Can a Catholic donate to help rebuild a burned down mosque?

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Recently in Joplin, MO a mosque was burned down. One of the members of our Knights of Columbus sent the following email:

“I would suggest that the Knights make a donation to the Islamic Society of Joplin. The burning of their Mosque is a cowardly act. We as good Christian men can show support. It wasn’t that long ago that Catholics were the subject of similar threats from the KKK and other anti Catholic groups.”

A few people replied in agreement and I responded this way:

“It seems like the charitable thing to do, but I keep feeling that providing material support to rebuild a mosque is a grave violation of the First Commandment. Charity and truth cannot be separated and love of neighbor cannot supersede love of God. If there was a humanitarian need, I would be willing to help regardless of creed, but helping rebuild a place of false worship is an entirely different thing. Perhaps a note of solidarity and support for their freedom to practice their religion and condemning what happened would be more appropriate.”

Someone replied:
"I respectfully disagree. The Moslems gave us millions of dollars for the rebuilding of our Catholic hospital children wing, and millions of dollars to our schools after the tornado. They worship the same God and 1400 years ago when they were being prosecuted the Christians gave them safe harbor.

Their religion recognizes our Christian church. And specifically mentions Mary and Jesus in their Quran. They just practice differently, so do Jews, so do baptists so do Nazarenes

They don’t have a false religion and I’m sending them something out of my own pocket."

What are your thoughts on this situation? Is it a violation of the First Commandment to give money towards the construction of this mosque?
 
It’s your personal choice. Give you want to, don’t if you don’t.
 
It is my understanding that Muslims do not worship Jesus.

Jesus is the one true God. God is one in three persons. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Jesus said no man shall see the Father except through him.

It is true that most Muslims say they worship the God of Abraham. But God said the the Messiah was not to come from Ishmael (Abraham’s fist son born of Hagar not of Sarah) but Issac through the line of David.
 
I would advise against it citing your reasoning exactly. Helping them is absolutely the Christian thing to do. But not in building a place of false worship. By rebuilding that who knows how many people are going to wind up in hell for denying Christ? Not that it’s our place to know or judge of course. But simply saying, helping rebuild false centers of worship is spiritually harmful to our brothers as it is supporting sin. Would you fund an abortion clinic if it burned down but you were friends with someone who worked there? Most people wouldn’t.
 
jmv said:
Recently in Joplin, MO a mosque was burned down. One of the members of our Knights of Columbus sent the following email:

“I would suggest that the Knights make a donation to the Islamic Society of Joplin. The burning of their Mosque is a cowardly act. We as good Christian men can show support. It wasn’t that long ago that Catholics were the subject of similar threats from the KKK and other anti Catholic groups.”

A few people replied in agreement and I responded this way:

“It seems like the charitable thing to do, but I keep feeling that providing material support to rebuild a mosque is a grave violation of the First Commandment. Charity and truth cannot be separated and love of neighbor cannot supersede love of God. If there was a humanitarian need, I would be willing to help regardless of creed, but helping rebuild a place of false worship is an entirely different thing. Perhaps a note of solidarity and support for their freedom to practice their religion and condemning what happened would be more appropriate.”

Someone replied:
"I respectfully disagree. The Moslems gave us millions of dollars for the rebuilding of our Catholic hospital children wing, and millions of dollars to our schools after the tornado. They worship the same God and 1400 years ago when they were being prosecuted the Christians gave them safe harbor.

Their religion recognizes our Christian church. And specifically mentions Mary and Jesus in their Quran. They just practice differently, so do Jews, so do baptists so do Nazarenes

They don’t have a false religion and I’m sending them something out of my own pocket."

What are your thoughts on this situation? Is it a violation of the First Commandment to give money towards the construction of this mosque?
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I’m not Christian, but I would say that making a donation to rebuild the mosque is the morally right thing to do. Muslims do worship the same G-d, albeit not in the same trinitarian form, as Christians and Jews according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Helping others in need is the charitable and Christian thing to do. It’s not as though you are endorsing their faith by helping them rebuild their house of worship, nor is it as though you are contributing to the reconstruction of a brothel.
 
it may seems charitible to donate especially since it sounds like it was deliberate.
While what happen was wrong, you should follow your gut instinct and not do something
that is uncomfortable. They do deny Christ even if they might consider him a prophet and born of the Virgin Mary. While they want to give out of charity, thousands of Christians are being harassed and killed in Muslim countries. Under Sharia law and when that is enforced strickly, Christians cannot build churches or even rebuild them if destroyed. thye also have to pay a high tax just because they are not Muslim. If would be better to give to groups that are trying to help our brothers and sisters in the faith than to help build a mosque that teaches Jesus is not God.
 
I’m wondering, based on the reservations shared thusfar, would we all have the same reservations about, say, a Synagogue? Somehow, I think I would have less of a problem with that and yet it should not be much different.
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exoflare:
The answer is no.
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Great to know that you considered the issue so thoroughly… lol. Surely we can at least express our solidarity, if not financial support?

Did you hear about the Mosque that was recently built in Tennessee? The local government tried to stop them from building it just because they are Muslims. They are under just as much (if not more) of a threat as we Catholics are.
 
exoflare said:
I would.
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Sorry for drawing this conversation out but… a Methodist Church? Baptist? Etc.

At a certain point, it becomes very interesting to me… I mean in the sense that perhaps certain Jewish or perhaps even Islamic sects are more similar to Catholicism than certain Christian sects are, as bizarre as that sounds. A lot of people claim the name of Jesus and yet… for example, I would feel a lot more comfortable among mainstream Jews than I would around Christian Scientists or certain cult-like Born Agains.

Oh, and a final word - we should certainly be concerned about their physical safety & security, should that be threatened - regardless of creed and yes (SHOCK!) even if it was a bunch of atheists (SHOCK!) 🙂
 
VeritasLuxMea said:
I’m wondering, based on the reservations shared thusfar, would we all have the same reservations about, say, a Synagogue? Somehow, I think I would have less of a problem with that and yet it should not be much different.
QUOTE]

Of course. Judaism and Islam are false religions. It is not charitable to support falsehood.
Some people seem to forget that with all the talk about “worshipping the same God” though. Islam exterminated (and in several places tries to do so today) Christianity from many parts of the world, thereby preventing millions and millions from know the Truth.
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I think a Catholic can show condolence but to donate money to build a place of worship for a religion that in countries where that Religion is Majority , we would be killed

… Id rather refer them to the Catholic church
 
Would you contribute to the rebuilding of a Planned Parenthood knocked over by a tornado?
 
It is one thing to give money for a hospital or school, but completely different to give money for building a temple of a false religion. I would gladly give for a hospital or a school but never in a million years would I give a penny for a mosque.
 
A mosque is not like a Catholic church, it is more a meeting place for sermons and prayer, it is a community centre. They do not worship heathen idols in these buildings.

Jesus tells us to love our neighbour, whether Catholic or Muslim, we are to be generous of spirit especially at times of need and loss.

I’d have no problem contributing money so that they could rebuild their mosque which was quite probably burned down by some identifying themselves as Christians.
 
jmv said:
What are your thoughts on this situation? Is it a violation of the First Commandment to give money towards the construction of this mosque?
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CCC 841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”

They are not breaking the First Commandment, since they are worshipping the same God that you (and the Jews) worship.

Donate.

rossum
 
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