Why? To send a clear message to radical Christian fundamentalists. I want every one of Jesus' wacko-warriors to know that I will not bow down to their intolerance, their phobias and the violence they do in the name of their god.Oh, I know that not all Christians are like that -- most are pretty harmless. Some are actually tolerant, even accepting of people who practice other religions. Many Christians perform good works and conduct themselves as proper American citizens.
So, to those Christians: Please don't take offense when I set fire to The Holy Scriptures, ok?
[pause]
Relax -- I'm not planning to build a Bible bonfire any time soon. I have a right to do it, sure, but I also respect my fellow citizens' right to worship as they choose.
Besides, torching a bunch of Bibles is a colossally stupid idea -- no more stupid, though, than this Saturday's "Burn-a-Koran Day" organized by Pastor [sic] Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center.
Jones has been all over the media the last few days -- have you seen this assclown try to defend his pyromania-for-Christ campaign? It's positively shameful (not that he and his brain-dead followers have shown the capacity for shame).If a pile of The Holy Qur'an goes up in flames on September 11th, there will be fallout. Jones, knowing this, responds with typical arrogance:
"Let's just make one thing clear. A small church, in a small town, down a back road, burning copies of its own books, on its own property, is not responsible for the violent actions anyone may take in retaliation to our protest. Remember, Paul did not make the snake, the fire drove it out and he was bitten. If violence happens in reaction to this, the violence was not caused by us, it has just been exposed."That's narcissistic bullshit.
Gen. David Petraeus, Sec. Hillary Clinton, et al are lining up to condemn Burn-a-Koran Day, citing the potential for retaliation against U.S. military personnel, diplomats and civilians who serve or work in Muslim countries. They're right, of course, but they're handing us the kind of "support our troops" rhetoric that gives cover to millions of otherwise-Islamophobic Americans -- not the best reason to lament the destruction of Muslims' holy book by some nutjob in Florida.
Here's a better reason: the First Amendment to the Constitution -- or, to be more precise, the principle behind the First Amendment.
People of faith should be the first to repudiate the burning of the Qur'an. Unfortunately, a growing number of radical Christian fundamentalists won't see it that way. That's their right.
If enough of those folks would be kind enough to send me a Bible, however, I'll start making a pile. Now where did I put my lighter?
