Posted on 09/09/2010 7:23:42 AM PDT by shortstop
The Koran burning and the Ground Zero mosque are the same thing.
They are both legal, and they are both wrong. They are impolite, cruel and hurtful, and protected by the Constitution.
Good people would do neither.
But good people aren’t behind either.
Yes, the loony pastor in Florida is wrong to burn Korans as a protest. But, yes, for the exact same reasons, the loony imam in New York is wrong to put a mosque within the blood splatter of Ground Zero.
Yet, ironically, the Obama Administration calls one action “protected” and the other “idiotic.”
And the same people who defend burning the flag as free speech denounce burning the Koran as religious intolerance.
The double standards on this deal are nauseating.
First, as to Saturday. In Florida, where a tiny church has threatened to burn copies of the Muslim Koran, a PR stunt has made a flake a star, and brought attention to one more loser who craves it.
He claims his Christianity compels him to burn the Muslim book.
He is wrong. Christianity compels no such thing.
Yes, Christianity compels him – and all believers – to reject Islam as a means of salvation. Christianity teaches that only through faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ can mankind be saved. Christianity teaches that the Koran is spiritual falsehood and confusion, akin to the idolatry and false gods of the Old Testament.
But Christianity also teaches a simple standard for dealing with others: Treat them the way you yourself would want to be treated. Not the way they have treated you – that is the devil’s plan of revenge and lowest-common-denominator relations – but the way that you would want to be treated.
And it is clear that no one – including this pastor in Florida – would want a symbol of their faith treated in a disrespectful way. It’s simply not courteous, neighborly or Christian.
The Koran may not mean anything to the Florida guy – or to you and me – but it means something to somebody else, and out of common courtesy to that somebody else, it shouldn’t be burned.
Muslims have a unique view of their sacred scripture that Christians and Jews do not. To Christians and Jews, while a particular Bible or Torah might have sentimental or historical value, the actual book is just ink on paper, the true significance is in the message. You can burn the book, but that is meaningless when it comes to the eternal and unchanging truths in the book. Islam looks at its book differently, and instills some of the message’s revered nature in the actual copy of the book itself. That objectification of the Koran may not make sense to a non-Muslim, but it doesn’t have to.
That’s how they feel about it and a neighborly person – who is treating others the way he would want to be treated – wouldn’t make a spectacle and burn a bunch of Korans.
That would be cruel and unbrotherly.
The same way that building a mosque in a building damaged on September 11 would be cruel and unbrotherly.
Most Muslims find it inappropriate to burn Korans. Most Americans find it inappropriate to build the Ground Zero mosque. An argument for courtesy in one matter should lead naturally to an argument for courtesy in the other.
That’s the point that needs to be made about this Koran burning. Every argument in favor of building the mosque is, logically, also an argument for burning the Koran. Both actions are protected by the First Amendment. There is no doubt about that.
Yet we don’t hear the president standing up in front of his Muslim friends and defending the rights of the Florida pastor. Rather, the same people who defend the mosque are shouting down the pastor. It’s as if liberty is a one-way street, and courtesy only makes demands on a portion of society.
If it is wrong and divisive to burn the Koran, and it is, then it is wrong and divisive to build the mosque.
Yet Muslims and their defenders demand a protection for their rights which they are not willing to extend to others. Muslims and so-called “inter-faith” groups condemn the burning but defend the mosque. Their bias blinds them to the hypocrisy of their stand.
One is as offensive as the other.
Astoundingly, the mosque defenders are unable to see that the Florida pastor is giving them a taste of their own medicine. Rudeness in the name of liberty is defended in New York and denounced in Florida.
But both are wrong together.
And both sides should be more Christian. Both sides should do what Jesus said, and do unto others as they would have others do unto them.
The Korans should not be burned, and the mosque should not be built.
They are two peas in the same pod.
I haven’t read the Mosqovites’ opinion on the Koran burning yet. Have they said “They have the legal right to do it, but it’s wrong?”
“They are both legal, and they are both wrong. They are impolite, cruel and hurtful, and protected by the Constitution.
Yet, ironically, the Obama Administration calls one action “protected” and the other “idiotic.””
I totally agree with this analysis.
When the Korans are burned over the ashes and bone fragments of Moslems, THEN it will be the same.
Otherwise, this is a heap of donkey dung.
I bet the pastor would call off the koran burning if Rauf said he won’t build the mosque at GZ. Seems like a fair trade.
I call it performance art. My idea is, find a picture of Momo place it under a pile of dung and get a NEA grant.
I am tired of people equating the mosque with the Koran burning.
They are completely different.
The mosque is a permanent structure proposed to be built in the middle of a huge, dense city. It is common and right that there is public input on siting such a project.
The Koran burning is an expression of religious opinion taking place on private property away from others. People can simply choose to ignore it if they wish and when it’s done, it’s done.
Completely different.
Didn’t hear any body complaining when; Military burns unsolicited Bibles sent to Afghanistan
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/20/us.military.bibles.burned/
Both instances are impositions on liberty and are sheer evil rather than rude.
Christianity is NOT the “official” religion in America.
America is not a Theocracy.
Christians can believe anything they want to as individuals and often we disagree on interpretations of the New Testament.
but WHAT Christ SAID ABOUT individual behavior does not apply to political entities like America.
This is NOT about religion.
Its about POLITICS.
Muslims and Islam believe in THEOCRACY. Its an integral part of their belief system. They ALSO view non-Muslim nations and individuals as enemies and seek to impose their theocratic dominance on the entire world.
They use violence and terror to maintain control of their own populations and enforce their religious beliefs wherever they can, on people who follow their religion and people who do not.
They abuse women and regiment men. They are sick people who follow an evil philosophy and have been so for centuries.
Why can't Westerners pick up some history books on Islam and the Koran and read about this vicious cult before they try equating it and them with a legitimate religion???
“Every argument in favor of building the mosque is, logically, also an argument for burning the Koran. Both actions are protected by the First Amendment. There is no doubt about that.”
Not necessarily true. An enemy of the United States is not protected by the 1st amendment. So the question is, who are these people trying to build the Mosque and what is their true intent? I don’t think the truth about Islam and those supporting building this mosque is really known or recognized at this point in time. The right for followers of Islam to build mosques anywhere on US soil may ultimately be in question.
It is evil to burn a Koran to show one's utter rejection of Islam? Why?
I agree.
In his interview with Hannity yesterday, the pastor, who was not a looney kook, said that moderate Muslims were not his target. He said his targets were the violent, extreme Muslims. He said he realized that they’d be insulted, but he wanted them to know they weren’t the targets, but he didn’t know how to get his point across without also insulting them, too, for which he felt bad.
Incidentally, that was one of the parts of the interview that had me conclude he was not a kook.
For one thing, I disagree with him that there really is such a thing as a consistently moderate Muslim.
That makes ME more extreme than him.
Ann Coulter, by the way, didn’t think this guy wasn’t that far off base. She sort of agreed with him, but encouraged him to play nice.
Yes.
If he is burning Korans he is slapping the faces of those he considers to be "moderate Muslims." That's a crock.
I repeat, don't be fooled by this charlatan. He's in it for himself, and the glory here on earth it will bring him.
As a pastor, and as a Christian, he should be seeking to glorify God, and not his own puny ego.
This is all becoming too mundane.
We need to keep it interesting or I’m going to convert to stupidity!
How about a Fantasy Jihad league?
Anyone can do this?
Ante in? Your future.
Rules:
You choose your favorite iman, only in the US!
His stats are critical to points which form the perfect cell, with the most points comes the jihad ready status.
This is time sensitive..because 9/11 is the day the winner gets the title Kafir of the kaliphate.
Point scale: 0-10
Imans stats:
Fatwa certified -
Madrassa trained -
Funding origin -
Combat experience -
*Previous jihad(overseas only in Dar-Al-Harb) or proliferation training is ok.
Connected to terrorist org’s -
* Orgs point value goes with their age, members & jihad espousing terminology about the kafirs and their desire to subjugate the Western World.
Apologist in the media -
* Apologies are 1 point only! Description must include dates and media outlets used.
Mosque size -
* how much room do the Cell members have to train in -
** square ft’age or ?(round ft’age)?
Mosque followers #’s -
* this correlates with the potential cell members BUT I should probably take this out since it’s such an unknown.
Side rules:
You can use only 1 Intifada(Two team members only! Otherwise, you prematurely initiated a Holy War before the Kaliph was establish & you’ll be exposed & removed.) only once to attack your other players in an effort to gain better cell members or convert them to your sect of islam.
Come on!!
I can only come up with so much....
I’m going to have to agree with Bob Lonsberry.
No victory mosque and no quran burning, OK?
Everyone gets along.
Everybody will save a lot of money as a bonus.
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