by Carolyn Abell
Last week I wrote about why I and many other Americans oppose the building of an Islamic mosque at the site of the 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center in New York. In opposing it, we don’t condone anything violent or retaliatory in nature. We just think it is insensitive and a sure step toward the Islamic goal of controlling this country.
This morning as I was running an errand in town, a friend saw me and asked what I thought about the church in Florida that intends to burn a copy of the Qur’an on September 11. In a brief discussion, we both agreed it is the wrong thing to do.
Dr. Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, has been planning the event for several months. His web site enumerates “Ten Reasons to Burn a Koran.” Among the “justifications” Jones cites are passages from the Bible, the main one of which is Acts 19:18-20, which tells about people in Ephesus coming to know Christ. Some of these new believers had previously engaged in occult magical practices, and when they received and accepted the gospel of Christianity, they voluntarily burned their books of incantations in a large bonfire.
There is simply no parallel there with what Jones plans to do. He isn’t voluntarily surrendering something he and his church members formerly believed in. Their act is one of aggression and provocation, and will not result in anything positive for themselves or for anyone else.
General David Petraeus, who is leading the war effort in Afghanistan, has already urged them to abandon the idea, due to the sure retaliation against the military, which may very well result in loss of American lives. Jones told Chris Matthews on CNN’s “Hardball,” however, that he does not intend to give up his project for the General or for anyone else. The claim that it is to honor the victims of 9/11 is a lame and misguided excuse.
Another group of individuals who will suffer greatly from this will be the Christian minorities in Muslim countries. Many of them have already endured beatings and arrests, loss of personal property and businesses, and other forms of persecution for their decision to follow Christ. Hundreds of thousands have been murdered. I have personally written an appeal to the Dove Church to consider the violence that will befall these defenseless people if the church moves forward with its intended action.
One can only wonder what Jones hopes to achieve. Burning a Qur’an (or “Koran,” as it is sometimes spelled) will not do anything to change the minds of Muslims and make them like us more. It won’t cause any Islamic people who are in this country to leave. In fact, it will no doubt cause the more peaceable among them to hate Christians for this act of revenge. This isn’t what Jesus taught us. Although He told us to always stand up for the truth and to not be afraid to do so, He never directed anyone to deliberately insult or hurt someone who does not accept Him as Savior and Lord.Perhaps Pastor Jones forgot to read the passage in Romans 12:19. “Dear Friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, ‘I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,’ says the Lord.” (New Living Translation) Similar scriptures abound in both the Old and New Testaments.
The New Testament teaches us to recognize evil and avoid being deceived by false teachers, but it does not tell us, or even imply, that we should employ acts of deliberate provocation. Even though Muslims routinely burn Bibles and desecrate United States flags, this is not a reason for us to descend to the same level of militant retaliation.
I’m afraid Terry Jones and his followers have become another misguided cult-type of organization that has deviated significantly from the teachings of Christ. In so doing he is giving more fodder to many liberals in our country who already put all Christians in the same category anyway and never miss an opportunity to scorn and ridicule all of us.
Copyright 2010 Carolyn Abell
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