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August 25, 2010
Militia Group Says Burning the Qur’an is un-Christian
The pastor behind next month's event accuses the armed conservative group of "giving in to pressure and fear."
Yesterday evening, CNN reported that Florida’s Dove World Outreach Center had arranged for an armed militia group to protect the Qur’an-burning event they scheduled for September 11.
This morning, it appears, the militia is having second thoughts.
“Right Wing Extreme has pulled support for the International Burning of the Koran day and will not attend the event,” the group announced in a 1:50 a.m. press release on its website. “After much thought and prayer the organization’s leadership determined this event does not glorify GOD in way that leads the lost to Jesus Christ.”
The group, which bills itself in the release as an “armed Christian conservative group,” says they got started in April 2009 after a department of Homeland Security report called “Right Wing Extremism,” which highlighted the radical far right’s revitalization since President Barack Obama took office.
The group considers Islam a “cult” and blasts the President for his support of the Park51 Islamic center which a Muslim group plans to build near Ground Zero in New York. But they do not think burning Islam’s holy scripture will solve any problems.
“Dove World Outreach are our brothers and sisters in Christ,” the release says. “However we ask that they not hold this event for the reason that it may diminish the work of the Holy Spirit to witness to Muslims.”
The release also quoted James 1:19: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
Posters on the group's forum were divided on the issue.
“I support the desecration of the Koran,” wrote “RushLimbaughFan,” “because not Only is Islam a Heathen Religion, it is also the only one that Preaches Hate and Kill thy Neighbor in the Name of spreading Islam across the Globe.”
“This could be the stupidest idea ever in the history of stupid ideas,” wrote “Kevin.” “What do you think the net results of this action will be? You will give the left ammunition right before the November elections.”
“You are all horrible human beings and Christians,” retorted “empire.” “Jesus taught in the bible to turn the other cheek and respect other people. Is this what you call that?!”
"What happened, Shannon? Who got to you?" wrote Fran Ingram, who said she was a "proud member" of the Dove World Outreach Center, to Right Wing Extreme founder Shannon Carson. "I cannot believe you wrote your latest press release. I call it totally cowardly."
"I will be removing my membership from your forum," she added.
Dove World Outreach Center’s Pastor Terry Jones told CNN that Right Wing Extreme must have “bowed to fear or to pressure from other organizations, other groups.”
After receiving threats by phone and email and meeting with the FBI, Jones had hoped the group would be able to protect them during the Qur'an burning event.
"This is just a typical giving in to pressure and fear,” he said.
Comments
A few oddities here. 1. An extremest group claiming that the other extremest group is too extreme. 2. The name of the church in question that wants to burn the Qur'an. Dove World Outreach? I thought that in addition to the Dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit it was also a symbol of peace. And 'Outreach'? Yeah burning the Qur'an is some noble act of outreach. Thousands of Muslims will no doubt be won over by the event.(Sarcasm intended)
Posted By: Basil | August 25, 2010 9:51 AM
Oh, yeah, a 1400 year old religion with over a billion followers is a cult. Morons!
Posted By: Jeanne | August 25, 2010 4:36 PM
Jesus is not now nor has he ever been a bigot.
Posted By: Paen | August 25, 2010 5:36 PM
Stupidity knows no bounds!
Ask a Muslim if Mary was the Mother of Jesus Christ and was in fact a virgin at birth, and that Muslim will without question answer in the affirmative. Ask them Why and the answer will be because the Bible tells them so. There are many American so called Christians that if asked the same question, couldn't answer in the affirmative because they do not believe it to be true. Muslims respect the Christian Bible with the same reverence as they respect the Koran. One would never see a devout Muslim burn a Christian Bible. Think about that!
Posted By: the Lion | August 26, 2010 4:37 AM
My first action was to phone the Dove World Outreach Center a secretary said the pastor probably wouldn’t have time to talk to me. I wanted to tell Dr. Jones that in Pakistan, where my wife and I spent twenty-three years, national Christians worry that statements made by American evangelicals against Islam, or the prophet of Islam, makes it much harder for them. This is true of all national believers and Christian aid workers throughout the Middle East.
I then contacted a Christian attorney to ask if such a threat constituted hate speech and this is how he responded: “Speech is protected in the United States, whether hateful or not. You can't stop speech just because you disagree with it. Speech usually can only be stopped if it is inciting someone to imminent lawless action, like assembling a mob and then saying "now let's go kill him!" and they all take off running. Pretty much anything short of that is protected speech.”
The lawyer is right that nothing can be done legally to prevent the Qur’an burning on September 11, but does he realize how much trouble a misguided pastor can cause? He went on to defend the pastor’s right with these words: “You can’t prevent something that is a mixture of religion and speech. If precedents are established that religious beliefs can constitute hate speech, the danger is that pastors will be limited in what they can say. As far-fetched as it seems, it's already happening in some countries like Canada and I think England.” Can we learn something from the countries mentioned by the attorney? I am an American citizen, but hold dual citizenship because I was born in Canada. A little control over what a pastor can and cannot say might be a good thing.
Posted By: Warren Larson | August 27, 2010 11:48 AM
If you look at PEW research, evangelical Christians don’t seem to be that much different in their attitudes. One reason is that in the US, fear, suspicion and mistrust of Muslims often prevent meaningful evangelical-Muslim dialogue. The Pew Forum (2004) says over fifty percent of white evangelicals who attend church at least once weekly have an unfavorable view of Islam. Another issue is that Americans are usually too busy to befriend Muslims. Hence the only ones who actually do meet with Muslims are usually former missionaries who have lived among them.warrenlarson.com
Posted By: Warren Larson | August 27, 2010 3:02 PM
“Do you want to burn the Quran?”
If you want to burn the Quran I invite you to read it first.
Then it is your choice to proceed; You will figure out that:
You will be burning Adam and Noah, Abraham and Issac, Jacob and Josef, David and Salomon, Moses and John….and all prophets and saints
You will be burning Jesus and his saint spirit ….
You will be burning Mary and her baby ….
You will be burning the Torah and the Bible ….
Go ahead
Burn the light to satisfy your darkness….
Burn the love to satisfy your hatred….
Burn the peace to satisfy your anger….
Burn the compassion to satisfy your cruelty….
Burn the knowledge to satisfy your ignorance….
Do all the above in your heart only….
Oh wait; would you still have a heart after the above?! Would you be Christian or Jewish, would you be even human?!
The Quran won’t be affected of what you would do, because the creator said about it:
“Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian.” 15-9
You would burn the papers of the Quran, but even by burning it, it will show light… to all man kind.
It will keep saying: “Their intention is to extinguish God's Light with their mouths: But GOD will complete His Light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).”61-9
And it will keep saying: “And the servants of the Beneficent God are they who walk on the earth in humbleness, and when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace!”25-63
Peace….Peace….Peace….
Hassan Yaghi, Seattle, Wa
Aug 26, 2010
Posted By: Hassan Yaghi | August 27, 2010 5:51 PM
Well, this 'Christian' is well impressed by the postings of my Muslim (half?) brothers. If only more Christians demonstrated the passionate, considered response they have. I know very few Christians who could even quote their own Bible with the confidence these Muslims have. Shame on us, and kudos to them. It's a shame the media is so obsessed with the minority of Muslims who tarnish their faith with rage and blood, much like some of our right wing 'Christian' brothers. Christians they may be, disciples of Jesus they are not, in fact I think these Muslims a closer to that they are! Well, this 'Christian' is well impressed by the postings of my Muslim (half?) brothers. If only more Christians demonstrated the passionate, considered response they have. I know very few Christians who could even quote their own Bible with the confidence these Muslims have. Shame on us, and kudos to them. It's a shame the media is so obsessed with the minority of Muslims who tarnish their faith with rage and blood, much like some of our right wing 'Christian' brothers. Christians they may be, disciples of Jesus they are not, in fact I think these Muslims are closer to being true disciples of Jesus than they are!
Posted By: Impressed | August 27, 2010 7:23 PM
Warren one would wonder how close Dove Word Outreach's activity could be 'interpreted' as hate speech. The lawyers interpretation of what constitutes an illegal act seem to make this church and its pastor come pretty darn close since they wanted to hire a militia group to protect them. Seems that they want something to happen.
Posted By: Basil | August 28, 2010 10:46 AM
I like the fact that Pastor Terry Jones is going to exercise his 1st Amendment rights by burning the evil qur'an on 911. We must support his right to free speech. I will enjoy watching evil moslims EXPLODE across the planet when this happens.
We need to pop this pimple!
islam WILL submit to Christ.
I will enjoy that.
I admit that.
Posted By: J'Moke | September 6, 2010 6:25 PM
@Basil, Wow! you sound just like the people you hate, your religion and their religion is founded upon the same book, which just happens to be the tales of the Jews before the other sects decided that they wanted to have their own god. I'm atheist for many reasons, and this is just one of the major factors. All the hate in the Christian community makes me sick. You think you're holy, that your god will save you, but I ask where is he now? Why has he not returned to stop this... I don't have the answers but maybe some self reflection on your part will provide some insight into your hate and then maybe you can follow the true teachings of your prophet Jesus. I never once read in the bible that he wanted to burn the religious texts of the Jews who hated him.
Posted By: Bill | September 7, 2010 8:45 AM
this is insane.I mean if they burn Quran may god have mercy on them..:P unlucky for them most of Muslim would mot have mercy on the,
Posted By: SUZO | September 7, 2010 12:00 PM
Were is the true church. Does anyone read the old testament anymore? There is a reason why the old and new testament a connected together. The Old Testament is still very relevant. Everyone only quotes the new testament. The church needs to wake from its slumber!!!!! Eventually the muslims will take over America because of our ignorance. Jesus never meant for us to be passive Christians either!!!
Posted By: Brian | September 8, 2010 11:55 PM
there is not enough room to list all the scripture that condemns this action. our lord himself would condemn it you all know it. this militia group are right to condemn this action. we give them all the reason they need to continue believing in there hate filled faith what about brothers and sisters that live in Islamic country's spare them a thought ask your self this is this a Christian thing or an American thing? it cant be both. no way should a mosque be opened anyway near ground zero. but it is the American authority that can stop it. and they are responsible for allowing it to happen.
Dr. Jones being a paster i am sure you could point out more scripture than me. but we are meant no commanded to prey for our enemy's to prey for those that persecute us. please reconsider hatemongering is not what Christ commands of us. your brothers and sisters across the globe are hurting enough don't Islam an excuse to hurt them more this is not peaceful protest
Posted By: craze | September 9, 2010 6:57 AM
God’s ways are different, every so called destruction may have a constructive effect, and the Quran burning may back fire on the Christians. 99.9% of the Christian fathers, pastors, priests and clerics have never read the Quran. The Quran has a Chapter on MARY the mother of Jesus and the verses are much more beautiful than they are given in the Bible. By burning the Quran they burn the correct version of the Bible itself. The name of Muhammad is mentioned only 4 times in the entire Quran but the name of Jesus Christ is mentioned more than 20 times in the same Quran. The Quran is the only Book that challenges the Christians by asserting that Jesus had been one of the mightiest prophets of God and not GOD'S SON which is the huge blasphemy on God Almighty. God does not need a son. God does not get involved in animal sex act. God if HE wanted could create a million Jesuses or a million Moseses or a million Muhammads. There is going to be a huge awakening among the Christians and the sale of the Quran and conversion to Islam is going to massively increase in the West and Christians will come to understand the folly on their beliefs.
Posted By: kodimirpal | September 9, 2010 11:37 AM
Why would anyone want to burn any book? It all sounds to communistic or fascist to me. I've read many different religious holy books and while I may not agree with everything I read I would not burn them. I think what this pastor needs to ask himself is what would he think if a group overseas had a Bible burning?
This whole saga wouldn't be happening if it weren't for the building of the Park 51 project. Some say that this would be the Muslim people proclaiming they had conqoured the United States by building a large Mosque so close to Ground Zero. I'd say the opposite would be true. That is we the people stand by our founding principles regardless of what a small fanatical group of men did with three hijacked planes.
Our founding principle is found in our U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Posted By: Lewis | September 10, 2010 8:26 PM