Posted on 09/09/2010 10:48:10 AM PDT by Doomonyou
A Bad Idea
International Burn a Koran Day
By: Chuck Colson|Published: September 8, 2010 5:00 AM
Remembering the terrorist attacks of 9/11 is something we should do. But there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to do it.
Pastor Terry Jones’s thoughts about Islam are simple and direct. The title of his book says it all: Islam is of the Devil. The same thought is on a sign outside of his church, the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, and on the T-shirts and coffee mugs the church sells.
In order to raise greater awareness of the dangers of Islam, Jones has designated 9/11 as “International Burn a Koran Day.” According to their Facebook page Jones hopes, and I quote, “To bring awareness to the dangers of Islam and that the Koran is leading people to hell. Eternal fire is the only destination the Koran can lead people to so we want to put the Koran in its place—the fire!” End quote.
Every Christian believes that no man can come to God but through Jesus Christ. That’s not a bigoted remark, that’s simply the truth claim that underlies Christianity. And I would expect that Muslims would tell me that my religion, Christianity, is a false religion.
The unique thing about the United States is that we are prepared to fight for and defend every single individual’s right to his or her choice to practice the religion of their choice. We learn to respect our differences in a free, pluralistic society.
I have also referred repeatedly on BreakPoint to the dangers of the Islamist movement, which is an ideologically extreme perversion of the Islamic faith. And this is why so many armed conflicts around the world involve Muslims—often fighting other Muslims.
And the attempts to inject parts of Sharia Law in the United States and Britain are a hazard to our constitutional order.
All that being said, I find Jones’s plan to burn the Koran foolish and contemptible. It poses dangers Jones has either overlooked or chooses to ignore.
As Dr. John Rankin, president of the Theological Education Institute correctly notes, if Jones burns the Qur’an, “the images will reverberate on the Internet internationally, and this could lead to unparalleled fury in the Muslim world.”
And most of that fury will be directed into violence against Christians in Muslim areas throughout the world. If Jones goes through with this horrid plan, people—Christian people—will suffer and some will die.
General Petraeus has even expressed fear for our troops in Afghanistan.
Second, Rankin comments, “The Gospel would thus be slandered.” The Apostle Peter tells Christians that we are to be good apologists, but as we give people reasons for our hope in Christ, it has to be “with gentleness and respect.”
Burning the Koran will be taken as the height of disrespect by the Muslim world where copies of the Koran are treated as sacred objects and are handled with the utmost care and reverence. Nothing in the Bible encourages us to treat Muslims or any other religious group with this kind of contempt.
Rankin concludes, “The stakes are high in terms of the reputation of the Gospel and protection of innocent lives in tinderbox sections of the Muslim world.”
My most fervent prayer is that Jones will reconsider and cancel the Koran burning in the name of the Gospel of Peace.
Part of a Christian worldview is the ability to articulate what we believe and why we believe it in the face of competing worldviews like Islam. But we detract from our witness if we allow anything except the Gospel to offend our unsaved neighbors.
Obviously they do, otherwise what is the purpose behind burning it?
This “pastor” has already made the point: he has pointed out the hypocricy and lies of the Left, the media, and most of all the muzzies...wouldn’t surprise me if he NEVER intended to burn them in the first place.
If islam is TRULY tolerant, where are the “moderate” muslims defending his right to burn the unholy koran?
So you're willing to kill millions, but yet are against buring the book of satan?
I bet this westbororo baptist wannabe would think twice about this crap if he had arabic Christian family members living within reach of the Islamic mobs. Or maybe he wouldn’t care anyhow, long as he gets his 15 minutes.
Freegards
By now you should realise that Muslims think differently about speaking out against anything that has to do with their religion, good or bad.
“What do you expect the media to do after it was announced?”
Ignore it. The media is pretty good at ignoring things. They’ve ignored Obama’s birth record, they’ve ignored Obama’s refusal to release college transcripts, they’ve ignored what Black Liberation Theology really means, and on and on.
If I annouce I’m going to hang Iran’s Imadinnerjacket in effigy in my front yard this weekend, I bet the media would ignore it. They have the capacity.
Normally, I wouldn’t say a word against some guy doing whatever he wants to his possessions on his property, and I’m as mad as anyone else that the liberals and media are showing preferential treatment toward Muslims (how many Bible-burnings and indignities to Christian symbols make this much news?).
However, I think, given Jone’s background (Westboro connections—does anybody here honestly believe an ally of Fred God-Hates-US-Soldiers-and-We-Deserved-9/11 Phelps truly wants to speak out against those who would harm America?), he is a liberal troll attempting to lure patriots all over the country to behave in a way the media can easily label “fanatical.” You have nothing to lose by NOT burning a Koran, so why risk walking into a trap?
Count me with those who say “He has the right to do it, but it’s a bad idea. Now, can we please shut up about it?”
Why can't these koran burners do something that the media and Obama administration and other liberals find less controversial?
Things like:
.
Not all the media. You know it only takes one media outlet to start something going that may generate revenues. Besides, do you really thing freepers would let it be ignored?
I think hanging an effigy, is way lass of an international story than something like burning the koran, don’t you?
Maybe it’s time we fight back with the same force and vigor against those who seek to destroy our peace and prosperity here in America!
You can’t fight animals like a gentleman, with rules of engagement and other such nonsense that mean nothing to our enemy!
I say we pick up a weapon and stand a post in our own neighborhoods!
We are at war with these radicals. yeah, burning a book will show them.
I have also referred repeatedly on BreakPoint to the dangers of the Islamist movement, which is an ideologically extreme perversion of the Islamic faith.”
Chuck Colson here makes the same mistake that so many others make which results in a fundamental misunderstanding of the danger. The Islamist movement is not a perversion (extreme or otherwise) of the Islamic faith. It is a correct interpretation of Islam based upon Mohammed’s writings as well as his life. Islam seeks world domination through intimidation, coercion, enslavement and mass murder depending upon the circumstances. This can no longer be denied as it is being played out in various places around the globe in the present as well as over the past 1,400 years.
This pastor may be a whack-job, but at some point Islam needs to be identified as the threat it really is and dealt with accordingly.
Terry Jones is a kook, and Christians, or people representing themselves as Christian should skip public burnings of anything in favor of ministering to people trapped in satanic beliefs like Islam. That said, people everywhere, the world over, without fanfare, should burn every Koran that pollutes their household. There is no need to draw attention to the ordeal, just throw them in the fireplace, the barrel you burn your grass clippings in, or throw them in the trash, and let the city burn it for you. Short of that, people who can use them for toilet paper without reading in the mental poison, should utilize the paper for that task.
I sure hope he goes forward with it. If its stopped it will once again show that muslims threats of violence trump American Free speech.
Obviously it has. Keep up on the news and you will see how much affect it has upon the muzzies.
“Not all the media. You know it only takes one media outlet to start something going that may generate revenues. Besides, do you really thing freepers would let it be ignored?”
You’re apparently without a clue in many areas. You categorize all freepers the same? You really think a story gets legs based on a few reports, regardless of the outlet? You really believe koran burning is different than hanging someone in effigy?
You’re brainwashed, and don’t demonstrate the abilty to think critically.
Good luck, you’ll need it.
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