Cornwall ON – Book burning is bad. Book reading is good, and sadly in today’s world far too few books are being read. Imagine how much better we’d all be if we’d just read more books?
With the internet and our insane world of course who has time to read a book? It’s just a luxury now; perhaps something one does while on vacation or at the cottage, or forced to do for school.
A whack job preacher from Florida named Terry Jones, as opposed to one of the members from Monty Python, had this idea of burning the Qur’an as a protest….I’m not sure, perhaps against peace or sanity….
This caused a world wide stir. Protest in countries tiny. New travels fast when you’re doing something as bizarre as burning books. I mean I’m sure there are some books that deserve to be burnt; I’ve had to read a few, but making a statement like that means that you’re expecting what?
Mr. Jones now has had his moment of glory. He’s gone from obscure zealot to famous less obscure zealot. His words have actually probably caused danger to people’s lives because in this world there is always someone who’ll do something crazy because you insulted their mothers, or simply said hello.
What are we going to do when there are no books any more? Burn iPads? Throw mixed drinks on them?
When I was deciding to write this I was looking for some rhyme or reason. I’ve read a lot of books. I’ve studied a lot of history and sadly I see these times turning into the 30’s. As our financial quagmire starts to spread and deepen it brings out the worst in people. I know, now some of you are going to start calling me a Socialist, but I think we need to spend more time and resources caring about each other than nipping and coveting.
This morning I had a chat with a man who trades stocks. He’s not an investor; it’s all about the deal. He goes from situation to situation trying to manipulate a stock so that he can cash in a days pay or two. Who’s to judge? I’m sure he does some fine things with the wealth he creates for himself and his family and the odds are better for him making money doing this than playing a government lottery. Plus he gets to have those cool and colourful chats on his extra large computer monitor.
In the end people I think the only things that should be burnt at fires are marshmallows and hot dogs on sticks. There are too many bad chapters of history that involved burnings. We are in the year 2010. It’s time to evolve and stop shooting at each other.
Jamie Gilcig – Editor – The Cornwall Free News
(Comments and opinions of Editorials, Letters to the Editor, and comments from readers are purely their own and don’t necessarily reflect those of the owners of the Cornwall Free News, their staff, or sponsors.)
How easy we forget : News item dated May 22, 2009 – “The United States Military confiscated bibles sent by an Evangelical group to soldiers during a documentary about sharing faith in a spiritually wrenching time for Christian soldiers. The Government took the books and burned them citing safety of our troops. They didn’t want them to be sent back to the United States fearing that the books would be sent back through another organization. The United States military saw this as an issue that would offend the mostly Muslim nation if they began to think we were distributing Christian material”.[Link: http://www.prlog.org/10242101-military-burning-of-bibles-echoes-the-book-burnings-of-the-nazi-regime.html%5D
“The United States military saw this as an issue that would offend the mostly Muslim nation if they began to think we were distributing Christian material” – See, we only care about not offending Muslims. Why is this? Because Muslims live a life like their founder – Muhammad. He lived by the sword, by violence, and by murder. Any legitimate historical source will prove this to be the case. One needs to look for a historical account that the Islamic revisionists have not rewritten in order to make Muhammad out to be a “saint”. Muslims know they have the Western world over a barrel. Like spoiled brats, they throw a fit, whenever they don’t get their Islamic way. And of course we give in!
I don’t believe burning the Koran is the answer. But wake up Westerners – Bibles are burned daily, whole Christian families have been butchered, Christian churches are daily torched. How eager the Muslims cried out for religious freedom and tolerance in the West, while in their own lands all are silenced by the sword. See http://www.persecution.com/
Tom you can’t fight ignorance with ignorance. You can’t fight hatred with hatred. It’s that simple and I don’t think you’ll find that in any of your books.
Of course religious texts are burned. Lots of actions done out of hate, predjudice and ignorance take place all the time. That does not mean we should condone it and not be critical of it. If our society truly is as advanced and civilized as we would like to think then we need to be leaders, not sink to the level of some others.
I think the fact that this nut Jones has the freedom to do it and the major public outcry that followed the publication of his intentions is actually a good sign! It is sometimes easy to forget that different cultures and countries function at different levels of consciousness and moral levels of development. Within cultures and countries individuals are also varied in levels of development. Crushing someone at a lower level only serves to retard any further development. Inclusion (with obvious rules) is the only way to facilitate the transcendence of the cultures and individuals of the less integral levels.
Acting like angry children may feel good for awhile but it sure won’t solve any problems in the long run.
Who said I was fighting ignorance with ignorance? Or do mean to say that any ideology based on religion is ignorance? All religion is superstition! Right?
Who is fighting hatred with hatred? I am commanded to speak the truth in love. What books do you speak of? There is only one divine inspired Word from God – The Holy Bible. The Bible declares that God is love and also that He is truth. There is no room for pluralism, nor relativism in God’s creation. The same Bible that declares and proves that God is love and truth, also declares that we (mankind as sinners) hate God and love darkness and deserve eternal hell. This is true of all of us until God breaks in on our shallow, blinded existence –
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:19-21).
“There is only one divine inspired Word from God – The Holy Bible.” Tom that is your and millions of others belief But if you don’t believe it, then it’s as about as valid as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. While people’s beliefs should be respected that has to include people that don’t believe what you believe.
When you get on a soapbox and make statements like that surely you can’t be surprised when some people take offense? That kind of thinking, “my way is the only way|” is exactly why wacky Mr. Jones wants to burn religious books. It’s not right either way whether it’s Qu’rans or Bibles.
Thorin is right…violence begets violence…lets be the grown-ups for once.
Thorin writes: “different levels of consciousness and moral levels of development” . Moral conscientiousness is not a matter of any type of evolution. God created man after His image and likeness therefore man is a spiritual, moral being. Mankind knows what is right and wrong, and understands that God has given us His standard. Both Islam and Christianity say that their books are from God and have binding authority over mankind. Only in Christianity do you have its leader – the Lord Jesus Christ being raised from the dead. That should tell us something about which book, and which person God really approves of!
Left to “different levels of consciousness and moral levels of development” mankind does not get better but in fact degenerates into something that is worse than animals – heathenism, barbarianism, and paganism. Before Biblical Christianity was introduced into the world what we had was, just as I wrote -heathenism, barbarianism, and paganism. It is the moral truth of the Bible lived out in the lives of God creatures as Christians that have brought about morality, decency, and justice. Any progress can not rightly be given to evolution in any way. Meaning that mankind has not accomplished it without the help and intervention of God.
Take the example of marriage. Marriage is sacred and honorable before God because God is the One who instituted marriage and has set down in His word the guide lines for a blessed, happy marriage. What society has done on a whole is to reject God’s Word concerning marriage and fidelity, therefore our society is is being destroyed by such lawlessness [no fault divorce, sexual immorality of all types, etc.]. Whatever accomplishments in marriage in society that has come about has not come by “moral levels of development”, but by obeying the Word of God. For us to get back to the place of blessing we must return to God and to His way of doing things. This is true for all areas of life.
I think most people who have read the preacher’s letters and comments over the last couple of years have come to the conclusion that trying to have some sort of intelligent discussion or argument with him is impossible. There is absolutely no way that he will consider valid the opinions or beliefs of others. What’s the point of even trying? It’s almost like that Monty Python “I’m here for an argument” skit.
“Before Biblical Christianity was introduced into the world what we had was, just as I wrote -heathenism, barbarianism, and paganism.
Tom I believe history disproves that statement.
Adm: Which history book are you reading? A green revisionist one?
Here is a small sample for all to read:
A Modern Skeptic Testifies
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), an agnostic (occasionally professing atheism), has been characterized as the most influential philosopher of the twentieth century. In 1950, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. He was a militant opponent of the religion of Jesus Christ, even producing a popular essay titled, “Why I am not a Christian.”
I mention this to demonstrate that whatever testimony is elicited from him certainly will not arise from a heart that is disposed toward the Teacher from Nazareth. Be that as it may, Russell, oddly enough, became an unwitting witness to the truth of the “leavening” activity of the Christian system in the Roman world.
First, the philosopher commented concerning the barbarous practice of infanticide (i.e., the destruction of newborn infants) — a practice common in the Roman world.
“Infanticide, which might seem contrary to human nature, was almost universal before the rise of Christianity, and is recommended by Plato to prevent over-population” (p. 92; emp. added).
Second, Russell gave a nodding tribute to the influence of Christianity relative to the status of women in the Roman world.
“In antiquity, when male supremacy was unquestioned and Christian ethics were still unknown, women were harmless but rather silly, and a man who took them seriously was somewhat despised” (p. 101; emp. added).
Third, there is this comment regarding Christian benevolence in general.
“Christianity, as soon as it conquered the state, put an end to gladiatorial shows, not because they were cruel, but because they were idolatrous. The result, however, was to diminish the widespread education in cruelty by which the populace of Roman towns were degraded. Christianity also did much to soften the lot of slaves. It established charity on a large scale, and inaugurated hospitals” (p. 137; emp. added).
While Russell was in error regarding his assertion that the gladiatorial games were abolished on the basis of idolatrous associations, rather than on moral grounds (see: Schaff, pp. 122-125), he nonetheless conceded the benevolent effect of the Christian system.
Our world may be thankful indeed for the lingering influence of Jesus’ life and teaching upon this Earth. http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1100-the-benevolent-influence-of-christianity
“Before Biblical Christianity was introduced into the world what we had was, just as I wrote -heathenism, barbarianism, and paganism.”
Tom I responded to your quote. There were many cultures, religions, and societies before Christianity rolled around. And that has nothing to do with being a “Green” candidate as we are quite the welcoming bunch, nor were they uncivilized or barbaric.
I’m also curious why you’d be against anything Green or cares about the environment? Last I heard it’s wasn’t a Christian thing to destroy your environment or care about the world you live in??
Jamie, don’t you know that people who care about the environment (Environmentalists) are worshiping a false god? They are no different from Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Pastafarians, and on and on. And they will all be going to hell. The preacher has explained this to us many times.
Well I have to chime in here…. I am very proud to be a follower of Jesus Christ but I would never burn a Quran or any other piece of literature that another faith holds dear. No because i necessarily believe that they are divinely inspired, but because hate, anger, retribution and causing pain in NOT what or how Christ Himself taught. What sickens me most about what I call “Old Testament Christians” is the same that I would say about a small percent of Muslims and a small percent of Jews too…. they select 100 verses RANDOMLY and make them into a “pseudo Credo” to justify their own madness and agenda. You can find many verses taken alone in both the Quran and The Holy Bible, (OLD Testament) to
“excuse” genocides and many other atrocities. If you claim to be a Christian, there is ONLY one kind, and that is the NEW Testament church, the one that Jesus Christ brought to the world….. the soul purpose for the Old Testament was to show history and to prove that mankind cannot behave in a HOLY fashion, while existing in their own carnal nature. Misguides, ill informed “christians” do more harm for the cause of Christ than any Pagan, Muslim or other, could or has ever done….. Christians need to be to voice of peace, love, forgiveness and education…. not the ones setting out to burn things… lest they be seen as branches of the KKK and NOT the Body of Christ………
I wonder if we would see the same public out pouring if he wanted to burn the Bible?
On Saturday I burnt two TV Guides and a Ray Bradbury book. I did not get 9,173 news articles written about my actions.
YOU BURNED A RAY BRADBURY BOOK! You fiend. We don’t want your kind in our neighborhood. Take your lack of vision and poor appreciation of fine sci-fi and move to Norway or Iceland or France or some other place that lacks a sense of humour.
Iceland and Norway don’t have senses of humour?
Nope, it’s too cold there. If they try to smile their faces would crack.
I noticed you don’t dispute my comment on the lack of a sense of humour in France.
Well Reg, they do think Jerry Lewis is a supreme comic wit; of course that could simply be out of some strange guilt from WWII….
Man, I wish I got into this debate long ago, but I just find it a waste of time to debate anything with pastor tom as of late..
or any pastors for that matter…
Bite your tongue blasphemer
lol! 😀 Antipasta, how are you lately? sorry I haven’t been on much as of late..
All hail The Flying Spaghetti Monster!!!!
Only if you want to.
Mr.G, this thing will stop only when either we or they are dead! For them the only good infidel is a dead one. For us the only safe muslim is a dead one. Go figure!
We have fanatics all over the place.. unfortunately, in many of our societies religious beliefs, many of our societies are no better than those they speak ill of… which is why all religion should be abolished out of government for one.. government should be government, a persons religious beliefs should be exactly that, their beliefs.. provided these beliefs do not negatively affect others, then all the more power to them..
Otherwise any religious belief should only be a guideline to a better life.. peace, love, unity, respect, should be the only beliefs that society should follow.. but it will be a long time before we truly see any of that.. until then, the wars will continue, we will have fanatics, there will be idiots following them, etc, etc, etc..
People need their beliefs, but come on, lets be realistic here as well… otherwise lets all believe in the tooth fairy and be happy once and for all! 😉
At least the tooth fairy brings you imagination and money 😉