by Rev. Austin Miles
The publicity began full force in September of 2010 when a Florida pastor announced his upcoming, "Burn a Quran Day." As controversy swelled, the event was on, then it was off, then it was on again. Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center, a tiny church of 50 members, proclaimed that on September 11, 2010, on the 9th anniversary of the 9-11 sneak attacks on America by Muslims, the "Burn a Quran Day" would take place in the parking lot of his church.
That fire fizzled out as he cancelled the plan. However, he did recenlty go through with it, igniting a Quran along with a global powder keg. This writer thinks that the idea of burning copies of the Quran (or any other book) is not so hot, even though you will be surprised as to why this objection is offered. It's not what you think.
When this plan first went public in 2010, the occupier of The Oval Office held a pathetic news conference where he virtually begged Pastor Jones not to go through with this idea, because this will upset Muslims which will put our miltary personnel at risk and would lead to violence to Americans overseas.
How's that again? Our troops are ALREADY at risk, constantly. Not only those in Afghanistan and Iraq, but on our own miltary bases right here in America, such as Ft. Hood where a Muslim soldier stationed there, shot up the base, killing and wounding dozens of military personnel. There was no Quran burned. As for attacks on Americans overseas, American civilians found we were not even safe from Muslims in our own country.
In 1993, American bred Muslims used a car bomb to explode at the World Trade Buildings in New York. And that was WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PROVOCATION OR QURAN BURNING. What is more, the Imans made it clear that they intended to cause enough damage to bring down the buildings. That intention was quoted in the papers. And it was for sure they intended to try and do it again for that very purpose.
Yet America slept soundly right up until September 11, 2001 when Muslims flew their hjijacked planes into the Twin Towers, bringing them down, while Muslims cheered from a rooftop in New Jersey watching it as 3000 people died horrible deaths. Violent actions against Americans overseas? The violence to American civilians took place at their hands right here in America, again, without any provocation. Again, no Quran was burned. And nobody will forget the scene of Muslims dancing in the streets of Pakistan when the Twin Towers came crushing down..
And while they are using [as] an excuse for violence and murder, the burning of the Quran, they have all along been burning Bibles, Christian churches, burning the American flag, beheading Christians and playing videos of that horrific action on televsion. Plus they burned Pastor Jones in effigy. But please, Pastor Jones, whatever you do, don't burn a Quran, it might make the Muslims mad and they might hurt us.
Now, the question of Burn a Quran Day: As an author and writer I shutter at this idea. I am passionate about books. My library consists of many authors with whom I disagree, especially those philosophers who were atheists. Yet, I am curious to see how they came to their line of thinking to enable them to hold such views.
Many of the paths they took to reach that conclusion was actually brilliant. I admire that. Books are a resource for information. I have read the Quran which gives me an understanding of the Muslim thought process. In doing so I am not surprised by anything that they do. It is all clearly spelled out in their "Holy" Book.
The Quran is fascinating to read and is actually very poetic, making the deeds required for Heaven and 72 virgins not only acceptable but desirable. An acquaintance who is very well known is also a hypnotist and he tried reading the Quran and described the book as "hypnotic," which could be associated with brain-bending. He told me that he could only read a little at a time, then had to stop to debrief so that he wouldn't be pulled in. This coming from a hynotist who knows what mind manipulation is all about.
The Quran is fascinating to read and is actually very poetic, making the deeds required for Heaven and 72 virgins not only acceptable but desirable. An acquaintance who is very well known is also a hypnotist and he tried reading the Quran and described the book as "hypnotic," which could be associated with brain-bending. He told me that he could only read a little at a time, then had to stop to debrief so that he wouldn't be pulled in. This coming from a hynotist who knows what mind manipulation is all about.
One time I related to a fundamentalist Christian that I found a Book of Mormon in my hotel room desk drawer instead of a Bible. He said, "Did you tear it up?" "No, of course not." "You should have," he said, "I can pick that up in front of someone, and with a smile on my face, rip that evil book to pieces." "Really!" For me, this would be totally unethical since that book is owned by someone else, it is someone else's property and I have no right to destroy it.
My library is filled with opionions and ideas I totally reject, but I feel that among my books, I am among friends who poured out their very being into the books they write, giving out the best of themselves to do so. As an author, I know this to be true. Knowledge is power.
One time I was on a national radio broadcast, when a Mormon Bishop came on to cut me down, telling me that it was absolutely not true that Mormons baptize (by proxy) the dead. As he was voicing his opinion to the nation, I quietly got out of my chair listening through my headphones, walked to a shelf, pulled out my Book of Mormon and then gave him chapter and verse of the ritual he denied.
The same when I was on Fox News with a Muslim leader who had come to take me on. He started out by insulting me and called me a liar. Even though respectful, I let him know firmly that he should never call me such names which is unacceptable. He immediately quieted down. And we got into discussions about Islam and because I was versed in that religion, he clearly was defeated because I had confronted him respectfully but firmly along with some knowlege about the subject.
Yes, I love books. Burning books projects an ugly remembrance of the Nazi Dictatorship of Adolph Hitler, an era nobody wants to repeat. Not only that but we lose our own dignity, certainly our Christian testimony, by resorting to such tacky tactics that the world employs, We can handle it with more class than that. At least I would hope so.
I greatly admire The Apostle Paul who constantly showed respect to the very leaders who mistreated him. When before King Agrippa, standing before thousands of people while chained and filthy because of the conditions in prison that he endured, he still attempted to put out his chained right hand toward King Agrippa as he addressed him, which was a show of respect for any authority figure or official. He had to make a real effort to manage to push his right hand forward.
The apostle Paul was a gentleman in all conditions. That is how he was able to be such a dynamic apostle who built or caused to be built countless churches because of the number of people who heard him, observed him, and as a result, accepted Jesus as their Savior.
This is what we need more of in the Christian World today, particularly among our leaders. Let's forget about burning books. Let's instead learn everything we can about the enemy and to approach them with knowledge and firm respect. Then God really has something to work with.