Today, I bought another Quran.
I already have two of them. Translated by different people. They’re heavily underlined, highlighted, annotated (defaced some may say) just like my copies of the Jewish and Christian scriptures.
I’ve studied them all in quests for understanding that have serves as the backbones of three novels — Daughter of God, Perfect Killer and an almost-completed (and so-far-untitled) work. That study has also helped me — a fairly heretical Protestant — to understand my own faith.
But why yet another Quran?
Because the same evil irrationality that has hijacked most of Islam outside of the United States has possessed Terry Jones — a Florida religious cleric — who says he wants to burn copies of the Quran.
I bought another Quran today as a preemptive strike against Jones’s sectarian bigotry. For, regardless of whether he ever sets match to a Quran, he has burned goodwill and torched the efforts of rational, earnest people who have made an effort to bridge the religious divide.
When the Quran I bought today arrives, I’ll donate it to a friend or a local church or synagogue and urge its careful reading. I will do this because a thoughtful reading of the Quran and the Jewish and Christian scriptures will reveal frighteningly similar tales of death, destruction, murder, mayhem and mutilation committed in the name of Allah, God, or Yahweh.
While today we hear most about the Quran’s admonitions to “slay the infidels wherever you will find them,” Islam has nothing close to a monopoly on scripturally sanctioned violence against people of differing faiths: The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and Israelite extermination of Canaanites and others come to mind.
Islamist terrorists and right-wing, fundamentalist religious nuts (same difference) want to tell the world what the Quran says without ever having read the book. They’re counting on others not to read it either. Maybe that’s why it might be an intelligent act to read the words and make up your own mind.
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Mike: excellent point. “Really Religious” folks (ie the Islamic Thumpers) seem as selective in what they follow as everyone else. Ha, ha. Everybody is a cafeteria browser.
5:20 Remember Moses said to his people: “O my people! Call in remembrance the favour of God unto you, when He produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples.
5:21 “O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin.” [Quran Sura 5:20-21]
I’d really like to know how it is that so many of you feel that Islam deserves respect that it certainly will not reciprocate.
So we have a bible thumping Christian radical, with 50 followers, that is making himself a name by burning a book that he disagrees with. What a nice publicity stunt, worthy of PT Barnum.
One guy with 50 followers. That’s it. And he is managing to set the American National agenda.
And it’s all being done in the name of god and justice.
Reminds me a little of Al-Quaida, a utterly radical organization with a small number of followers, which after putting on a huge publicity stunt grew enormously, gathering every nutjob radical Islamic militant that it could find under one umbrella.
For all practical purposes, Terry Jones = Osama Bin-Laden.
The idea here is to deliberately piss of the rag heads. What’s not to like?
You can make all the excuses that you want to justify joining the ranks of the religious nutjobs, but like torture, arrests without charge and warrantless observation, all your really doing is proving to the rest of the world that your too fucking stupid to see you’re becoming them. You have no moral highground so enjoy your downward spiral.
Its just a book.
If Muslims were truly tolerant, this book burning would be a non-issue. Apparently though, there will be additional security needed in the town, the Department of Homeland Security will be on extra alert nationwide, the police will have to be on guard for suspicious activity during that time, and Americans abroad are instructed to be careful. Muslims plan violent flag burnings, effigy burnings, bible stomps worldwide.
SO MUCH FOR THE RELIGION OF PEACE.
Catholics used to burn people.
Is this just another example of a declining modern approach like, education isn’t as thorough as it used to be?
When will we hear the call to ‘Light up a priest for Christmas’ as a return the the ‘Old values’
In my 76 years on this earth all religions have been divisive, several drive people apart and murder in the name of a mistranslated book, the Bible and the Koran being but two.
All this on a promise that someone else will keep.
Stick to politics. That route also provides promises unkept as do banks; come to think of it ‘Light up a Banker for Christmas – now there’s a good idea with – I believe – universal agreement. Any dissenters?
#11
our own appreciation of our constitutional natural rights of man in the spirit of the Enlightenment.
ROFL
#22
How about we just outlaw all imaginary friends or saviour and face reality for once? Oh, I forgot, ignorance is a lot easier to control than intelligence.
So faith in a religion is the hallmark of ignorance?
I am so glad to know all the founding fathers of the US were ignorant louts. Now I have more reasons NOT to follow their constitution and their laws, because they are made by the ignorant! Damn saves me some time. And shit, all them Ancient Greeks were ignorant too. And the Arabs that invented so many things like medical techniques and mathematics. They were ignorant. Damn, so glad to know nearly everything in the civilised world is ignorant. Now I don’t have to do any of that shit. Thank you for making the world easier to deal with.
#28
In the same vein, I see nothing wrong with inciting hatred towards something that is hateful. One of the few religiously motivated incitements that actually makes sense.
Stop dude! I am laughing again too hard.
#32
I’d really like to know how it is that so many of you feel that Islam deserves respect that it certainly will not reciprocate.
It is not a question of respect. It is a question of pointing out hypocrisy on the part of the pastor.
His “supposed” faith, states that he is to love God and to love his neighbour as himself. If they wanted to burn bibles would he like that? No. He would not. He would feel angered and sad. Yet he is willing to break that second great command towards others.
To be a christian, a follower of christ, you must obey his commands as he is their liege. Their king. So by not following it, he is a rebel, and not a follower of the king. This is classic human behaivour.
When it suits the monkey’s purpose, the monkey complies. When it does not, the monkey ceases. The end justifies the means. The classic unethical human. The one that walks on four and not on two.
#34
The idea here is to deliberately piss of the rag heads. What’s not to like?
Perhaps the people that might get in the way of a pissed muslim bullet? I don’t think they would like it so much. But hey maybe they are masochists and like lead tearing flesh? You may spot on with that idea. Please go forth and be one of the first in the line of fire.
#36
Its just a book.
If it was so innocent as that then why even bother?
Because they know it is MORE than a book. Just like to you having them burning a flag. Its just a flag.
Just an effigy, just another book being stomped on.
No these are symbols. And monkeys rally around symbols and traditions. I’ll bet if they stopped paying for all the holidays (Holy days) that both religious Americans and non-religious ones take, those people would be pissed as all get out.
You know it is more, that is why everyone is going nuts. So don’t act as if it not. You understand fully the implications.
Cursor_
Both Talibans need to take their battle of fiction books to Europe and the Middle East where they belong.
Let’s focus on racial discrimination.
When he’s having the Quran burning, I think he should also be having a Bible burning. He’s almost deifying the Bible, and to a lesser extent, the Quran, rather than logically showing that these are merely objects, and not idols.
Burn ALL THE “HOLY” BOOKS – THEY ARE ALL FANTASY !!! Time to put “Religion” on the Scrap Heap of History !!!
Jones should read the Quran instead of burning it. Tactically speaking, doesn’t he want to understand his foe? I almost feel bad for Jones and his ignorance. However, I support his right to burn the Quran or anything he wants, providing he doesn’t burn down somebody’s house. How many times has the U.S. flag been burned in effigy by protesters in Islamic countries? I feel burning the U.S. flag a greater insult than burning a religious text. Muslims, the world over, need not be caught up with what citizens do in the U.S. Different laws govern Americans in their own country. What may not be kosher in an Islamic country, may not be illegal in the U.S.
Bloody idiot! Adolf liked to do the same thing.
ironically in the islamic tradition to dispose of a decrepit copy of the quran, out of respect, one is to burn it first lest it or pages of it be accidentally be sullied. the thinking is that the ashes no longer represent the words of ‘god’ as does its pre-ignition paper version. dilemma is do we let pastor ignoramus punk himself by committing this act of no-actual-disrespect but risking lives by inflaming ignoramuses on the other side or do we alert the pastor who might back off the burning part but find other ways to defile muslims holly book
such a sad incident. A book which you people are calling is not just a book but something special in the hearts of billions of Muslims world wide. You might be burning a “book” but to those billion Muslims, you are burning their hearts.
We Muslims are not allowed to burn bibles and other religious books because we respect all of them unlike this idiot pastor who is looking for some cheap fame and more donations for his church.
I’m a failure so I’m going to draw attention to myself by burning the Quran. If that doesn’t work I’m going to burn all the book in the Twilight Series.
Can I wear my fire hat with the silver salamander logo on it?
The Kindle version of the Koran is available for $3.96. Careful about burning that edition: http://xkcd.com/750/
I keep my copy of the Quran on the back of the toilet next to the seashell-shaped soap. That way I can read it while I am in the john.
They built a mosque in my town (in a residential area) next to my buddy’s place then complained about his Friday night brat grilling on his patio. Now he makes sure he has something made of pork to grill every Friday, even in the winter.
I mean, really, what’s worst that a religious nut? A pseudo-intellectual atheist that thinks he’s better than the ones that think they are better because they are religious. Come on, you’re both from the same self-righteous book.
Alfred, you have yourself threatened or supported violence in support of “christian” causes. So spare me the holier than thou rhetoric.
a better use of the koran would be as a sketchbook for drawing mohammed on each page
BTW, the muslims burned bibles in Africa, along with about 100 Christians who were in the Church that they locked and burned to the ground……
they routinely burn down Christian churches and homes of Christians in Pakistan too.
In one town in a single night they burnt down 50+ homes. they were called to do it by the local mosques because of a rumor that a 8 yr old boy had burned a page of the koran.
they seem very tolerant and peaceful to me to me.
While I may not agree with what you say and would shed blood in the defense of it, don’t expect me to agree, or to buy a Quran.
I consider it just another uninformed fairy tale on par with the Hogfather, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Pixies and elves.
While I might enjoy reading tales about the aforementioned, I also enjoy reading novels by Janet Evanovich because he character Stephany Plum is supposed to come from Trenton…
Actually believing in their existence, to the point of building edifices or putting others, the heathen non-believers, to the sword is to show how ignorant and idiotic you are.
I will NOT buy a Quran any more than I’d would waste my money on a Bible, a Torah or f*cking the Vedas.
I kind of laugh when I hear people who don’t really know what’s in the Quran defend Islam and say it’s a peaceful religion. They are basing their opinion on sound bites in the news and what they read on message boards. It’s a peaceful religion until you won’t convert to Islam, then they are REQUIRED to kill you. I see women on the news marching around in favor of building that “community center” mosque near ground zero saying “Islam is peaceful”, “Islam is peaceful” without ever really studying Islam or reading the Quran for themselves. Islam is actually a false religion based on error. It’s oppressive, violent and dangerous, and people who defend it do so in ignorance. Islam and Christianity are NOT two sides of the same coin. I get tired of people saying all “religions” are basically the same. They’re not. Don’t be deceived.
Alfred in support of “Christian” torture:
http://dvorak.org/blog/2009/04/30/michigan-gop-cancels-event-with-utah%E2%80%99s-republican-governor/
From Post #71 Alfie lovingly says: “That requires I do everything in my power to protect my fellows…from evil…
And if that requires torture to force them to abort their plan…or reveal where its happening so it can be stopped…
I’ll do a Jack Bower reenactment, in a heartbeat…with gusto.” /// So much for letting god work his magic in this world.
tcc3==copy and paste your link per normal then take out the www. thusly:
http://dvorak.org/blog/2009/04/30/michigan-gop-cancels-event-with-utah%E2%80%99s-republican-governor/
Let’s face it, anyone who believes they are capable of receiving a telepathic message from the Creator of the Universe authorizing them to kill another human being is a potential menace to society.
All of the Abrahamic religions contain this premise, perhaps best exemplified by a mass murderer named Moses, who gave the command to slaughter thousands of women and children in what can only be described as The Great Midianite Holocaust from the book of Numbers:
http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+31&version=NIV
We’ll never know who and where the ticking time bombs are, but anyone who believes in telepathic communications from the Creator to kill others is another potential Moses, just waiting to explode with deadly force. As the Bible clearly shows, the innocence of the victims makes no difference to either the Creator or his servants.
(DOVE) will NOT BE the only show in town.
L@@K below:
=======================================
WBC WILL BURN THE KORAN (AGAIN) AND THE DOOMED AMERICAN FLAG ON 9/11
WBC burned the Koran once – and if you sissy brats of Doomed america bully Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center until they change their plans to burn that blasphemous tripe called the Koran, then WBC will burn it (again), to clearly show you some things. First, God hates false prophets like Mohammed. Second, God hates pedophiles like Mohammed.
Source:
http://godhatesfags.com/fliers/20100907_WBC-to-Burn-the-Koran.pdf
What does limperdue really think. Does it think, Islam overall is concerned with Globalist conquest and forced conversion. Anything that they say is harmful to Islamic interest is blasafamy against Islam, only through Dhimmitude can one be a peace with a Muslim. There is no good muslim, even if they are peaceful, they provide a support system for those in active Jihad. Like a communist that only good commie is a dead commie.
The leftist talk about repect for other cultures, welll they should respect our culture and the freedom to burn a book is part of free speech, anything else is Dhimmitude. I welcome this, better to be in a fire than a frog in a boiling pot. Burn, baby Burn
Whatever……………………………….
Traaxx
And I am sure many Arab Mosques will burn a bunch of bibles. In the end what will it matter aside from wasting a bunch of trees?
No one is going to have their religion changed by this, no one is going to have their rights changed by this. This entire thing is blown up by the media. Its one small little church in the middle of nowhere, if they were ignored then no one would ever know or care what they are doing.
If those who worship Islam, or insulted by this they are just as much idiots as Christians who are insulted by people burning the bible. At the end of the day its just a copy of a book, not even the original. Words on paper, its by some idiot destroying that book it doesn’t mean they are destroying you religion, it just means they wasted $5 on some really crappy fire fuel.