Christian Leader Criticizes White House's Silence on Church Arsons
by Allie Martin
February 28, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A Christian activist says the White House needs to get its priorities straight when it responds to the bombing of an Islamic place of worship in the Middle East while remaining silent in the wake of serial arson attacks on Christian sanctuaries in the United States. Christian Defense Coalition director Pat Mahoney has been critical of President Bush for his failure to comment on the recent rash of church burnings in Alabama. Mahoney's concern was heightened when Mr. Bush immediately responded to the bombing of the "Golden Mosque" in Iraq.
After reports of the bombing emerged, President Bush issued a statement, saying, "The terrorists in Iraq have again proven that they are enemies of all faiths and of all humanity." He called the dawn attack that devastated the Golden Mosque in Samarra, one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrines, a "cowardly act" and a "senseless crime," and also promised that the U.S. would provide help, both in tracking down those responsible for the attack and in repairing the Muslim shrine.
Bush further stated, "I ask all Iraqis to exercise restraint in the wake of this tragedy, and to pursue justice in accordance with the laws and constitution of Iraq. Violence will only contribute to what the terrorists sought to achieve by this act."
The Christian Defense Coalition director believes the statement from the White House indicates a problem. "When the President responds within hours to a mosque being attacked in a foreign country and refuses to speak up when 10 churches are attacked -- five burned completely to the ground -- in his own country, I think the President really needs to reevaluate his priorities," Mahoney says.
The people who worshiped at those burned out Alabama churches deserve some word of consolation and encouragement from their president, the Christian leader contends. "What message is being sent," he asks, "when these churches are smoldering to the ground and the White House says nothing, but a mosque is attacked and the White House speaks within hours?"
Something is drastically wrong with the President's priorities, Mahoney insists. He says he has been trying in vain to get the White House to respond in the wake of the Alabama church fires and is disappointed and disturbed at the Bush administration's lack of response.
"Sadly, these attacks may now be spreading to Christian businesses and other Christian places of worship," the Coalition spokesman points out. "With an entire community living in fear, it is important that Mr. Bush provide leadership and assurance that the federal government is doing all within their power to apprehend those behind these hate filled attacks."
Mahoney has raised questions about how differently the White House might respond if ten U.S. abortion clinics or mosques had been burned within less than ten days rather than ten Christian churches. His group's message to the President, the Coalition leader says, is simply "do the right thing and publicly condemn these church fires and assure us that this administration will not tolerate attacks on faith."
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
