Christianity has been under a heavy and sustained attack in this nation for some time now. How amazing, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, founding upon Judeo-Christian values, being a Christian is somehow taboo.

As God’s representatives on Earth, we view it incumbent upon us to stand for Christian principle. We can be silent no longer.

The hostility toward Christianity has now culminated in perhaps the greatest insult we have witnessed in our lifetime; the proposed plan to build an Islamic mosque in the area of the terrorist attack of 9/11.

The anguish suffered by the families of those lost on that tragic day is only magnified by the callous attitude of the plan’s authors; followers of the same deity whose name was heard being shouted by the terrorists moments before directing their aircraft into the World Trade Center’s twin towers. Even worse, the current plan is to dedicate the mosque on 9/11/2011, 10 years to the day after this mass murder.

And yet our own government stands behind the plan’s directors, and is even working to facilitate the project.

The Islamic leaders tell us that we have it all wrong. Islam is a religion of peace, they say. They condemn actions of this fringe element of the Muslim faith, according to their statements. Yet the construction of this mosque is the most important item on their agenda. Let’s examine this line of thinking for a moment.

Timothy McVeigh was a terrorist. He was a murderer, plain and simple.

This man, along with a very small group of fellow cowards, planned and executed the greatest act of domestic terrorism in our history, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Okla. He was fittingly executed at a federal prison.

All of the conspirators claimed Christianity. Along with their broiling hatred of the United States government, McVeigh and his cronies expressed their “belief and love in Jesus Christ.” Believing the federal government to be corrupt, they came to the erroneous conclusion that the only way for God to return to American life was through violence. Toward that end, a building that included a child day care center was brought down, and 267 people’s lives were lost.

Not a single Christian stood up to defend this evil. Though we see corruption and greed on every hand when we examine our government, we also know God has instructed us to work within our system of laws to enact change. All governments are put into place through God’s providence. Violence only begets violence. Though we claim the name of Christ just as these criminals did, we know that His love and grace was twisted by their demented thoughts.

Now, suppose for a moment that a church decided to build a Family Life Center on the grounds where the Murrah building fell. We have the right to build, just as the Muslims do. We believe in the freedom to worship God in one’s own way. This is a cornerstone of our national foundation. But do we have the right to trample on the hearts and minds of those offended by our actions?

Is it really necessary to place this mosque in this precise location? If it so important to place this Islamic shrine over the hallowed earth of Ground Zero, then why was a Christian organization denied the same request recently? Betcha haven’t heard about that. Why can’t we publicly display any Christian symbol during Christmas and Easter?

We need to wake up and realize what is really happening. Throughout history, the followers of Islam have built shrines and mosques on sites deemed hallowed through a great victory over the infidel. The Dome of the Rock, built over the ruins of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, is a fitting example. Are we so truly blind that we cannot see the real motive in play behind this event?

It is time for Christian people to stand up and let your voice be heard. We all like to quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 when we talk about how corrupt government has become. But we fail to notice the first three words — “If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

We the Christian people, must return to God. He’s our only hope.

Ben Wyles

Natchez resident