I doubt that anyone who reads this blog would disagree with my headline; I intensely dislike the extremes of Islam, I believe it to be a harsh and brutal faith but I believe that it was wrong of Pastor Terry Jones to burn a copy of the Koran. We owe respect to all faiths and should indulge in debate rather than abuse.
Pastor Jones (I hope he's not of Welsh extraction) has done what he has been threatening to do for a long time. This week he held a mock "trial", dressed himself up as a judge and declared the Muslim Faith guilty of crimes against humanity. The sentence of burning was then carried out.
One cannot help but feel that it was the media attention that fed this bizarre character to the extent that he finally carried out what he has been threatening for many months. What result has it produced? So far 12 plus innocent people have been blown up by a bomber in Afghanistan, you can be sure that there will be more to come. Pastor Jones will accept no responsibility.
How fragile our existence appears to be when one man with a following of around 50 people can set in motion a sequence of events that will result in an increase in the persecution and even death of Christians in Muslim countries.
Fundamentalist Muslims around the world seem beyond the law and appear to act violently towards the west as the mood takes them. I use the word "Fundamentalist" when speaking about the Islamic minority that surface at times such as these, but I fear the Pastor's actions will make fundamentalists out of many erstwhile ordinary Muslims - all will respond with anger and violence to the burning. Pity their poor Christian neighbours who will suffer the result of bigotry and crass stupidity.
Pastor Jones (I hope he's not of Welsh extraction) has done what he has been threatening to do for a long time. This week he held a mock "trial", dressed himself up as a judge and declared the Muslim Faith guilty of crimes against humanity. The sentence of burning was then carried out.
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| Photo: CBS News Terry Jones has offended Muslims and condemned Christians to more persecutions |
How fragile our existence appears to be when one man with a following of around 50 people can set in motion a sequence of events that will result in an increase in the persecution and even death of Christians in Muslim countries.
Fundamentalist Muslims around the world seem beyond the law and appear to act violently towards the west as the mood takes them. I use the word "Fundamentalist" when speaking about the Islamic minority that surface at times such as these, but I fear the Pastor's actions will make fundamentalists out of many erstwhile ordinary Muslims - all will respond with anger and violence to the burning. Pity their poor Christian neighbours who will suffer the result of bigotry and crass stupidity.
This was purely an act of self promotion. I don't know anything about Protestant churches in the U.K. but over here, and this is particularly true of the small fundamentalist churches, many are run more as business enterprises than houses of worship. They have "special sales" for all intents and purposes, media events designed to increase church membership that seem more at home in a PR firm's playbook than in the context of church activity. The whole idea seems to be to become a "mega" church. You see them all the time, with Sunday attendance in the thousands, television shows and book tours. A perfect example is the Joyce Meyers ministry based out of Fenton, Missouri, about 20 miles from where I live.
ReplyDeleteSo this pastor, in a bald faced case of blatant self promotion has now indirectly caused the deaths of innocent people. But he got his face in the papers once again.
And that's what really matters if he wants to get those numbers up.
I went cold when I saw this on the news last night. The terrible injustice of it all. Those poor people died becasue of one man's selfishness. One man who wanted his 15 minutes of fame and cared little for the consequences of his actions.
ReplyDeleteRWJ
This was a terribly reckless and selfish act that cost innocent people their lives. And once again, the biggest casualty in all of this will be Christianity. Atheists and other enemies of Christ will use this to bolster that point that religion begets violence. God have mercy.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it rather condescending to assume that moslems are a natural force with no more control over themselves than animals? I might agree that unnecessary provocation is impolitic,perhaps a gratuitous insult?(that's debateable) and shows lack of sense- but the fact remains that near everything about christianity is blasphemous for the poor souls.
ReplyDeleteHave a look at the stick(= martyrs of blood by the MILLION) mostly christians , but also bahais etc are getting at the moment in the moslem world, and the heroworship christian etc slayers receive.
We're going to have anindgnation meeting abt this drop in the ocean?
Young ladies foolish to dress provocatively? Yes.
So the rapist is justified?
Until he pulled this stunt, I couldn't help hearing Pastor Jones' name without thinking of Mr. Creosote (from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life). But Terry Jones the actor/director is far more intelligent and less dangerous than this self-anointed judge of humanity. Obviously, he hasn't seen the applicability of Matthew 6:1-4, 16-18 to what he's doing; he needs to be reminded that it's not "all about him".
ReplyDelete