A Call for Religious Tolerance
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I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. (vv. 1-2)
Former president George W. Bush's speech in Pennsylvania on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, was a clarion call for religious tolerance. Speaking at the memorial for the passengers of United Flight 93 who stormed the cockpit and stopped the determined Islamic terrorists from crashing the plane into the White House, the former president said:
Twenty years ago, terrorists chose a random group of Americans, on a routine flight, to be collateral damage in a spectacular act of terror. The 33 passengers and 7 crew of Flight 93 could have been any group of citizens selected by fate. In a sense, they stood in for us all." And, Bush continued, "The terrorists soon discovered that a random group of Americans is an exceptional group of people. Facing an impossible circumstance, they comforted their loved ones by phone, braced each other for action, and defeated the designs of evil.
Remembering that day, Bush talked of "the America I know."
On America's day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab for a neighbor's hand and rally to the cause of one another.... At a time when religious bigotry might have flowed freely, I saw Americans reject prejudice and embrace people of Muslim faith....
Bush's words reminded me of another speech he gave twenty years ago, days after the attacks. It was at a time when we were tempted to hate all Muslims because of the actions of a few.
Speaking at the Islamic Center of Washington D.C. on Sept. 17, 2001, Bush said, "Like the good folks standing with me, the American people were appalled and outraged at last Tuesday's attacks. And so were Muslims all across the world. Both Americans and Muslim friends and citizens, tax-paying citizens, and Muslims in nations were just appalled and could not believe what we saw on our TV screens. These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith. And it's important for my fellow Americans to understand that."
President Bush added, "The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran, itself: 'In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule.' The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war."
Bush went on to say, "America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect... This is a great country. It's a great country because we share the same values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my honor to be meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do. They're outraged, they're sad. They love America just as much as I do."
The most striking thing that former President Bush said that day may have been the warning he sounded about the similarities between today's domestic terrorists, who attacked our capitol to overthrow our government on January 6, and the terrorists of 9/11. "There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home," he said. "But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them."
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StoryShare, August 27, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Former president George W. Bush's speech in Pennsylvania on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, was a clarion call for religious tolerance. Speaking at the memorial for the passengers of United Flight 93 who stormed the cockpit and stopped the determined Islamic terrorists from crashing the plane into the White House, the former president said:
Twenty years ago, terrorists chose a random group of Americans, on a routine flight, to be collateral damage in a spectacular act of terror. The 33 passengers and 7 crew of Flight 93 could have been any group of citizens selected by fate. In a sense, they stood in for us all." And, Bush continued, "The terrorists soon discovered that a random group of Americans is an exceptional group of people. Facing an impossible circumstance, they comforted their loved ones by phone, braced each other for action, and defeated the designs of evil.
Remembering that day, Bush talked of "the America I know."
On America's day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab for a neighbor's hand and rally to the cause of one another.... At a time when religious bigotry might have flowed freely, I saw Americans reject prejudice and embrace people of Muslim faith....
Bush's words reminded me of another speech he gave twenty years ago, days after the attacks. It was at a time when we were tempted to hate all Muslims because of the actions of a few.
Speaking at the Islamic Center of Washington D.C. on Sept. 17, 2001, Bush said, "Like the good folks standing with me, the American people were appalled and outraged at last Tuesday's attacks. And so were Muslims all across the world. Both Americans and Muslim friends and citizens, tax-paying citizens, and Muslims in nations were just appalled and could not believe what we saw on our TV screens. These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith. And it's important for my fellow Americans to understand that."
President Bush added, "The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran, itself: 'In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule.' The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war."
Bush went on to say, "America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect... This is a great country. It's a great country because we share the same values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my honor to be meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do. They're outraged, they're sad. They love America just as much as I do."
The most striking thing that former President Bush said that day may have been the warning he sounded about the similarities between today's domestic terrorists, who attacked our capitol to overthrow our government on January 6, and the terrorists of 9/11. "There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home," he said. "But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them."
*****************************************
StoryShare, August 27, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
