What I would say at the bonfire

A headline in today’s Yahoo! News, weekend edition:

            5 die in Quran burning protest. 

The article tells us that “at least” 5 civilians in Afghanistan were killed and “scores more” wounded, in a protest over a Quran burning in Florida.  The demonstrators attacked cars and shops in (so far) two days of rioting, “outraged” -- as they seem always to be -- over the desecration of their holy book.

Now, I’m all for being respectful of religious sensitivities.  But let’s put this in perspective:  Muslims burn Bibles in Afghanistan (and the whole Muslim world) all the time, and I’ve never attacked a car.  Like, what’s the connection?

The article says, “The desecration of the Quran has outraged millions of Muslims and others worldwide…  On Friday, Afghans protesting the Quran burning “stormed” a U.N. compound in Northern Afghanistan, leaving seven foreigners dead… Less than  24 hours later, two suicide bombers disguised as women blew themselves up and a third was gunned down when they tried to enter a NATO base on the outskirts of Kabul…”

Florida is roughly 7,700 miles from Afghanistan.  That’s about 15 hours by plane (not counting stopovers, delays and cancellations).   So, a pastor burns a book in Gainesville, and “millions worldwide” go on marathon looting sprees, attacking people and businesses that have nothing whatsoever to do with the guy oceans away in Florida -- their families have nothing to do with him, friends, nothing. 

All because(!) the book is, in Muslim circles, “holy,” meaning --- I’m not sure what, in this context.  It seems a holy book would be, among other things, a guide to living as “God” would have one live.  Continent lives, charitable works, peace with one’s neighbor.  The effort, at least.

Although we could dwell on the true identity of a “God” whose writings inspire his followers to a seemingly perpetual state of outrage, who equates “holiness” with indiscriminate murder, rioting and arson, I think that identification is easily made by anyone with an IQ of 50 or more, so I’ll move on.

Getting back to the frequent, mass Bible-burnings we never hear about in the press:  Why, if Christians believe the Bible is a holy book, do we not throw beer bottles through the shop windows of fellow citizens in, say, Flemington, New Jersey, when Bibles are desecrated in Afghanistan, or in any of the numerous places Jews and Christians are hated? 

I understand that some Christians do get upset by this, at least among themselves, expressing mostly impotent verbal outrage over coffee in the church basement, or whatever.  But my own take on it is this:  I don’t care.

In fact, what I would say to the yipping hooligans at the bonfire is: Knock yourselves out.  If the Bible is true -- if it really is the word of God, meaning YHWH -- then you can burn it till the goats come home, and it will still be true.  Truth cannot be destroyed by your silly fire. 

On the other hand, if the Bible is false, and there is no YHWH, and if Yeshua is still dead in his grave, then you might as well angrily burn leaves, or office paper.   Yes, I get the intended insult to my faith, but really, you’re wasting precious outrage -- probably better spent stoning rape victims. 

As for the Florida pastor, I am with him all the way in the spirit of American freedom, which allows (at least until the lynch mob gets there) him and his congregation to protest the intrusion of Islam into our country by the peaceful burning of a Quran, a book that has become a world-wide symbol of Islamic mob-hatred.   

But the truth is, he may as well burn leaves. 

Lisa

Read the article at: 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110402/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan