Posted on 04/03/2011 6:05:16 PM PDT by jfd1776
In a small town in Florida on March 20, the pastor of a small church held a public event: burning a koran for his audience and a video camera. His American Christian audience reacted as one would expect from them: they were happy to be a part of this provocative event; they returned to their homes and jobs after the service, and went on with their lives.
The world continued to turn… nobody of substance cared about Pastor Jones’ latest attempt at news coverage… until almost two weeks later, when it made the news half a planet away, in Afghanistan.
The president of Afghanistan denounced the event; imams and mullahs hammered it in their mosques. Their Afghan muslim audience reacted as one would expect from them: they streamed out into the streets, hunting down foreigners, beating hundreds of UN aides, NATO staffers, contractors, travelers, journalists, soldiers… rioting in the streets, burning the shops in their own neighborhoods, destroying property, attacking innocent bystanders. At least a hundred injuries and dozens of killings were confirmed by the second day of the riots.
In a world in which thousands die tragically every day – from starvation to murder, from disease and neglect – these events might not seem particularly newsworthy. When aren’t there riots in that part of the world? When aren’t innocents killed? It happens every day.
Continue reading at http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2011/04/a-chilling-study-in-cause-and-effect.html
(Excerpt) Read more at illinoisreview.typepad.com ...
The main point of my post was to oblige you reconsider your certitude that “Pastor” Jones’ action could not be considered Christian. As I observed, it was certainly not prudent, but that it was not Christian is less clear. Other than the burning of the writings of those formally condemned as heretics (or of writings condemned as heretical even though the author repented and was considered Orthodox) by the the Ecumenical Councils, I am not aware of any officially sanctioned burning of texts by the Orthodox.
The Latins also regard Islam as a heresy on the basis of St. John of Damascus’ critique (he is, I believe, the earliest saint they title “Doctor of the Church”, all earlier ones whose sanctity is seen largely in their writings being titled “Father of the Church”). In brief, the Mohammedans have a false Christology — a sort of vulgar Arianism, that Jesus (or Issa in Arabic) was not divine, despite being born of a virgin, but only a human prophet — and deny the Trinity (other heretics more obviously Christian have done as much), while retaining a belief in the unity and transcendence of God, the general resurrection, the last judgement, the prophetic nature of the books of the Old Covenant, and even that Jesus will come again to judge the world (!!).
If one asks a reasonably knowledgeable Arab Christian about Mohammed, he will tell you with great certainty that Mohammed was a Christian missionary who went rogue. There is recent support for this traditional view from textual analysis of the Qu’ran: there are passages which are nonsense as Arabic, but perfectly clear East Syriac (notably the one about those in paradise being refreshed with 72 houri — which word means white raisins in East Syriac). Some of these are variants of known Assyrian Christian texts.
I would go so far as to speculate that “the Angel Gabriel” referred to in the Qu’ran is actually Mar Gabriel, the Assyrian Bishop of Kashkur at the beginning of Mohammed’s career, founder, or perhaps renewer of a notable monastery in Mosul, there being an old custom that persisted in some of the Syriac churches of calling the ruling bishop the “angel” of the local church (cf. the Apocalypse of St. John, “say to the angel of . . .”, and the still-used titled “Angel of Haran” applied to the Rum Orthodox Bishop of Bosra-Haran). If I am right, at least initially, Mohammed was not asserting (whether under delusion or by outright lying) that the Herald of the Bodiless Powers who visited the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation was dictating to him, but was saying “Mar (Bishop) Gabriel told me. . .” using the old form in which a bishop is called an angel.
Interesting question. I have had 2 son’s serve in the military. Navy and Air force. I have a grandson in the Air Force, we are not inclinde to run and hide cause our enemy might be offended.. Hope you learn to stand up like a man and not cower like and kicked cur. (I am assuming your gender)
Or, if they just had to be “sensitive” to Muslim concerns, why not wear the helmet and tie a bandana across their lower face like Jessie (sic) James?
I’ve got to ask.
Do you see no difference between seizing books and burning them, and burning one that you have purchased and own? Between making a political statement, and trying to destroy, root and branch, knowledge that refutes your own ideology?
Two further questions, what is your position on burning the American flag? How about wearing a Confederate flag T-shirt to school?
If it’s “no mystery” that Islam is a violent religion, then why do so many diplomats, Presidents, and Democratic senators have trouble with the concept?
It should be demostrated over and over and over agains, until the US of A get serious about the problem.
Free, that is, FREE korans (I refuse to capitalize; it is a sign of respect) can be had online. Just google the words and order one.
Be prepapred for a follow-up call though
BS -
The only problem with that is the follow up call. I’d have to repeat to them the Lords prayer and I like my head (old that it may be) attached to my body...ain’t nothing free with muslims..
Well, I remember correctly, I got mine from Islamicity.
they called once. I told them I was studying it, which I was, and I would talk to my local mosque if I had any questions, which I didn’t.
They didn’t call again. but I certainly cannot guarantee such a good outcome every time. :)
Diplomats and Presidents do not make a habit of attacking governing systems or religions when there is no state of war between states. It is nothing new.
What makes you believe that Muslim violence is so rare that Publicity Hounds have to get attention by provoking it?
Offend me with inane remarks. Please, I do not allow such trivialities to affect me. Now if they were true it might give me pause. But since there is not ONE word excusing the Islamaniacs why would that lie bother me. Can’t you people read? What I’ve said is clear and none of it is exculpatory of rioters/killers.
Simply point out ANY comment which I have written which supports killers religious or otherwise. Then I will take your remarks seriously.
Minister Moron probably goes to the zoo any tries to stir up the Lions in the Lion house.
You know very well that his stunt does NOTHING good and only makes the jobs of our soldiers harder. THAT is what I will oppose till my dying breath.
He made the job of the UN harder, they did not attack our soldiers.
“Freedom of Expression” is NOT a phrase in the Constitution. What is guaranteed is freedom of speech. The former term is an invention of the courts. And is quite recent in our history. If the Founders had meant freedom of expression they would have said that clearly since their ability to communicate and understand were unparalleled far beyond the mental midgets of our era.
Can you imagine what people here say in the 19th century would have done to an “artist” who dunked the cross in urine? They would never have argued that this was his right under freedom of expression.
But all that aside, who can argue that this was a good idea?
Who can argue that it was a Christian thing to do? Who can argue that it does not aid our national interest? That is all I am speaking about but that does not stop the whackjobs from acting as though I am the Twelfth Iman or pray to Mecca five times a day.
America has NEVER operated on the basis of making others fear us. Why would you expect that would be the case in this feminized era? It will never be that way.
We are NOT fighting ALL Muslims in these hell holes so that assumption needs to tossed out the window.
Read the Koran before speculating on what Mo says. We are NOT the infidels for the Koran we are the “people of the book” i.e. the Bible and followers are not exorted to kill us if we do not convert. Christians and Jews, “the people of the Book”, are to be left alone though forced to pay a special tax. It is the pagans which are to be converted or killed. Hey, I read the damned Koran thirty years ago because I could not understand how it could be the basis of such fanatical behavior. I still don’t but at least I know what is in it.
I believe that actions which endanger Christian missionaries and other innocents are entirely reprehensible.
I guess that I wasn’t clear. I didn’t say that they should make a habit of attacking governing systems or religions when there is no state of war. I said, why do they have trouble grasping the concept that Islam is violence.
Besides, are you under the delusion that we are NOT at war?? OK.
Now, as to your final question. Islamic violence, of course, is not rare. It’s as common, and as natural, as dirt. Doesn’t seem to get much play in the media, though.
By that I mean, nobody is connecting the dots in the lame stream media. This preacher is doing so. So just maybe we need more of people like him.
That’s not my point, though. My point is that we should defend his right to do so.
Further, for some strange reason, perhaps because they offend me so often, I am not at all concerned about offending Muslims. If they can’t take it, they can always go back to the hellhole they came here to escape.
We are not there for the benefit of Muslims. We are there to eradicate terrorist bases. If we were not there Jones could burn a barn full of Korans and I would not give a shi’ite.
People have to get out of the mindset that this is a war like WWII. It is not and is far more complex than just wiping people out. Essentially we are facing a worldwide religious movement in search of a base from which to attack the US. That is why we are in Afghanistan, to deny them a base.
Your desire to leave ignores the ramifications on other nations such as Pakistan which, should it be taken over by Islamists, would be devastating to our foreign policy interests.
Getting serious does not mean knee jerk reactions.
Thanks for your information and speculation.
While I do not pretend to speak for Jesus, the one I have learned about my entire life was never such a coward as to do things which HE KNEW would endanger innocent people.
The cowardly cur of which we have been speaking did not go to Kabul and burn the Koran in a public square where he would face the consequences of his act. Why not? Why hide in Florida and leave facing the consequences to others, innocent others?
I don’t know what you are reading but perhaps you are getting confused since you think condemning a publicity hound is the same as “cowering”. Hopefully your kids and grandkids can point out the difference so that you can understand it.
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