A Good Alternative This Saturday

Tragically, this Saturday, on the 9th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a Florida church will be holding a "Burn a Quran Day".

I've blogged previously on why I think this kind of demonstration shows how some Christians have a lot in common with the terrorists they claim to oppose. In fact, I think events like "Burn a Quran Day" means the terrorists win. (The aforementioned post will explain what I mean).

(Interesting sidenote- over at Essence Restored, Will McCorkle writes about how this demonstration shows America's solid commitment to truly free speech. Kudos to Will for finding the silver lining.)

For a moment there was a ray of hope that the burning wouldn't take place. Not because Pastor Terry Jones had seen the light or anything, but because General David Peraeus, Commander of American Forces in Afghanistan, said that such a demonstration could put American troops in danger. For a day or so Jones claimed to be rethinking the burning because of his respect for our troops.

I'm glad Jones is concerned about our soldiers' safety, but it would be nice if he had equal concern for the picture this would paint of Christianity. After all, his church is ironically named "Dove World Outreach Center". The dove is a universal symbol of peace, but burning another religion's holy book is neither peaceful nor an effective outreach for the gospel. So it's already clear where his priorities lie.

During the Labor Day weekend, an idea for a peaceful alternative demonstration occurred to me, but before I could put a blog post or a Facebook group together, someone beat me to it, and frankly, I couldn't be happier that they did.

The pastor of a UCC Church in Gainesville (where God lived for a few years, before Tim Tebow graduated) has proposed a "Read the Quran Day". I'm going to participate, and I hope you will, too.

The best alternative to the kind of ignorance and hatred displayed by Terry Jones and his church is education. Grab a copy of the Quran from your local library or look it up online. If you'd like to go the extra mile, pick up a copy of Islam for Dummies (written by one of my professors from my Butler University days, Malcom Clark).

Take some time to educate yourself and you'll see that Islam is a beautiful religion and we have nothing to fear from Muslims. Sure, there are violent extremists, but we have them in Christianity, too. They're called the KKK. To say nothing of televangelists who joyfully advocate bombing our enemies (not exactly how Jesus said to deal with them).

If you're still against Islam, that's certainly your right, but at least you'll understand what it is you're against. As GI Joe said, "knowing is half the battle".

To see the deep irony of the Quran burning, check out this parody commercial. (Warning- some NSFWish language here)

Poor Terry Jones

A lot of people are criticizing Terry Jones (myself included, more than once), the pastor of Dove World Outreach Center in Florida who plans an "International Burn the Koran Day" on September 11. The latest round of criticism comes due to his recent less than stellar (or coherent) performance on CNN.



Other bloggers are pondering what has Terry Jones so bent out of shape. To be fair, Terry Jones has had a lot to deal with over the past 2,000 years, what with his son's messiah complex and whatnot.



(For those that don't get the joke, the Terry Jones in the second video is the Oxford educated comedian, director of Monty Python's Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition, and has absolutely nothing to do with the ignorant bigot planning this blasphemous act on September 11)

More Ways to Speak Up

In yesterday's post I encouraged folks to speak out against all forms of hatred and bigotry, specifically when it is against our Islamic brothers and sisters, and I mentioned a church in Florida that is planning a "Burn a Koran" day on September 11. My dear friend and colleague Dave McIntyre shared with me some ways that you can speak out on this particular issue:

To whom it may concern, to all people of faith:


On Sept. 11, Terry Jones’ Dove World Outreach Center plans to hold the first “International Burn a Koran Day” ceremony on the steps of his church in Gainesville, Fla. (cf. the announcement from the church’s website above). We must not “silently consent” to Pastor (Associate Pastor) Wayne Sapp’s call.


This vicious call to desecrate and burn a revered book of scripture is tantamount to a hate crime and should be vigorously opposed by all legal means possible. Below are some steps you can take:


1. Reporting his Facebook page to the page administrators:


a. Visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Burn-A-Koran-Day/134718123226530#!/pages/International-Burn-A-Koran-Day/134718123226530?v=info and press the “REPORT PAGE” link at the bottom left corner of the page; followed by ‘Racist / Hate Speech’ Reason.


2. Report his You Tube video to the page administrators by ‘flagging it as inappropriate:


a. Visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tf9M9HRMWk
b. Please click the "Flag" link under the video
c. Select “Hateful or Abusive Comment”
d. Select “Promotes Hatred of Violence”


3. Call or write to the FBI/Hate Crime Division nearest office to call their attention and to report this matter:


E-Mail: info@doveworld.org
Postal Address: 5805 NW 37th St.; Gainesville, FL 32653
Phone Number: 352-371-2487
Fax Number: 352-371-6511


** NOTE: Please remember to always be polite and respectful in conveying any message you may choose to convey.

Let me second that last point. Be polite. Don't let this kind of hatred, as disgusting as it is, make you hate in return. If we do that, then they win. Let's speak the truth in love. That means we have to speak. Make your voice heard.