The Muslims are Coming! The Muslims are Coming!
I guess I should start by telling you a little about San Angelo, Texas. It ain’t near nothing. You might accidentally see it if you’re ever making the five hour trip from Waco to Odessa, but that’s like going from the frying pan into the fire so there’s not a hoard of people making that trip. And even if they did, they go all the way around San Angelo by going through Abilene.
Now I’m not saying that Terry M. Campbell is the only reason that people avoid San Angelo, but he’s sure in the top ten. Terry is former president of the San Angelo Tea Party. He is 74 years old and one of the youngest members. The San Angelo Tea Party has a website.
So the Tea Party had a program on radical Islam and Terry Campbell went bonkers.
According to the news site San Angelo Live, Campbell said the city has “four Muslim families” and “I don’t trust any of them.”
He denied saying, as the news site reported, “and that’s four too many.”
They had a guest speaker at the meeting about her new book called, “500+ Islamic Words You Should Know.” Which is kinda shooting for the stars because most of these folks don’t know 500 English words.
As O’Brien continued to talk about the importance of electing conservative officials to public office, a man in the front row interrupted with a shout: “Would’ve been for terminance [sic],” the man said.
“Well, I don’t won’t to talk about that tonight,” O’Brien replied. But the audience still wasn’t quite ready to wind down.
“We got to become crusaders and put that cross on our chest again,” another man spoke out from somewhere in the middle as O’Brien concluded her speech.
You can read all about the meeting here.
Thanks to Frank for the heads up.
Hmmm … a cross on their chest or, perhaps, a burning cross on the front lawns of those four Muslim families?!?
My God, my God … how much more pathetic can these backward creatures become?
1I feel so bad for those 4 families. They need to leave for saner pastures.
2How very sad. My parents lived in San Angelo when they were newly-married (1946). My father was in the TB sanitarium and my mother could neither find a job nor a place to live for a while because of a) people’s fear of TB and b) the closed nature of the community. She eventually found a family willing to rent her a room, and got a job as personal secretary to publisher (and friend of LBJ and Bill Moyers) Houston Harte. Both Mr. Harte and her landlady happened to be Presbyterian, and after my father got out of the hospital they stayed in the community for a while and attended the Presbyterian church. My mother told me there was a Reformed Jewish family that also attended church there — the only Jewish congregation in many miles was Orthodox, and they felt more at home in the Presbyterian church, where they were welcomed but not proselytized. I hope there are still some people in the area who will reach out to the Muslim families and let them know “everyone” isn’t against them.
3San Angelo? Isn’t that where the FLDS made so much legal news? I think that bunch is much more frightening than the muslims!
4“500+ Islamic Words You Should Know.”
5Words like algebra, alcohol, or modern numeric system.
DEMENTIA has moved in. Seems to be a permanent resident anywhere tea baggers congregate.
6I went to a class last week at my church called, “What every Christian should know about Islam.” I went expecting little-known facts to help educate folks. What I got, in addition to a very few new facts (she did some neat genealogical charts), was a very frightened woman trying to pass that fright on.
There were only two of us in the audience who were being completely objective, and a couple more who’d been overseas and had a more balanced viewpoint, but a lot of them were little old ladies who wanted to learn more about a subject of which they knew little.
I was quite pleased that one of them started asking me questions before the class, because she wanted to know if all Muslims were violent. My answer was that there were a radical few, as there were in any religion (I mentioned the Westboro Baptist “Church”) who were not there to do good works, but to hurt others.
The teacher didn’t agree. Her number one point was that any time the Muslim population was in the majority, the area would be under Sharia law. Historically, that is just not true. I gave examples. Didn’t matter. The fact that most Muslims in this country are quite nice she attributed ONLY to the fact that they are in the minority here.
She frightens me. She teaches this class a lot. She says up front she is no expert, but does say she has done a lot of research and reading. I think her research has been targeted to support her views.
My own personal belief (and I don’t require anyone to share it) is that Jesus’s words in John 10:16a “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold,” meant not what is preached by many, that Jesus meant it only in respect to conversion to Christianity (especially since he still considered himself Jewish, yes?). I think he meant there were good people in many religions and he welcomed them all. Just because their God has a different name or face doesn’t mean they aren’t worshipping the same God. One of my favorite bumper stickers is “God is too big to fit in one religion.” Works for me.
Unfortunately, I am in the minority. There are people of my religion, and many other religions, who think if people of good faith, good works, good heart worship a different god, they are heathen/pagan/infidel/damned. It’s an excuse for hatred and persecution. Those good-hearted people, however, will sit at the right hand of God for loving God, loving their neighbor, and trying to do their best by them. I’d rather follow them than someone from a church that preaches hatred for any subgroup.
End of rant. Sorry about that. Got my buttons pushed by this one.
7This has to be an example of the greatest contortionist exercise on the planet: head up ass, both feet in mouth!
8Gee whillikers! Them T-P-ers!
Mike, none of those things were taught in the class I took. Hmm.
9“We got to become crusaders and put that cross on our chest again.” Obviously, this person has no comprehension that crusade and jihad are the same thing.
10So the guy is 74 years old and moved from Florida to San Angelo, thus giving rise to the claim that San Angelo is the town where ignorant people go to die. As Campbell told the Star Telegram about Muslims, “Personally, I’ve never met one.”
11“I’ve never met one” describes the vast majority of Moslemphobics.
12The fact that they have never met one is bad enough, the fact that they probably don’t want to meet any is worse. It is surprising to meet them and get to know them for those who have a fear of them. I have dealt with many in my business and have never, ever found one who was radical. They are just like anyone else, and perhaps a lot more charitable.
13Jonathan Saenz-President of Texas Values-the San Antonia Council bill to extend non-discrimination protections to Lesbians,Gays,etc lacks transparency,lacks evidence of real need,and is plagued with major constitutional concerns. Sorta like rethuglicans anti-abortion bills and the rwnj assault on voter’s rights?
14Okay I am confused by ‘Islamic Words’ … Islam is not a language so what does she mean? Arabic is the language of Islam, but Muslims come from many different parts of the world and many of them don’t speak Arabic. And why on earth are Churches spreading nonsense about Islam? Agree that it’s very frightening. And to Susan F. Find another Church. Good grief. ‘Not an Expert’ speakers, but good at stereotyping and fearmongering.
15Lisbeth, it isn’t my church, but a speaker brought in from outside. I think many were surprised by her rhetoric.
My church welcomes all, and though many are older and still dress up for church, no one looks down on the folks that show up in blue jeans (or even shorts) and t-shirts every week. My Hindu friends have visited several times (their sons call it “the church with the pretty glass”) and I have gone to some of their festivals as well, which my pastor thinks is pretty cool.
16Apparently there seem to be questions regarding Cruz’s citizenship, he had said he would renounce his Canadian citizenship but it seems there are questions as to whether his mother has US citizenship, something to do with an adoption and did she live in the US for 10 years prior to his birth -anyone know?
17Four families? My Lord, these folks are looking for reasons to be scared. Probably they would benefit from a rip-roaring celebration of All Hallows Eve, where scary stuff is part of “Christian” tradition. Boo!
18Thanks for clarifying Susan F. Glad your pastor is so cool and it sounds like a lovely church family!
19“It was in July 1975 that a young doctor arrived in San Angelo with his wife, Jahanara, from Bangladesh. They were the only Muslims in the area.”
Local oncologist retires with love and respect after 35 years
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/jul/04/doctor-retires-with-love-respect/
20If you want the definitive book about Islam read “No God But God” by Reza Azlan. Won’t be able to put it down and will have a new perspective on the religion and its fouonder.
21I’ve read a scholarly English translation of the Koran, and this “Sharia law” the Teaparty people are trying to legislate out of practice in the US is pretty much a copy of Leviticus. In other words, outlawing “Sharia law” would outlaw the 10 Commandments.
Another silly mistake the Teaparty people make is assuming that Allah and Jehovah refer to two different entities. That is like saying that “God” and “Dios” are two different entities.
22Would add, the “God” both religions refer to is “the God of Abraham.”
23There’s just nothing like hate to keep a group together. Would someone please explain where “Christ” is in that brand of “christianity” (small “c” on purpose)? JJ is right — I, too, wonder if any of these people know 500 words in English. What the h*** is the meaning of “would’ve been for terminance?” This made my blood pressure go up about a yard and a half.
24It always amazes me how “Christians” keep talking about that other God – Hence proving that they believe in Polytheism and not the Monotheistic teachings of The Bible. And Susan F. I know you don’t want to talk out of Sunday School, but Could we get this woman’s name so we could warn folks? The Only thing I seem to agree on with these folks, is that we are truly living in the end times – If for no other reason than the incredible perversion of the Bible that had occurred in our places of worship over the last 70 years. OH yea, all we can do is Pray for them cause as my Mama Always says “Just arguing with a fence post!” to try to actually talk to any of them, armored up as they are in their fear and Xenophobia.
25How about those crazy Christians who think their job is to run around the world blowing people up? “Judge not that ye be not judged, for with the judgment you judge, YOU SHALL BE JUDGED.”
26