Pastor Terry Jones cancels Quran burning -- Hallelujah!
I'm not sure what made Pastor Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center decide to cancel plans for a Quran burning on Sept. 11. But I say: Hallelujah!
He certainly wasn't moved by the charged commentary aimed at him here on Read Street. Or by my rabbi's cautionary Rosh Hashanah sermon, noting that Muslims seem to have replaced Jews as "the other" group eyed warily by Western society -- and urging Jews to reject that fear. I doubt it was the FBI visits or the criticism from President Obama. Or even the near-unanimous vilification directed at Jones and his Dove World Outreach Center. But maybe, just maybe, it was the sense that no one was going to come to his party, as Fox News and others decided not to broadcast it.
If Pastor Terry Jones is giving up his 15 minutes of fame (or infamy), it must be because he has a shot at 30 minutes. Just picture the small-town pastor riding into New York City, trying to broker a deal to move the proposed mosque near the Ground Zero. Talk about your dream photo op! Now that's worth swapping marshmallows for Qurans at the next bonfire.
Comments
If a a tree falls in the forest, but no one is around, does it still make a sound? If the press would stop following this story, he would have no one to watch the ridiculousness of this... No audience, no story.
Posted by: Donna | September 9, 2010 9:44 PM
Donna, if only these were simpler times. Nowadays the pastor can whip his followers into a frenzy on the Internet -- bypassing the established media. And all he needs is a decent video camera (even a smartphone will do) to get an international audience via YouTube or other sites. How things have changed, eh?
Posted by: Dave | September 9, 2010 9:59 PM
I believe it is the right thing to do. The Muslim religion is a part of the
Anti-Christ and anything we do have in this county still is freedom of speech. There is no peaceful relationship with a religion that teaches that all Christians and Jews must be killed. I have read the Koran and there is nothing about peace. We will not convert Muslims to democracy in Iraq or Afganistan. Every death we suffer there is a waste on the part of America. We should get our soldiers out and send smart bombs to blow the Muslims to their reward.
Posted by: Ken | September 10, 2010 12:15 AM
In 2001 Muslims dynamited the 2000 year old Buddha statues of Bamiyan in Afghanistan and destroyed almost everything in the National Museum in Kabul that stemmed from the country's Buddhist days because the Koran said it was non-Islamic. For this act alone, their book should be burned.
Posted by: Mary | September 10, 2010 6:06 AM
Dave, I'm sorry your lovely little corner collects hate messages. Wishing you a sweet New Year.
Posted by: Sarah | September 10, 2010 9:42 AM
I don't even think books should b made into art, let alone burnt.
All media-(except Democracy Now) SUN included, follows the shrill- if moderate voices were given the same play as nut cases- it would b a different world. What possesses media? Ask our bloggers?
I think Pastor Jones could have/should have been prosecuted for a hate crime. and if he goes ahead. I know the gov't would prosecute eco green activists for far less! It means that the gov't actually supports him.
Then there's the people of Gainesville- why wouldn't they rise up and stop this fool?!?! Because- in a way- they support him also.
Posted by: david eberhardt | September 10, 2010 9:53 AM
Instead of burning the Koran maybe it is time to read and discuss it in the public forum instead of repeating empty platitudes like Islam is a religion of peace. This has been done widely in the media and in movies on Christianity and Judaism with specials on the life of Christ and movies on the life of Christ and Moses and other prophets but unless I have missed something i have never seen any on the life of Mohamed.
If Islam is to be considered one of the mainstream religions in America then it should be able to withstand the same scrutiny as the other mainstream religions. In a society of free speech nothing should hide behind Political Correctness embellished with platitudes such as "Islam is a Religion of Peace." If it is prove it to the American public and not only by listening to not very impartial Imams and Islamic Professors but former Muslims and Christian, Jews, Hindus and others who have lived in Islamic countries. Let us learn what abrogated verses mean and what jihad means and what the importance of the Hadith are and the details of the Prophet Mohamed's life just as we know about Christianity or Judaism. Political Correctness is not the law of the land but if we practice it too much it may abrogate our laws and our Freedoms.
Posted by: Eugene Solot | September 10, 2010 12:50 PM
Yes, and Eugene? I have the Quran sitting on my desk. I know the Bible backwards abnd forwards and have not read the Q. Some one told me today that there are chapters on Jesus and Mary in it.
Have you read it? You don't offer ANY SPECIFICS! It only has some how many followers? What are the passages on violence- are they like the Old Testament.
And that's another thing- where has the media given us ANY SPECIFICS on the book- they just talk about Pastor Jones- to me- it means- they like him- they are interested in him- not the more important things! He is what thwey value.
does the capcha get more difficult as i become more brilliant?
Posted by: david eberhardt | September 10, 2010 2:26 PM
Hallelujah!
Thank God Pastor Terry Jones cancels the event, i don;t know why this idea came in his mind, i know one thing that Its not the Jesus Christ teaching, i mean HE forgive every one when he was on the cross,
We are Christian because we fallow his teaching,
and one more thing he is trying to create problem for Christians whom are living in Muslims countries
Posted by: Pakistani Christians | September 12, 2010 7:21 AM
Complaints are the greatest offerings that God obtains from human beings, as well as the most faithful prayers human beings might utter to God.
Posted by: x431 | November 19, 2010 10:53 PM