I could make the point that half of this man's congregation has left the church. Hell, he even admits that they are abnormal: "I think mainly just because the things we're involved in are just really way too hot for your normal Christian and your normal person." I think it's incontrovertible that we Christians tend to be a lot more sane than that. And this is violence against a thing rather than a person, at least on its surface.
And yet I will not pass up the opportunity to decry it. Conservatives have been saying for years that "moderate Muslims" need to speak up against the more extreme elements of their religion. The same holds true for us Christians.
Is it legal? Yes.
Is it Christlike? No. Not even close.
I'm sitting here listening to Kevin Wall's show on KTSA, and a caller just defended the Quran-burning plan. Said something about we should do it and then bomb anyone who reacts to it with violence. Said that we need to go back to the whole eye-for-an-eye thing that's in both the Quran and the Bible. Not having read the Quran, I can't say as to whether that's in there (although I have my doubts). Having read the Bible, I feel compelled to point out that Jesus spoke out specifically against that attitude: "You have heard that it was said 'eye for eye and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes your right cheek, turn to him the other one also." (Matthew 5:38-39) So the dude's argument fails, obviously, from the get-go.
The fact that reaction to this stunt will almost be violent is immaterial.
Burning the Quran is unChristian and unAmerican.
Glenn Beck has already said it better than I could hope to:
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We must be the better person. We must be bigger than our problems. Bigger than the times in which we live. Burning the Koran is like burning the flag or the Bible. You can do it, but whose heart will you change by doing it? You will only harden the hearts of those who could be moved. None of those who are thinking about killing us will be affected, but our good Muslim friends and neighbors will be saddened. It makes the battle that they face inside their own communities even harder.
2 comments:
Couple of points.
The 'whole eye for an eye' thing was to limit violence, not support it.
It was a sentencing guideline basically saying if someone robbed you, you don't have the right to rape their women, burn down their house, etc.
Just like we don't have the right to bomb anyone who protests....what a knucklehead.
Second, the 'turn the other cheek' was a reference to an insult. As in a noble slapping a peasant, or a master slapping a slave; saying don't return violence for an insult.
This is more appropriate and should be followed.
Burning the Quran -- a stupid thing to do -- is an insult. Bombing the people protesting the burning is stupid.
I'll agree that it is unChristian but I'll argue that it is an All American act.
Heck, we dumped tea that didn't belong to us, we've burnt our own flags in protests.
Also the fact that violence will likely result isn't immaterial.
Islam is portrayed as a religion of peace yet it won't just be the extremists reacting violently to the burning of the Quran -- that says something about the nature of the religion.
Instead of reacting with pity, there will be attacks. Instead of reaching out in love, tolerance and understanding; there will be violence.
Any malicious act committed in Christ's name, shames ALL Christian, regardless of the sentiments behind it or the reactions to it. For a Christian church to burn the Quran, is an insult to Christianity as well as to Islam. All Christians should condemn and reject it.
As for comments made on talk radio, they are put on the air because they're inflammatory. Common sense is boring and doesn't rake in the knee-jerk reactions and ratings.
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