This is my last email for a while on the Koran-burning business. This reader speaks for many:
Jonah,
Re: your post with feedback from pastors about the planned Quran book-burning.
First off, I agree with them that A) The planned book burning by the tronically-named “Dove World Outreach Church” is idiotic, irresponsible, and un-Christian, and B) The mainstream media are willing saps to this type of activity, happy to portray Christians as intolerant and willing to provoke violence. The only thing I can think to add to that line of reasoning is to ask if anyone noticed the Dove church’s pastor has the same name as one of the Pythons (Terry Jones). For me, that ups the absurdity level just a little bit more.
However, I think everyone should be emphasizing that one of the reasons Jones’ plans are so irresponsible is because of the irresponsible reaction to them: rioting, killing, attacks, arson, etc. Just as with terrorism, one side feels free to go nuts while the other has to mind its Ps and Qs (the fringe idiots, notwithstanding).
The pastor in Pakistan is rightly concerned because the reaction to this burning the Quran stunt there may be a considerable loss of life. Meanwhile, the Saudis destroy, burn, and mutilate Bibles on a regular basis and the most common response here is a marginal increase in student visas.
It would be nice to see the voices of moderate Muslims and certain US politicians reacting with calls for calm, tolerance, and pointing out the hypocrisy of a part of the world in which religious opponents and converts are killed for their beliefs threatening to explode because of the burning of books.
Not to mention that when idiots in the Muslim world commit violence, we’re rightly reminded that they are a minority of the people there. When a so-called church of 50 get together here to torch Qurans, all of sudden they’re somehow emblematic of the general Christian mindset.
Two sets of rules. It would be nice if more people would start recognizing that, starting with the supposed elites that run our national news organizations.