This is meant to offer another point of view.  I tend to agree with this.  A friend of mine knows the pastor who wrote this for his blog.

Love to hear what people think.  Hopefully keep it on topic and reasonably agreeable even if you disagree.

An Open Letter on Quran Burning:

An Open Letter to the Pastor and congregation of Dove World Outreach Church in Gainesville, Florida: Pastor Jones, you and I have not met, and I'm not familiar with your church. I was glad to read a statement attributed to you, that your ministry stands for the "truth of the Bible." That is a passion that I share. It is on that basis, and that we both lead flocks entrusted to us by the Chief-Shepherd, that I ask you not to burn a copy of the Quran.Several of the news articles I have seen and heard ask you to reconsider Saturday's ceremony, because it is offensive to Muslims, or because it endangers people––in particular members of our armed forces. I agree in part with your reply to these critics.

While these ought to be, and I am sure are, matters of grave concern to you, they are not sufficient reasons to compromise the truth. However, I would ask you to consider the following: Islam is a religion that knows no separation from the state. In the mind of the Muslim there is no secular and sacred. A "good" Muslim government provides an environment in which its citizens can––in a sense must––be good Muslims. Of course the Mosque is in total support of such civil rule.The church, on the other hand, always has been, and very much needs to continue to be, counter-cultural. While Christians are instructed to be good citizens, we do so in full awareness that we are citizens of another, a greater, an eternal realm. The civil authority put our Lord to death, and sentenced millions of our sisters and brothers to the same fate. The Bible does not encourage us to expect much more from the goverment. We are to be the conscience to our nation, not the Bureau of Publicity-stunts.Yes, we are at war––ideological as well as military––but it is not the task of the church to wage that war. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the Crusades.

While we disagree with the truth claims contained in the Quran (and other purportedly holy books that contradict the Bible) we ought to treat these books with respect––at least in the presence of those who honor them.When the Apostle Paul was building his case that all the world stands guilty before God, one group of people he addressed was his own nation, the Jewish people. Of course Paul's countrymen were adamant about avoiding any hint of idolatry (Romans 2:22). The apostle challenged them, however, with the possibility of having desecrated temples through robbery. Apparently this was a practice that was not unknown. When Paul and his companions were brought before the judgment seat in Ephesus it was said in their defense that they were "neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess [Artemis]." (Acts 19:37)Acts of desecrating the objects of worship of others––even false objects of worship––are not in keeping with the pattern we find in the New Testament. (The fact that we do find such actions in the OT I can't consider at this point, beyond saying that we know things this side of the cross that were unknown in that era.)


When Paul found himself in one of the most pagan places in the world, Athens, he did not go about knocking down or defacing the idols and altars to false gods that were there in abundance. Rather he used the presence of these objects of worship, and the hunger in the hearts of the Athenians that these objects brought to light, to engage in one of the most brilliant pieces of evangelistic discourse ever recorded (Acts 17).
We are told, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." (Romans 12:14, NASB95) And to not "pay back evil for evil to anyone. . . . If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." While burning a copy of the Quran might make some of us feel courageous and righteous, I would recommend that which takes far more courage, and not only feels righteous, but is righteous and spreads righteousness.
Some folk I know have offered to study the Quran with nominal Muslims.

As the emptiness of the book––and even more so, the emptiness it leaves in the heart––is made clear, my friends have been able to share the truth of Jesus Christ with these folk.
Another friend of mine––a tall red-head (well, it is mostly gray now)––pastors a church and leads a school in a Muslim land. He has not led followers of Mohammed to to become followers of Christ by burning copies of the Quran. He has done it by loving those whom others––even their own Muslim neighbors––have rejected. That kind of love will shine brighter and farther than any fire you will start this Saturday. Pastor Jones, I urge you not to burn the Quran, not because it is risky, but because it is wrong.

Sincerely in Christ,  (I withheld the name)

Patrick

fer or agen?

Quess he did'nt hear the pakis chanting today...

Death to Christains....


And IBTL since you posted in GD

I like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b26BD5KjH0

Those who would be Christ followers were warned by Christ that to follow Him might mean death.  Not so much in our country but in others, it does have the risk of death.

So, for the most part, God's children are used to those kinds of things.

Patrick

 

I understand your feeling on this.  At the same time, I understand a deeper point that the blogger is making also.

Patrick

i think the whole deal is stupid.just some jack leg preacher tryin to make a name for himself.

I believe he is a "Christian" (and I use quotes on that for a reason) narcissist.  A VERY dangerous combination.  Totally unable to care about the consequences of his little show.

Narcissism is bad enough but when you throw some churchianity in with it, it is ugly.

Patrick

Freedom, how does it work?  (for the second time on this subject)

If any of you have the time, look up a two part south park episode titled "Cartoon Wars".  Brilliant, and funny.

Wow.  We really have lost.  Fear should not override freedom.  

I agree that its a tasteless move, but he has every fucking right to do so.  

Yes he does but real acts have real consequences.  Aw hell fuck it.  I do luvs me some book burnin'.  Get it on!

THAT IS WAY TOO MANY WORDS FOR THIS SUBJECT

You are comparing an individuals right to burn a book to that of the state burning of books (Nazis)?
One is expression by an individual the other is a state seizing and burning them to remove them from availability.

I absolutely agree he has the constitutional right to do what he is doing.  The point of my post is that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do something.

I believe in the first amendment.  I also believe that when using your first amendment rights, you should consider the consequences on others very carefully.  I don't think this guy gives a flip about that part of the decision.

Patrick

Yes he has the right.  I never implied that he didn't.  Burning books as a form of protest is just wrong.  It was wrong then and it is wrong now.

My book, the Holy Bible, says only one God in three parts.

All other false religions will cause their followers to be cast into eternal damnation.

If you love God, tell them the truth of their future...either follow Jesus or you will bend your knee one time and confess Him God, on your way to hell.

Man's thoughts(ways) are not God's thoughts (way)!

So simple, but so complex at the same time! OFF

That is just it, the Nazis and the Taliban etc.. did not burn them as protest.
They did not go out and buy books to burn as a form of expression.
They would burn the books from your home, the library, the store, the university etc... and ban them from being read.
Its just an apples and oranges comparison is all.

I did not mean to suggest you implied anything against his rights.

Let the Westboro Baptist shit sticks do the Quran burning, if the Jihadists want to bomb the shit out of their church...maybe it will straighten them out when they decide to take on a group of people who are just as bat-shit crazy, insensitve and annoying as they are.

You " s––-" in someone elses yard,prepare for the return of the same. Just saying.

Violence will be coming anyway, as the jihad call us the great satin....Prepare your family for the coming challenges....

Keep your head while those around you are losing theirs! I'll be the provider of the amputees not the amputee!

If the libtards were not so against it I probably would not be so for it.