders in sanctuary! Jose Chicas, who has been living in sanctuary for more than 3 and a half years, is finally being reunited with his family. newsobserver.com/new… pic.twitter.com/iMVX…

About 2 days ago

You still have time to register for a webinar focused on the COVID-19 Vaccine roll out with @healthandfaith and @ncdhhs. We will discuss the process and how faith communities can get involved. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meet…

About 3 days ago

What amazing news to finally see Jose Chicas leave sanctuary! It's been too long, but finally such a humble and gracious man can return home and be reunited with his family. "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." -Philippians 4:4 twitter.com/WRALSara…

About 3 days ago

Faith communities in NC are supporting a peaceful transition now that former president Donald Trump has left office. Read the @PNS_NC Public News Service (PNS) quoting our Executive Director, @jec16 : publicnewsservice.or… @PNS_News

About 3 days ago

Calling on the new U.S. Congress to demonstrate immediate leadership in the national care movement by creating a permanent federal #paidleave program. #CareEconomy #CareisEssential Read: bit.ly/2LB3ZEZ

About 3 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

We are experiencing collective trauma in different spaces. It has been very challenging, but please know that you are not alone. Click below to read more about how the pandemic is affecting our #mentalhealth and steps you can take to manage it. #StrongerTogether #MindfulTogether twitter.com/MentalHe…

About 2 days ago

RT @StampStigma 🛑 Stop scrolling! 🛑 Relax your shoulders and try taking 5 deep breaths. Taking frequent breaks from social media is a good practice to start implementing in your daily routine!

About 2 days ago

There's still time to register - make sure to join us! #MindfulTogether @ncchurches @ncdhhs twitter.com/healthan…

About 3 days ago

We will heal together. #StrongerTogether #InaugurationDay twitter.com/ncchurch…

About 4 days ago

RT @CDCgov If you’ve had #COVID19, you should still get vaccinated. Experts aren’t sure how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering, and reinfection is possible. More: bit.ly/3g5amLz. #SleeveUp pic.twitter.com/Yrne…

About 4 days ago

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @DalaiLama I offer my profound congratulations to Joe Biden on becoming President of the United States of America. I am so pleased that he is giving high priority to the urgent issue of climate change. I pray for his success in meeting the challenges that lie ahead. bit.ly/3p5tAEy

About 3 days ago

RT @RevYearwood This was 2014 when I was a part of the Reject and Protect Interfaith Prayer Gathering. This was one of the many protests against the Keystone XL Pipeline. Almost 7 years We did it! Our work is NEVER in vain. ✊🏿✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/z7wg…

About 3 days ago

RT @billmckibben Head of the European Investment Bank: "Gas is over." I'd say the message is starting to sink in. euractiv.com/section…

About 3 days ago

RT @ClimatePower "We need to build our economy back, better than ever." —Transportation Secretary Nominee @PeteButtigieg on the DOT's central role in implementing President Biden's infrastructure vision, creating millions of good-paying, union jobs, and tackling the climate crisis pic.twitter.com/v4gp…

About 3 days ago

RT @EJinAction We have a new day filled with amazing possibilities for us to move mountains together but it’s gonna take incredible work and authentic collaboration to get it done. #BidenHarris pic.twitter.com/fpEw…

About 3 days ago

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2021 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine