Koran burning

[Garden_nymph]

If the wack job “preacher man” wants to show those from the Middle East how HE and his cult feel, let’s send Terry our frequent flyer miles and fly him to Afghanistan where he can burn a Koran in the midst of his target audience.(Please note I do not condone the burning of anyone’s religious books!) Let’s make sure we deck him out in red, white and blue, so those around him KNOW he is a “proud American.” He said he understands the increased risk to American lives, so let’s put HIM in harm’s way! What a spineless putz to do this in the safely of THIS country protected by laws allowing him to publicize his stupidity and fan the flames of hate that are already spreading toward Americans. Although the 1st Amendment provides us with freedom of expression, it doesn’t mean we always SHOULD express it.

Share This

[WSB]

Something some of you might be interested in:

For several years now, the First Lutheran Church of West Seattle pastor has taught an “Understanding the Koran” class.

We always post notice of it on the Events page. I just got his newest announcement the other day and was about to put it there when I remembered this thread.

If you are interested:

OCTOBER 7, 14, 21, 28: READ THE KORAN IN FOUR WEEKS, First Lutheran Church of West

Seattle, 935-6530, http://www.flcws.org (Have you wanted to know for yourself what the

Koran says in a world where Islam is mentioned nearly every day in the news? Then

make plans now to join this four-week guided reading led by Pastor Ron Marshall —

who’s been teaching this class four times a year since 2003. The $50 registration

fee includes an authorized translation of the Koran for your keeping. Worksheets and

other background handouts from Islamic scholars will be provided for each class

session the week before. Call now to register or make inquiries.)

We did a story about it a couple years ago:

https://westseattleblog.com/2008/05/learn-about-the-koran-from-a-lutheran-pastor

Share This

[WorldCitizen]

However you decide to get the word out, you must figure a way for it to be a headline worthy action. This guy is obviously a sociopath. The reason he is getting so much attention is because of the shock factor. This kind of shit sells papers and ad space. If you want to get a message out to the world that this guy is crazy and a radical, and us folks here in Seattle are against it, you must do so in a way that gets attention and sells ad space…just as he has done. If it doesn’t make headlines, or shock, or appall the general public, then it won’t get the attention necessary to get the word out. We live in a country of people and events defined by thirty second sound bites. You must take advantage of this fact to get your issue into the mix. I can’t say what you must do to achieve this, but you MUST achieve this to get your word out. Sad, isn’t it?

Share This

[Garden_nymph]

I’m free in the morning until about 3 in the afternoon. On September 11th, 2001, I was part of the vigil at the International Fountain in Seattle Center. I later lit a candle and left flowers at our Statue of Liberty and then took flowers to my local firehouse. I would happily take part, lending my support for the respect of the Koran, Muslims, peace and neighborly love. I like the idea of returning to our West Seattle Statue of Liberty for this event.

Share This

[JoB]

it is a sad reality that peace demonstrations don’t make headlines any more no matter how well attended…

anger sells.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still stand up for peace… a whispered message is still being shared long after a shout is yesterday’s news.

that said…

i just thought of the Target dance in.

We have a statue and if someone filmed us silently gathering looking at it.. if we had enough people.. that could be powerful.

anyone remember the name of our local peace singer?

anyone have a camera and youtube know how?

Share This

[DP]

A couple more thoughts on religion:

All the religions I’ve read about have, as one of their core tenets, the belief that SOME people are favored by God, and thus worthy of being saved, while others are doomed to eternal suffering. While God loves us all equally at the start, whether we end up in Paradise or in Hell depends on whether we follow certain rituals and accept certain (often non-sensical) articles of faith.

To me, all religion represents a system of discrimination, primarily against those who believe in reason. Thefore, I’m not sure how much we’ll ever be able to “reform” it.

Of course, theology isn’t much worse than any other rigid idealogical system. Just look at Marxism, for example! But at least idealogy has the advantage that it can be tested in the real world and modified or discarded as experience dictates. Not so for theology, which makes pie-in-the-sky promises (Nirvana, Pearly Gates, boatloads of virgins) that it will never have to keep here on earth.

I know that getting a heavenly reward isn’t the only thing religion is about. But it’s a big part of it. I submit that anyone who denies this either hasn’t read the scripture or is cherry-picking it to suit their own beliefs.

But maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree here, trying to mount a logical critique of something that’s not based on logic to begin with.

Mark Twain defined religious faith as “believing in something that you know ain’t so.” Once you start down that road, I guess anything goes . . .

Share This

[JoB]

DP..

as a person of faith

your comments offend me.

religion is not the problem here

individuals who use religion as an excuse for their own personal prejudice or to inflame others in order to secure personal power or fame or money are the problem…

burning the koran in public is just a symptom…

Share This

[biankat]

he’s decided to canel the burning now: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012846470_apquranburning.html

Share This

[sampson1029]

I am so happy to hear that this has been cancelled. It is a very smart move.

Share This

[anonyme]

DP: Right on. I think it’s a crime that reason has become something to be reviled, that science is now viewed more suspiciously than a belief in space aliens that come down to earth and impregnate virginal human females. As a nation, we’ve gone dangerously far down the road toward becoming a theocracy – and there is nothing more dangerous than a religious zealot. In a humanist society, there would be no books to burn.

Share This

[charlabob]

Not cancelled — suspended. The psycho-preacher will cancel if the Islamic center in NY is not built. This whole thing is just sick — this idiot should not get a minute’s attention.

Share This

[JoB]

anonyme…

contrary to what seems to be popular opinion..

there is plenty of room for reason to co-exist with faith…

.

Share This

[hammerhead]

I agree quit giving him the attention.

While I don’t agree with censoring. I think it should be done here, if it puts ANY of our troops over there and us in danger here, it should be stopped period. It is not worth it. Even General Petraeus says this bad.

While yes that is why we are Americans and our troops are over there fighting for that right lets not give the extremist any more ammunition.

Share This

[JayDee]

One, this guy is aiming for publicity for his 50-member “church”–burning something is just his way to get it. He will milk this as long as he can.

–

Second, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

–

Lastly, doesn’t becoming a lightning rod draw lightning? Do you think that maybe someone is looking at the “church” tax returns, or his own? Has he or his flock properly paid the taxes owed to Caesar? For someone as off-the-handle as this guy I have a hard time imagining him tracking these issues.

–

My two cents.

Share This

[JoB]

For an engaging take on this subject:

America’s Jihad on America

America’s Jihad on America

General Petraeus would have a Koran donated to the Afghan army for every book burned

What’s the American Way to Fight the Planned 9/11 “Burn a Koran Day”?

I am wondering if there is a mechanism for donating to the “ground zero” mosque.

Share This

[redblack]

jo: interesting question. i heard a blurb yesterday that suggested donald trump might do that very thing. but probably not in the way you mean: looks like he wanted to buy the property to prevent the community center from being built at that site. (a condition of his offer was that they move any mosque 5 blocks farther away from WTC.)

breaking news: trump’s bid was just rejected as reported by the street less than an hour ago.

back to the topic, if i burn bibles in front of the lutheran church tomorrow, think i could get CNN to notice the “read the qu’ran” campaign there?

somehow i doubt it.

Share This

[JanS]

do not get me started on Donald Trump…the man offered 6.2 million dollars for the site. There have been offers from others of $20 mil. So, he lowballed. The Imam said no, and Mr. Trump is calling it a publicity stunt by the Imam to just get more money. My personal feelings aside about the “community center/mosque” location brouhaha….maybe Mr. Trump is wrong and it’s not all about money, after all. I suppose we’ll see.

Share This

[JoB]

Trump is a grandstanding idiot..

ok.. so that is very clearly a personal opinion

which could be written…

Trumps offer to buy the mosque property was nothing more than a publicity stunt.

i suppose i should delete my original statement :(

but i believe that one to be true too ;->

Share This

[rdm]

Some of the “rules” of this nutjobs church

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/koran-burner-creepier-you-think

Share This

[Jiggers]

The guy is nothing more than an attention whore!

Share This

[DP]

Word of advice for critics from all persuasions:

You want to dispute someone else’s religion? For God’s sake, don’t burn their holy book! —The only thing that’s going to do is make more converts for them. It’s far better to take that book and hold it up to the sun. The light of day is sure to do more harm to it than fire ever could.

You want to criticize the American government? Don’t torch the flag. —That’s the surest way to get people to tune you out. Instead, give that sucker a good stiff yank and see all the cockroaches come scurrying out from their hiding place. It’s much easier to pick them off that way.

Of course this guy in Florida isn’t about to initiate a serious public discussion of religion, because such a discussion might double back and bite him in the ass.

Maybe it’s high time the rest of us started that discussion on our own, though.

No wait . . . We still haven’t had the one on race yet, have we?

;-)

 

Share This

[BikerDude]

if the press had ignored the idiot in the first place there would not be a blog on the issue now

Share This

[miws]

Geez! I clicked through the links on the Smoking Gun (from rdm’s post), and the rule book itself looks like the guy wrote it in a foriegn language, then ran it through a translator from that language to English.

It reads much like an instruction book/sheet that comes with a product, that is translated from the language of the product’s country of manufacture, to English.

Mike

Share This

[JoB]

DP..

i don’t know who you hang out with…

but i have been part of an on-going multicultural and multigenerational conversation about race for the past 45 years …

and that religion conversation…

big in my circle of atheists, Buddhists, Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Hindus, born again everythings, fundamentalists and agnostics…

oh.. and that gender thing too…

not sexuality but gender specific behavior…

every time we think we have come to a conclusion.. we learn more..

mostly about ourselves.

Share This

[Author]

Posts