Let's Burn Their Holy Book - That'll Show Them!

The threat by the Reverend Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center, a non-denominaton church in Florida, to burn the Qur'an as a protest over what some Moslems did on 9/11 has spread around the world.  Already, extremists supporters of Islam are threatening retaliation. 

Despite the condemnation of Obama, the US Government and even the US Armed Services, as well as most right thinking people, including Christians, the Rev Terry Jones stated that his church still intends to follow through with burning the Qur'an on the weekend.  But they will continue to pray about it.  Pray to whom, I wonder?

Could it be that they would be praying to God the Father, the God of Abraham whom Christians consider to be the one true God and which just happens to be the only God worshiped by both Jews and Moslems?  Yes, both Islam and Judaism are monotheistic Abrahamic religions, meaning they both believe the one true God is the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob regardless whether they call him Elohim or Allah.

Maybe instead of burning the Qur'an, the Rev Terry Jones and his church flock should read it!  Even though the Qur'an is not regarded as a Holy Book by Christians or Jews, it is so recognized by over 1 billion people, the overwhelming majority of which are not terrorists, don't support terrorists, and condemn their actions like everyone else.   In fact, the Qur'an is one of the few religious books that teaches tolerance of Christianity and Judaism, stating that both are to be respected and have a place in society.

It is true that Islam does not recognize Jesus as being divine.  They also do not accept the concept of a Triune God (Mohammed considered Christians to be worshiping three different Gods - God Almighty, Jesus and Mary).  Considering the activities of the universal (catholic) Christian church around 600ad when he formed this opinion, it is somewhat understandable.  Does this mean that because we do not believe in what the Qur'an teaches, that we have the moral right to burn it?

What about the Torah?  It too teaches that Jesus is not deity and does not recognize a triune God.  In fact, the Jewish Talmud states that Jesus was not even a prophet.  Islam does.  Should we not be fair and burn the Torah too?

While we're at it, let's burn the Book of Mormon and The Jehovah's Witness New World Bible Translation.  And we should not forget about all the anti-theistic and poly-theistic books either.

Heretics all – let’s burn all their books!

Of course there's one book we definitely have to burn - the Bible.  After all, if there ever was a book that taught violence it is the Old Testament!  Much of what the Qur'an and Torah teach about discipline and punishment is also contained in the Old Testament.  It would only be fair therefore to burn the Bible as well, would it not?

Obviously, the Rev Terry Jones does not represent Christianity.  Christians not only condemn what he and his church are planning, but are offended and saddened by the fact that it is being done under the guise of Christianity.  Once we all learn that tolerance does not mean we have to offer acceptance, we will all live in a better world.