DP
charlabob: Good luck on ‘taking back’ religion. I mean, it’s a nice idea, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. In fact, I don’t think it CAN happen.
Unfortunately, there will always be a number of bullies and other mean-spirited running around out there, and I’m afraid they will never have a hard time finding religious justifications for their cruelty, regardless of the particular religious text they rely on for “guidance.”
Zionist Jews (and there are many) claim that the Torah gives them a right to occupy Palestine and to treat everyone there who’s not Jewish as a second-class citizen.
Radical Muslims (and there are many) feel the Koran justifies the taking of life in the name of the faith, and they can cite you the passages to prove it.
Extremist Christians (including some in very high places) feel that America is on a “civilizing mission” in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. And if they should happen to bring about the Apocalypse in course of civilizing people? Why, that’s all right. They’re just fulfilling Biblical prophecy!
Show me a religion with a fool-proof mechanism to keep out the haters and the crazies, and I’ll show you a religion that never made it onto the world stage.
Now, having said that, I am well aware that there are many good and loving people who use religion to justify what THEY do as well. In fact, I believe that good religionists far outnumber bad religionists. However, I think I’m in the Carson camp on this one: We need to move beyond religion all together if we’re going to survive as a species, because religion has proven itself singularly inept at helping us unite in the face of common threats.
Think about it. If we were living in a secular society right now, instead of the religious-influenced one we are living in, it wouldn’t even occur to these nut jobs in Florida to burn a Koran. Because it wouldn’t mean anything.
—David
P.S. JanS I salute you for being principled in your arguments. Just like the NY mosque/prayer room, and the opposition to it, this activity is protected by the First Amendment.