Would Jesus Burn the Koran?

People everywhere (including this blogger) were outraged this week to hear the plans of Terry Jones, a pastor of a small church in Gainesville Florida. He stated that he and his followers would be burning the Koran on the 9th anniversary of 9/11. Muslims around the world have been protesting and even threatening violence. I even heard one man say on CNN that muslims everywhere would kill Americans if the Koran was burned. They have already burning straw men with Terry Jones' face along with the American flag. Hold the phone people. Is this the peaceful religion of Islam that they keep telling us about?

Am I for the burning? Absolutely NOT! I believe that pastor's everywhere should stand up and speak out against it. In fact they are. Rick Warren and others have condemned this hateful and shameful act. Does that make the news? Of course not!

Should our government stop a citizen from expressing his right to free speech or put pressure on him to stop? No, they should not! Muslim leaders around the world have been trying to persuade our President to stop him from acting. I am sorry but that is not our President's place. It is also not his place to speak up for the rights of those building the New York mosque that is billed as insensitive by Americans at large. Just as one week later, to speak out against a different brand of insensitivity when free speech is concerned is not his place either. This my friends, may be considered hypocritical, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Since I know nothing of the pressure he must be under to speak out on these issues.

The good news is that earlier today Terry Jones did a press conference to say that it was postponed. The bad news is that he later said that it may be on again. I think the publicity has gone to his head. His 15 minutes of fame should have been over by now.

The big question on everyone's mind is What Would Jesus Do? Well for starters he would LOVE his enemies. So if burning an object that "your enemies" consider sacred is a loving act, then go right ahead. If it is not however, then stop saying you represent our God! We should show our faith by our love.

I hate how one bigoted extremist gets so much press. We should react different than the world or even other religions. One example that comes to mind is when Comedy Central planned to have Mohammed in a bear costume in an episode of South Park they received death threats from Muslims. They decided to censor the program. Now they plan to release a cartoon called JC, which will openly make fun of Jesus Christ and Christianity. What should we do? Nothing. Let's take the high road. Let others see our love rather than our hate. Remember, "Love your enemies, and do good to those who despitefully use you".

I hope Terry Jones and his small ragtag band of followers do truly call off their charade. I hope Muslims see that Christians everywhere are against this type of act. I am not against it because of fear, but because it is un-Christlike in the highest since of the word.

Political Correctness Impairs Reporting on Terrorism

Like many Americans, I watched the memorial service for those killed at Fort Hood with tears in my eyes.  I have read many reports and articles on what happened and I'm frankly a little perturbed by the politically correct garbage we are being told.  I have seen the shooter referred to as an army psychiatrist in everything from CNN to the Wall Street Journal.  This was not an army psychiatrist or an over-stressed gunman, this was a TERRORIST!  

Let's look at the facts, Nidal Malik Hasan is a devout Muslim who according to a former medical classmate Dr. Val Finnel "equated the war against terror with a war against Islam".  There are many peaceful Muslims in the world.  These peaceful individuals long to see an end to the violence and bloodshed.    Unfortunately there are radical extremists that obey the Koran literally and in its entirety with no room for peace.  When one does this it leads down such destructive paths as the one taken by Nidal Malik Hasan at Ft. Hood.  I have sited a brief few passages from the Koran below (there are plenty more). 

The KORAN commands Terrorism, War, and Jihad:

Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it. - Surah 2:216
(different translation: ) Prescribed for you is fighting, though it is hateful to you.

But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever you find them. - 4:89
O believers, take not Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends of each other. Those of you who make them his friends is one of them. God does not guide an unjust people. - 5:54

When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. - 9:5

Fight those who believe neither in God nor the Last Day, nor what has been forbidden by God and his messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, even if they are People of the Book, until they pay the tribute and have been humbled. - 9:29 

Whether unarmed or well-equipped, march on and fight for the cause of Allah, with your wealth and your persons. - 9:41

Lets call it for what it is--the shooting at Ft Hood was a terrorist attack on this country.   Political correctness is making our nation ripe for this type of terrorist activity.  Don't get me wrong--I do not believe that Arabic people or those of the Muslim faith are prone to terror, rather it is those who would seek to follow the Koran literally and in its entirety that are an eminent danger to civilized people worldwide.  We should NOT silence them or their views (or anyone's for that matter), but we should be wary and not ignore danger under the guise of being politically correct.

I do want to talk about one person in particular who lost her life in the shootings.  Her name is Sgt. Amy Krueger.  She graduated from high school in 1998 (the same year I did).  She joined the military after the terror attacks of September 11, vowing to her mom that she would kill Bin Laden.  Her mom told her she could not do it alone but she said, "Watch me." (Quote from The Associated Press Nov. 6, 2009)  She captured the essense of every American heart after the fall of the Twin Towers, but she chose to do something about it.    It is tragic that she joined the military to fight terrorism and was killed in the worst attack on our soil since September 11.   She and 13 others (I am counting an unborn child) deserved better than to be shot by a coward.