GothiqueFae’s Weblog

So I got this in an e-mail the other day, it’s kind of piece-y and broken up but I will try to get it as best as I can, the parantheses denote the e-mail portion the rest are my own thoughts and opinions:

(Prime Minister John Howard - Australia.  Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terrorist attacks.  Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation’s mosques.  Quote - “Immigrants, not Australians must adapt.  Take it or Leave it.  I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture.  Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.  This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.  We speak mainly English, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian or any other language.  Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society Learn the language.  Most Australians believe in God.  This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christians men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation and this is clearly documented.  It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.  If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of th world as your new home, because God is a part of our culture.  We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why.  All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.  This is Our Country, Our Land and Our Lifestyle and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this.  But once you are done complaining, whining and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other great Australian freedom - The Right to Leave.  If you aren’t happy here than Leave.  We didn’t force you to come here.  You asked to be here.  So accept the country you accepted.”  Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.)

Ok first a quick note; I don’t know if this is true or not, rather I don’t know if the prime minister of Australia actually said any of this, I’m just reacting to the message of the e-mail.  My heart burns reading this.  First of all how dare anyone speak this filth and secondly why would I want to circulate this to my own people and country so that we can become just as close-minded and nasty.

I honestly have so many thoughts piling up that they are actually getting jumbled and I’m having a hard time writing them.  I mean…how could he….it is just….grrr!!!!!

It just makes me want to punch this guy(or whoever), I mean here he is talking about how others need to learn to live in peace and harmony with the “dominant” group and man I’m a pretty patriotic Christian but if I heard this in the US I would seriously consider moving…to China.  How can we expect others to want to adapt and live in harmony with us when we are pretty much forcing them to accept our beliefs and our culture.  We always talk about how accepting the US is and how open we are and then we dare spread crap like this, it sickens me.

From the moment 9/11 happened I didn’t understand the surge of hatred towards Muslims/Islams.  I didn’t hate Muslims, I hated the men who did this…they weren’t the whole culture and belief system.  And it just pisses me off that the hatred of the Muslim culture and belief system is predominantly coming from loving Christians who don’t actually know anything about the culture and belief system, they are just laying down a blanket judgement and stereotyping Muslims.  No wonder the rest of the free world doesn’t like us anymore; we are self-righteous, arrogant, know-it-all jerks.  We are ok with stereotyping everyone and then telling them they need to change or they’re going to hell out of “love.”

If you want to bring people to Christ how about accepting them for who and what they are (that’s what Jesus did after all - and aren’t we supposed to be following HIS example?) instead of telling them that they need to change everything before God will love them.  It’s shit, plain and simple.

Another thing, this country wasn’t founded on the belief that might makes right and group over individual stuff; it was founded on the belief/idea of freedom - freedom from religious persecution (any religion), freedom from conformity, freedom to shape the culture (even if that means no longer speaking english), freedom to practice your beliefs (as long as no one is harmed), freedom to embrace your culture (again, as long as no one is harmed), in other words, freedom to live.  And now here we are, 2008, and we want the Muslims to stop practicing their religion (because we have been given a perverted view of their religion), we want the Hispanics to all “go home” (instead of opening our arms like our founders opened their arms to our immigrant ancestors) and we want everyone to be just like us (as opposed to letting them be individuals).  It’s disturbing and sickening and if this keeps up I will seriously consider moving…to China.

Man, every time I read that e-mail it pisses me off even more.  In fact just the opening of the guy’s speech gets me.  It’s stupid, of course we need to adapt not immigrants.  We as a nation, as a people will always be adapting and that’s ok.  Now sure it would be nice if the immigrants would consent to learn our language but I understand the hesitancy.  They don’t want to lose their culture and we make them feel like if they learn our language they have to accept OUR culture.

Back to the whole stereotyping thing - this is something that we as Christians should not tolerate but it seems like we are actually promoting it!  We look at all women who have had or are going to get an abortion and we say evil, child-killer, heartless bitch, We look at every Goth and say devil-worshipper, evil, homicidal maniac, We look at every person who doesn’t fit our perfect world view and say evil, wrong, bound for hell.  Instead of actually getting to know the person inside or looking at the extenuating circumstances or trying to understand and heal the hurt.  No we just condemn and say there’s no hope.  What gives us that right?  God said “judge not, lest ye be judged.”  I say we should take that to heart.

That is just frightening to think about, with every person/group we stereotype and judge and condemn God looks at us and our hearts and finds us wanting.  What happened to the Love of Christ?  Jesus was a radical he sat with prostitutes and tax collecters, the scum of his culture and he loved them, he cherished them, he even said that he came for them…what happened?  We preach acceptance, we may even think that we are following Jesus but we have strayed so far from his message of hope and love.

What happened?