Pastor Norvell on the "Ground Zero Mosque"

My friend, and the Pastor of my wife's Church, Rev. Travis Norvell, has an excellent op-ed in the New Orleans Times-Picayune today in defense of the "Ground Zero Mosque":

The American tradition, unlike the European tradition, is not one of tolerance but of mutual respect. Liberty of conscience is a two-way street. I grant you liberty of conscience, and you grant me liberty of conscience. I may disagree with you, you may disagree with me -- that is OK, but we promise not to damage, threaten nor take away the free pursuit of truth from each other.

If I take it away from you, then I have abused both my own pursuit of truth and yours.
Let us all stand firm in our practice of soul liberty. Let us all stand firm in support of our Muslim brothers and sisters, our fellow American citizens. Let the community center and mosque be built, and let our grand tradition of the liberty of conscience prevail.

Kudos to Rev. Norvell! My wife did a great service by being on the Pastor Search Committee that brought Rev. Norvell to New Orleans. And it is also a testament to the fact that even in the "deep south," one can still find a progressive group of "southern" baptists!