# 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:** 40
**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, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/781 "2010-09-10T22:05:28Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > > [@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. Ah… the old George W. Bush Infatuation Syndrome. You should see someone about that. You should also see someone about building you a time machine. While I was never a fan of GWB and never voted for him, I think I grossly underestimated his powers. Many of those on the left are simply incapable of turning their gaze from his being. HA! ---
**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, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/782 "2010-09-10T23:05:04Z")
> [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](#): > > What are your thoughts on Leviticus then? Something a money changer would read to his flock. ---
**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, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/783 "2010-09-10T23:05:48Z")
I’m neither Muslim or Christian, nor am I reverent of Leviticus. What I don’t understand is how some Christians seem to think they have a corner on the market of evolving, nuanced interpretations of their scriptures and that the followers of other religions are incapable of such things. ---
**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, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/784 "2010-09-10T23:06:25Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Just to be clear, Mohammad never wrote anything. He was illiterate. Uh huh. ---
**Author:** ![FE3O4ENAIL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba9def/32.png) [@FE3O4ENAIL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FE3O4ENAIL)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/785 "2010-09-10T23:07:25Z")
Are Quran tampons flushable? ---
**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, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/786 "2010-09-10T23:15:15Z")
More flushable than douchebags. ---
**Author:** ![FE3O4ENAIL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba9def/32.png) [@FE3O4ENAIL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FE3O4ENAIL)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/787 "2010-09-10T23:21:23Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > More flushable than douchebags. Yes, why is this DB getting air time? Who is pulling the strings? ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/788 "2010-09-10T23:23:17Z")
> [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](#): > > I’m neither Muslim or Christian, nor am I reverent of Leviticus. What I don’t understand is how some Christians seem to think they have a corner on the market of evolving, nuanced interpretations of their scriptures and that the followers of other religions are incapable of such things. I don’t think we (I am a Christian) have a corner on nuance at all. However, the Muslim faith has not had the equivalent of a Reformation that Christianity did. There are a few thinkers pushing in Islam, but they do not have the large numbers of followers of a Luther, a Knox, an Augustine, etc. The “closing of the gate of ijtihad” has kept the majority of Muslims following interpretations and statements of law from centuries ago without any deeper debates or modern movements. A review of this though is here: [http://www.islamfortoday.com/sardar01.htm](http://www.islamfortoday.com/sardar01.htm) Much more can be found by Googling “ijtihad” ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/789 "2010-09-11T00:32:01Z")
> [@Algher](#): > > > [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](#): > > > > I’m neither Muslim or Christian, nor am I reverent of Leviticus. What I don’t understand is how some Christians seem to think they have a corner on the market of evolving, nuanced interpretations of their scriptures and that the followers of other religions are incapable of such things. > > I don’t think we (I am a Christian) have a corner on nuance at all. However, the Muslim faith has not had the equivalent of a Reformation that Christianity did. There are a few thinkers pushing in Islam, but they do not have the large numbers of followers of a Luther, a Knox, an Augustine, etc. > > The “closing of the gate of ijtihad” has kept the majority of Muslims following interpretations and statements of law from centuries ago without any deeper debates or modern movements. > > A review of this though is here: [http://www.islamfortoday.com/sardar01.htm](http://www.islamfortoday.com/sardar01.htm) > > Much more can be found by Googling “ijtihad” How many progressive scholars are required to be counted as more than “a few”? What is the number/size/shape/duration of reformation movements required of Islam before it will no longer be considered less evolved than Christianity? ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/790 "2010-09-11T02:40:26Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > > [@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? As God’s righteous and holy representatives here on earth we are already smiting the shit out of them. I know it’s true because we’re the good guys and God loves us best. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/791 "2010-09-11T02:47:09Z")
Well, canceling it ruins my master plan. I had a van load of people going with boxes of every so called holy book, and a banner like his saying “International Burn Superstition Day” We’d greet Jones as a friend and tell him how much we support burning the Koran and then when he was about to light the fire we’d open our boxes, unfurl our banner and start heaving em in the blaze. We’d even have the makings for Smores and some hot dogs on pointy sticks. ---
**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 11, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/792 "2010-09-11T02:49:01Z")
BBC TV is saying the pastor is now presumably aboard a flight to New York, presumably to meet with that imam. Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/793 "2010-09-11T02:50:17Z")
> [@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. They’re not moving that one. They’re just building a another , smaller one next to Jones church. ---
**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 11, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/794 "2010-09-11T03:14:15Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > BBC TV is saying the pastor is now presumably aboard a flight to New York, presumably to meet with that imam. Sheesh! Imam Rauf [has no plans to meet with Terry Jones.](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39101124/ns/us_news) ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/795 "2010-09-11T03:21:02Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > This is troublesome. We’re allowing them, through the threat of ramped up violence, to dictate the actions of American non-Muslims. Isn’t this true either way, though? I mean, if we go out of our way to not burn Korans, then you can go out of your way to burn Korans. I agree with you that the correct reaction is to basically not allow others to dictate, but deliberately going out of your way to show off your non-dictated-to abilities is still a reaction. I agree with you that the correct response is to not be dicated to, to show that the demands of others don’t affect us; but the response to that is to ignore, or to live our lives as we normally would, not to anti-react. ---
**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 11, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/796 "2010-09-11T03:21:54Z")
BBC is saying he has now arrived in New York. Maybe he’ll burn a Koran on the imam’s doorstep. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/797 "2010-09-11T03:30:46Z")
> [@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. Nonsense. Off of the top of my head, one might well interpret these as a difference of prophets. What goes for prophets might well not go for the rest of us. I’ve heard people talk about how the words of people long ago aren’t the perfect guide for us living today. You could believe that while some deserve violence, you are not in a person to judge; on the other hand, you could argue that some threats to peace are so terrible that violence is the only option. The exaltation of a philosophy can be counterpointed by the necessary actions taken to protect it. A specific can be generalised to be universal; a universal can be argued that it does not apply in specific cases. Anything can be interpreted in whatever fashion you so choose. It’s pretty easy. I’m not even religious and I can do it. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/798 "2010-09-11T04:09:28Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Just heard about this on KO. Found the link. > > [Memphis News & Weather | Memphis, TN | localmemphis.com](http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Memphis-Area-Muslims-Worshiping-At-Christian/F5CZgzul4EegYgk_L9evNg.cspx) > > **Memphis Area Muslims Worshiping At Christian Church During Ramadan** > > > [@](#): > > > > …Steve Stone is Pastor of Heartsong Church, located right across the street. “This place doesn’t belong to us, it’s God’s place and we’re just sharing it.” Stone and his congregation have decided to share it with the Muslim Islamic Center… > > USA! Fuck, yeah! Ermm, I’m going to have to reevaluate my opinion of Tennessee. That’s kind of how I imagined religious folks were supposed to be. Do they have unicorns? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/799 "2010-09-11T04:20:36Z")
> [@straight\_man](#): > > > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > > > I am not faimilar with the terrorism being exported from Sri Lanka and Serbia but I get the impression that muslim nations (especially middle eastern muslim nations produce MUCH more than their fair share of terrorism. Maybe its just the liberal media giving me that impression. > > Off the top of my head, Sri Lankan terrorists _assassinated the friggin’ Indian prime minister_. They have also been running mafia in Toronto (don’t know if that’s gone away with the Tigers in defeat.) Other examples of non-Muslim terrorists being active outside their own country aren’t hard to think up either: Sikh terrorists were responsible for the Air India bombing; Irish nationalists attacked targets in England; Chechens attacked targets in Moscow (TBF, really just a distant part of the same country); Aum Shinrikyo attacked its own country but used Australia to test nerve gas; etc. It’s not especially common to attack outside your own region, but then again, there haven’t been that many attacks inside the West, either, and often those have been run by local crazies anyway. > > IOW, I don’t know exactly how Islam compares to other religions and groups in terms of exporting terrorism, but it’s plainly not outside the boundaries of normality. Hrmm. So maybe it is just the liberal media giving me the impression that there is more terrorism being generated by muslims than other groups. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/800 "2010-09-11T04:25:33Z")
At the moment, likely. But that is an accident of history. If the efforts to paint Islam as inherently violent had merit, there would be no “spike”, Islamic violence would have been non-stop. The IRA had quite an impressive run of terrorist violence, for considerable time, and they were as Islamic as Paddy’s pig. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891.md?page=39) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891.md?page=41)