Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Burn A Qur'an Day? No Way!

September 11th is a painful memory for the citizens of the United States. And this ninth anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington, DC, will be made worse because of a radical right-winger in Gainesville, FL, named Dr. Terry Jones.

Jones, and his lunatic fringe at Dove World Outreach Center, are planning "Burn A Qur'an Day" to mark the occasion when some equally lunatic Islamic fundamentalists flew commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania... an aborted attack thanks to the passengers who fought back against their hijackers. Jones likes to repeat the phrase "Islam is of the devil." Right up there with Islam, in Jones' book, are gays and lesbians, abortion doctors... all the usual "evil" suspects for these frightened people.

I'm reminded of the time that I was walking across the University of Missouri campus and some Christian fundamentalist type reached his arm in front of me and stuck a copy of the New Testament in my gut like it was a hand off in football. I looked at it. I noted what it was. And then I dumped it into the garbage can nearby and in a fashion so that he would see me do it. My motive was to hurt the man, and I think I succeeded. But, in retrospect, what I should have done is handed the book back to the man with a "No, thank you."

My encounter with the fundamentalist Christian in Missouri is mild compared with what Dr. Jones is proposing to do. But it has a similar root: anger... and misplaced anger at that. And what's worse is that this proposed burning of the Qur'an plays into the hands of the very element of Islam that despises the United States and attacks Jews and Christians world-wide. Do something offensive and hurtful to Islam to whip up the extremists into an anti-American frenzy. Gee, perhaps Jones is on the Taliban payroll!

There is a peaceful counter protest planned in Bo Diddley Community Park in Gainesville on the same day as the proposed burning. The Gainesville Fire Department has not granted Dove World Outreach Center a permit for a bonfire. As such, I hope GFD is on hand with their hoses to douse the flames, and that the police arrest Jones on a charge of defying the fire officials. Unfortunately, they can't arrest him for being a jerk and an anti-Christ.

5 comments:

Stacy Hackenberg said...

This makes no sense to me. What purpose does this Qu'ran burning do except to make America look like what the Islamic extremists call us? Gen Petraeus has spoken out against this idiocy. These folks will have blood on their hands if they carry out this madness.

SCG said...

And Petraeus is right to be concerned for the reasons you stated. That's why I think Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center are secret enclaves of Taliban lunatics. Only the people who would want our troops attacked could think of such a diabolical plan for 9/11.

peggy said...

Pastor Jones is not Christian, in my book. 1 John 2:10-12 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

SCG said...

I think the letters from John were left out of his edition of the Bible. And the Gospels, too, for that matter. As I said, if only the police were empowered to arrest him for being an anti-Christ.

Anonymous said...

I have nothing more to add to what already has been said by the others above. Good comments and Jones should be arrested if possible.

Peggins