Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

To: arrogantsob

I would observe that the Traditional Christian attitude toward Islam (cf. the critique written by St. John of Damascus, who understood Islam very well, having served as Grand Vizier to the Caliph of Damascus during one of those periods when Caliphs cared more about competence than Islamic piety in their court functionaries) is that it is a heresy, not a proper religion in its own right. I would also observe that it is traditional for Christians to burn heretical writings (cf. the treatment of the Acta of the Iconoclastic Synod of 754 by the Seventh Ecumenical Council).

Was it politic for an American to treat the Qu’ran in the way it deserves to be treated according to Christian tradition at a time when America is at war with some Muslims and allied with others? No.

As to “What would Jesus do?” Do you have the discernment to know that the content of the Qu’ran is not the sort of thing that would bring out the whips that drove the moneychangers from the Temple? It’s not so clear. Seeing that the Harps of the Spirit, as we Orthodox call the Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils, thought the Acta of the Synod of 754 should be reduced to ash, doing the same to an heretical text whose adherents have caused more suffering to the Christian people than all the iconoclasts before and after that synod might be exactly what Jesus would do.


90 posted on 04/03/2011 7:55:02 PM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies ]


To: The_Reader_David
Given that the Orthodox have been in the hands of Muslims far longer than any other group I would ask if, even in view of that, there are instances of officially sanctioned book burnings?

It is my understanding that the Romans also consider Islam to be a heretical branch of Christianity. But I do not claim any expertise in this line of analysis. To me the Koran is a confused mess concocted out of dabs of this and bits of that. And I would venture to say that you won't find any Muslims who believe that Islam is a heretical variant of Christianity.

Whenever there have been book burnings by religious authorities they were not done for self-aggrandizement of an individual priest but as official acts. Those who, like Savonarola, burned books were generally renegades.

150 posted on 04/03/2011 10:01:40 PM PDT by arrogantsob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson