# Burning books in the US...'Burn Quran Day' **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 20, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891 "2010-08-20T17:58:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 39
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/761 "2010-09-10T04:22:27Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > > I’m guessing this would not be a good time to market my new Koran toilet paper that I’ve developed. > > To the contrary, it would embolden the terrorists if you kept it off the market. They’d have to know about it first. I suppose I could send some complimentary cases around to some of the embassies here, like Iran or Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/762 "2010-09-10T04:31:12Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > > > To the contrary, it would embolden the terrorists if you kept it off the market. > > They’d have to know about it first. I suppose I could send some complimentary cases around to some of the embassies here, like Iran or Pakistan. No, I think they are psychic, and can sense the slightest indecision. The mere fact that you have had second thoughts has already cost the lives of infidel puppies. We can’t risk not wiping our asses with Quilted Koran Ultra-Soft (With Aloe!). ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/763 "2010-09-10T04:47:56Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > > I’m guessing this would not be a good time to market my new Koran toilet paper that I’ve developed. > > To the contrary, it would embolden the terrorists if you kept it off the market. Leave him alone, he’s on a roll. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/764 "2010-09-10T09:12:06Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I get the tongue in cheek part of your post, but since you wouldn’t care about their thoughts on you going to hell, why would you care about them burning their own copy of your book? > > I could see if they stole YOUR personal copy of the book. On a conceptual level, I’m extremely leery about destroying a book, any book. On a practical level, that’s 50 fewer LotRs that could wind up in the hands of lonely 10 year olds and brighten their lives (though I suppose these days they’d just rent the DVDs, the lazy little shits. Why, in MY day we read entire \*chapters \*about goddamn trees and liked it !). On a personal level, I’d be offended by that amount of The Stupid in my neighbours, in the Biblical sense of the word. And it’s all so … unnecessary, I guess. They don’t get anything out of it, they’re pissing some people off and making a whole lot of others violently bang their heads on their desks, for no reason whatsoever. Besides the free bad press, I suppose. > [@](#): > > Are we really suggesting that Americans should curtail our free speech rights in order to placate terrorists so that they won’t harm us? Of course not. Besides, the “if X, the terrorists Y” argument is almost always bullshit. I am, however, suggesting that Americans should openly discourage these kinds of chuckleheads from embarrassing your country, even if they don’t represent the whole of it. Which apparently Obama did. Good on him. Don’t get me wrong, I do realize that free speech means allowing the folks I despise the most to speak too. But I’m still allowed to wish they’d just shut the fuck up and crawl back to their caves ;). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/765 "2010-09-10T14:18:37Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > This morning’s web is reporting the Nut is saying that he has cut a deal with the Ground Zero Mosque and the burning event is cancelled. The Ground Zero Mosque is saying there is no deal. There isn’t. Jones was never in touch with Rauf. Muhammad Musri, the leader of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, had interceded, promising to arrange a meeting between Jones and Rauf, and to “use his influence” to attempt to get the mosque moved. He didn’t promise to get it moved, just to try. Rauf never promised anything at all. After Jones held his press conference, Musri (who had gone to Gainesville to speak to Jones in person) told the press Jones was stretching the truth. Jones then held _another_ press conference to say he’d been lied to and maybe he’d burn the Korans after all. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/766 "2010-09-10T14:26:41Z")
“And you know something is happening here, but you don’t know what it is…do you, Mr. Jones?” - St. Robert of Hibbing ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/767 "2010-09-10T15:31:16Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > (snipped) > Of course not. Besides, the “if X, the terrorists Y” argument is almost always bullshit. I am, however, suggesting that Americans should openly discourage these kinds of chuckleheads from embarrassing your country, even if they don’t represent the whole of it. > Which apparently Obama did. Good on him. > > Don’t get me wrong, I do realize that free speech means allowing the folks I despise the most to speak too. But I’m still allowed to wish they’d just shut the fuck up and crawl back to their caves ;). **Kobal2** for the win. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/768 "2010-09-10T18:31:20Z")
[Jerk issues ultimatum.](http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100910/articles/100919974?p=1&tc=pg) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/769 "2010-09-10T18:48:45Z")
Dear God: Now, I realize I may not have a lot of standing here. Haven’t been inside my local Methodist church since we buried my grandmother, but I know where it is, and maybe that counts. For something. Anyway, I read as how you used to be real big on smiting. Smote this guy, smote that other guy, shit like that. Might you consider just one little smiting, for old times sake? I mean, if this asshole was standing there in front of the microphones and all of a sudden he was covered with frogs and boils…well, let’s just say I would abandon anything remotely agnostic. Stand on street corners and sing Hare Krishna, if thats what you want. I mean, what You want. And if its too late to cash in my ticket on the Hellbound Express, that’s ok too, most of the Board will be there, so I won’t get lonesome. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/770 "2010-09-10T18:50:40Z")
My Facebook status is currently **I think we should set fire to Gainesville. It’s the only way to sort this thing out once and for all.** No offense, **DB**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/771 "2010-09-10T18:58:33Z")
**RNATB** , I knew it would come to that eventually. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/772 "2010-09-10T19:58:39Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Dear God: > > Now, I realize I may not have a lot of standing here. Haven’t been inside my local Methodist church since we buried my grandmother, but I know where it is, and maybe that counts. For something. > > Anyway, I read as how you used to be real big on smiting. Smote this guy, smote that other guy, shit like that. Might you consider just one little smiting, for old times sake? I mean, if this asshole was standing there in front of the microphones and all of a sudden he was covered with frogs and boils…well, let’s just say I would abandon anything remotely agnostic. Stand on street corners and sing Hare Krishna, if thats what you want. I mean, what You want. > > And if its too late to cash in my ticket on the Hellbound Express, that’s ok too, most of the Board will be there, so I won’t get lonesome. Might not it make more sense for your request to point to someone, who, I don’t know, might wind up killing innocent people because someone burned a book he likes, rather than than some guy whose transgressions are simply burning a book and being a jerk? Or someone who is plotting a terrorist attack right now? Why is burning a book worse than those other things? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/773 "2010-09-10T21:00:13Z")
[Cancelled again!](http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100910/news/100919970&tc=yahoo) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/774 "2010-09-10T21:29:00Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > > [@Magiver](#): > > > > So to summarize your position: The violent actions of extremist Muslims to cartoons and burning korans reflect the words and actions of Mohamed and the non-violent reactions to cartoons by extremist Christians reflect the words and actions of Jesus. > > What? No. Isn’t that \*your \*position? > > Here’s a summary of my position; the violent actions of extremist Muslims to cartoons and burning korans reflect, in some part, their interpretations of the words and actions of Mohammed. The non-violent reactions to cartoons by extremist Christians reflect, in some part, their interpretations of the words and actions of Jesus. Isn’t the concept of literal interpretation an oxymoron? Looking at life style of the 2 prophets, one was a warrior and one was a pacifist. There is no interpretation of this. They are in marked contrast to each other. Jesus never dictated a manifest destiny to his followers whereas Mohammad did. Within that document are passages that expressly condone violence. These are words directly written by Mohammad. While they can be ignored they cannot be interpreted into words of peace. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/775 "2010-09-10T21:41:43Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > > > What? No. Isn’t that \*your \*position? > > > > Here’s a summary of my position; the violent actions of extremist Muslims to cartoons and burning korans reflect, in some part, their interpretations of the words and actions of Mohammed. The non-violent reactions to cartoons by extremist Christians reflect, in some part, their interpretations of the words and actions of Jesus. > > Isn’t the concept of literal interpretation an oxymoron? Looking at life style of the 2 prophets, one was a warrior and one was a pacifist. There is no interpretation of this. They are in marked contrast to each other. Jesus never dictated a manifest destiny to his followers whereas Mohammad did. Within that document are passages that expressly condone violence. These are words directly written by Mohammad. While they can be ignored they cannot be interpreted into words of peace. What are your thoughts on Leviticus then? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/776 "2010-09-10T21:44:26Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Might not it make more sense for your request to point to someone, who, I don’t know, might wind up killing innocent people because someone burned a book he likes, rather than than some guy whose transgressions are simply burning a book and being a jerk? Or perhaps someone hell-bent on waging a doomed recreational war based on trumped-up evidence on an enemy who hasn’t attacked us, which will waste trillions of dollars, kill thousands of people and create hundreds of thousands of new enemies hell-bent on our destruction? Ah… well, too late for that, so we gotta go with Reverend Stache. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/777 "2010-09-10T21:45:42Z")
> [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](#): > > What are your thoughts on Leviticus then? Deja vu, man. You mean the Old Testament that **both** Christians and Muslims revere? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/778 "2010-09-10T21:48:07Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > > > What? No. Isn’t that \*your \*position? > > > > Here’s a summary of my position; the violent actions of extremist Muslims to cartoons and burning korans reflect, in some part, their interpretations of the words and actions of Mohammed. The non-violent reactions to cartoons by extremist Christians reflect, in some part, their interpretations of the words and actions of Jesus. > > Isn’t the concept of literal interpretation an oxymoron? Looking at life style of the 2 prophets, one was a warrior and one was a pacifist. There is no interpretation of this. They are in marked contrast to each other. Jesus never dictated a manifest destiny to his followers whereas Mohammad did. Within that document are passages that expressly condone violence. These are words directly written by Mohammad. While they can be ignored they cannot be interpreted into words of peace. Just to be clear, Mohammad never wrote anything. He was illiterate. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/779 "2010-09-10T21:51:18Z")
> [@](#): > > You mean the Old Testament that both Christians and Muslims revere? Boy, he’s got you there, he knows that Leviticus is in the OT. You’re gonna have a hard time answering a sharp point like that. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/780 "2010-09-10T21:59:05Z")
To paraphrase from the Dark Tower, ‘And what do Leviticracks say about the sin of musluttony??’ -XT [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891.md?page=40)