There’s been a lot of news lately about Terry Jones, the pastor of the Florida church who’s burning of a Quran recently led to at least two innocent Christians being killed in retaliation in Afghanistan. A question was asked on a conservative web site if Terry Jones was an American patriot for doing it. The article accompanying the question asked “How long is the West going to remain hostage to the primitive sensibilities of illiterate thugs in the Third World? For how long will we let the Muslim world off the ethical hook, even going so far as to blame ourselves when they riot and slaughter over some perceived grievance? How long are we going to kid ourselves about this religion?” I think the answers are complicated.
Islam has proved itself to be a very emotional, even fanatical religion who’s followers not only believe very deeply in its teachings but are more than willing to fight, die and even kill to support those beliefs. Terry Jones knew this when he decided to make his point by burning a Quran. He knew it was possible that innocent people could be hurt or killed in retaliation for his actions. Regardless of personal feelings toward Islam and their beliefs, if you commit an act of complete and utter disrespect toward a group knowing your actions could cause someone else to be hurt or killed, I wouldn’t call that patriotic. I’d call it fanaticism, not that much different than those against whom you’re protesting.
Let’s take a look at the questions posed and how I would answer them.
1. “How long is the West going to remain hostage to the primitive sensibilities of illiterate thugs in the Thirld World?”
That answer remains to be seen. There are those in this country (including, it appears, our President and Attorney General) who certainly go out of their way, far beyond reason, to appease and even coddle Islam so as not to upset them. Someone in said last week that burning the Quran is worse than burning a Bible because “the Quran is the written word of Allah and the Bible was written by men.” (This was an American ‘journalist’ who said this.) Sorry – but the Bible and the Quran were both written by men who were, by all accounts, inspired by God/Allah and therefore are equal as far as their religious value. The main difference is that Christians do not kill those who believe differently than they. America as a whole needs to stand up and say “We will not bow down to Islam any more than they will bow down to us.” Then, if the fight is on, so be it. At least America as a whole will be involved. Some nut with a church and a microphone who gets people killed by his individual actions is not really helping the cause
2. For how long will we let the Muslim world off the ethical hook, even going so far as to blame ourselves when they riot and slaughter over some perceived grievance?
I don’t hear too many people blaming us (ourselves) for the violence committed by radical Islam. There are some here in the U.S. but they are numbered and they are misguided. The majority of Americans are appalled at the violent acts committed by Islam against innocent people. That said – when one commits a disrespectful act against a violent group, knowing retaliation is very possible, it is the fault of that person. And the deaths of those two Christians in Afghanistan are on Terry Jones’ hands. He was asked not to do it – not out of fear of Islam but out of respect, even Christian respect for another culture and religion. He chose to ignore those requests. This is not the stuff of which patriotism is made.
3. How long are we going to kid ourselves about this religion?
I think this is the most important question and its correct answer is vital. We have many people in this country who believe, or try to believe, we have nothing to fear from Islam and that if we simply get out of the Middle East and leave them alone, they’ll leave us alone. I think by now they (Islam) have proved this is not the case. As long as the radical Islamic organizations (Al Quada, Hezbola, the Taliban) are out there we will know no peace with Islam. These organizations hate the Western culture and believe everyone in the entire world should be Muslim, by conversion if possible and by force if not. England is being overrun by Muslims to the point that the majority of babies born in England last year had Muslim names. They are spreading throughout Europe and are moving here in larger numbers every year.
According to various reports (one example - http://www.newsweek.com/2008/01/05/middle-east-the-other-christmas-rush-is-christians-fleeing-arabia.html) Christians are leaving the Middle East in droves out of fear for their very lives. It seems Christians in the Middle East are becoming like Jews in Nazi Germany – having to relocate to other countries to keep from being persecuted and/or killed simply because of their religious beliefs.
People say radical extremists in Islam are a small handful compared to the large number of peaceful Muslims in the world. And while statistically that may be true, there are many of those “peaceful” Muslims who condone the violence of the extremists and even support it, not only verbally but financially. And it seems those numbers are growing. The “radical” element of Islam seems to be growing and as it does it’s a growing danger to the rest of us. It’s time people wake up to that reality and see Islam for what it is – a religion that is determined to take control of the world. It’s interesting that this could be something against which Christians and atheists unite.
Is Terry Jones a patriot? If he loves his country, probably. Was his act of burning a Quran patriotic? In my opinion, not at all. When you commit an act so completely disrespectful to a religious group that is other than Christian, knowing full well innocent people could be killed because of it, that’s not patriotic. I would call it hateful and misguided. Terry Jones is a minister, supposedly a man of God who is supposed to be teaching his congregation to love and respect others, as Jesus would have. His actions, like that of the pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, demonstrate and encourage hatred. In that example I’m not sure what makes him any different than those in radical Islam.
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