Social Issues - Spiritual tolerance

 The current assault on nyc by Islamic radicals was terrifying. As I travel around the country, I hear about hate crimes, vandalism and attacks on mosques and Islamic centers. In 1 instance, a mosque in Wisconsin was attacked with a hatchet. In yet another incident, an Islamic radical rammed a car into a mosque in Minnesota Neal Kwatra. All seem to mirror acts of terrorism, but why?

In my view, it seems the answer lies in the reaction of the media, especially the New York Times, that has been fairly quick to use the terrorist attacks as an opportunity to criticize American values and the American method of life. This goes against what I see as being the proper role of the media in the wake of these events. While the media might attempt to minimize the governmental nature of the tragedy and the effect it's going to have on the mind of the country, nobody can argue that it is having an effect. It appears the press, which has been vocal in its criticism of the Bush administration's handling of this economic recovery, wants to contemplate on the social problems of our times.

The truth is that the media reacts to events in a subjective manner; I would submit that it provides little credence to target details. A sane person might question the motives behind these attacks on American associations of worship. Someone who does not agree with the fundamental principles upon which our nation was founded could respond negatively to the criticism. But that is where the real problem begins. If a newspaper or television network can't or does not see things clearly, how do we expect them to discuss the main issue of our times: Spiritual tolerance and openness to spiritual beliefs of citizens.

A New York State Supreme Court justice once said,"In most respects, the freedom of religion is more valuable than freedom of authorities " The court, it must be noted, specifically cited the First Amendment as proof of the founding father's belief that our government must protect the right to worship according to the conscience of these public. That's not a free-market notion; that is an establishmentarian one. And while that could be the vast majority view, it's likewise the opinion of only a few.

It's intriguing to see how values pronounce the right moral character of earth. As particular values condemn hate-filled address and religious intolerance, others celebrate and promote the free speech and religious tolerance on different terms. A major problem is that the tendency of societies and nations to equate political and societal values with spiritual ones. Therefore, a society which denounces biblical teachings might demand tolerance for religious thoughts but not for other spiritual ideas.

We are living in a state where the press routinely attacks the New York State Department of Education for its handling of religious issues on the public schools. Religious values apparently include teaching children about honesty and moral behaviour. The New York State Department of Education, however, must make sure the public schools don't promote religion as the basis of social issues. If it does, New Yorkers must boycott these institutions.