Kennesaw council reverses course on proposed mosque

[cbayer]

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/kennesaw/2014/12/11/kennesaw-council-reverses-course-mosque/20230297/

KENNESAW, Ga. (WXIA) -- Wednesday night, in a stunning reversal, the Kennesaw City Council said they plan to approve the new mosque that they rejected last week.

All five council members met in private for more than two and a half hours Wednesday at Kennesaw City Hall. They met in private with the mayor and with the city attorney.

Just after 9 p.m., they reconvened in public, and Mayor Mark Mathews announced that the council members who had voted against the mosque last week wanted to change their votes and vote for the mosque, at their next meeting, on Monday. That vote would allow Kennesaw Muslims to rent a storefront in a small shopping center just off of Highway 41 for their worship center.

Council members did not say why they were changing their votes to Yes. But they knew that the city was facing a certain, and expensive, lawsuit by the Muslims claiming that the city was violating their Constitutional rights. And the Mayor read a statement (see below) indicating that the mosque application fits with the city's Vision and Mission.

more at link

[Lint Head]

1. Freedom of and from religion is alive! Thank the gods.

[cbayer]

2. Yep. Didn't take long for them to backtrack from their bigotry.

I think all the attention was pivotal in making them change this

[safeinOhio]

5. They got a call from a higher power........

MONEY. Going to cost a bundle, so they can find in their hearts and wallets to approve it.

[cbayer]

6. Exacly. This was going to be one expensive lawsuit.

[trotsky]

10. So we should thank the gods they changed their minds.

Who should we blame for them starting off with the wrong decision? Did the gods do that too?

[Lint Head]

11. The ingrained bigotry and racism in that region is to blame.

I imagine you did comprehend the irony wrapped in satire of my reply. Otherwise I question the intent of your reply.

[trotsky]

12. So are religion and gods only part of the equation when good things happen? n/t

[Lint Head]

13. The purpose of the post regards a Mosque in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Hijacking the subject to start a religious debate with ad hominem and non sequitur is a waste of time. I will not participate.

[trotsky]

14. Just a long-running issue here is all.

Some people think that religion and religious beliefs never play a role in bad things. But they definitely should get credit for good things.

Was only wondering if you subscribed to that POV.

[hrmjustin]

15. That is not true. Not one poster here said that religion never plays a role in bad things.

[Lint Head]

16. What I think is irrelevant. What history has shown is relevant.

[trotsky]

17. Has history ever shown religion or religious beliefs to be motivating factors...

in destructive or harmful events?

[hrmjustin]

3. They should be ashamed of themselves that they put up that opposition in the first place.

[cbayer]

4. I guessed they thought no one would notice.

They thought wrong.

[Fumesucker]

7. Sounds like they had a "come to Jesus" moment

If the mountain will not come to Mohammed then Mohammed must go to the mountain.

Kennesaw mountain in this case.

[cbayer]

8. Yes, I believe that they did have a come to jesus moment.

I hope they are sincere in there change of vote, but I am not convinced there has been a change of heart.

Here is a big toast the the solitary councilwoman who voted for this in the first place and maintained her position.

She is a hero.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. More like a 'The Lawyers came to a meeting' moment.