This began well but fell off a cliff.
“[The pastor’s] guilty of confusing “the right” to give followers of the “peaceful” religion an excuse to murder innocents with the RESPONSIBILITY not to do so. Terry Jones has blood on his hands as well.”
My, my. What an argument! How compelling! If that logic holds (and it doesn’t), then where are all the media hounds arguing that women who have the right to an abortion shouldn’t confuse it with the responsibility NOT to. Rights (granted by God, not just law), by their very nature, should never conflict with responsibilities nor, for that matter, vice-versa.
On another level, it is the responsibility of Christians—never mind actual Christian pastors—to admonish sinners, instruct the ignorant. That’s the pastor’s JOB. The only way we get to the tacky reasoning exhibited by this writer is situational ethics. Pastor Jones’ activity, whether well or ill meant, has nothing whatsoever to do with the EFFECT it had. Situational ethics would have us believe that the old story about Galahad is wrong-headed: Galahad is told that the life of a maiden will be spared if he commits a certain sin. Does he have the responsibility of saving the maiden? No. He is responsible for his own action, his own soul, not to sin. He’s not responsible for saving the life of the maiden; and Pastor Jones is not resonsible for the lives of innocents taken by the savages Pastor Jones attempted to admonish.
I never thought I’d say it, but I’m ashamed of Gen. Petraeus. What’s wrong with our heroes today? If we can’t fight a war without bowing to the enemy on something as basic as THEIR FAILINGS and cultural inadequacies, why are we fighting at all? Is it all wrapped up in how they treat women?
Amen! IMHO our troops and our resources have absolutely NO place in a country that dislikes our freedoms and principles so much they will hunt down and kill innocent people if we DARE exercise those rights right here in our own country.
Use or armed forces to put a virtual wall around that part of the world and let them duke it out among themselves. It makes no sense, to me at least, to put our forces in harm's way to help perpetuate a way of life that hasn't changed in hundreds of years.
It's sad that there is a ‘religion’ in this world that is as evil as Islam, but that's the way it is. We need to recognize that fact and then act accordingly.
As for the good general, if he can't protect the life of his troops AND the rights of Americans guaranteed by the Constitution then it's time to bring the troops home.
Following the logic we're see being employed over there all we have to do is have a blood thirsty mob attack and tear limb from limb the demonstrators from that grotesque Baptist Church at the funeral of a soldier, airman, sailor, marine, etc. Would the general blame the folks from the Westboro Baptist Church at that point? I doubt it.
We should not be using the treasure of America to support a double standard. Period.