# 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:** 48
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/941 "2010-09-21T18:53:37Z")
> [@Doxy](#): > > You say that their inherent laziness leads them to NOT kill each other. > I say their inherent laziness is pretty much the REASON for killing one another. > It’s much easier to kill someone and take what they have worked for than to work for it yourself. I probably should have said ‘change adverse’ rather than laziness. Just lazy, I guess. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Doxy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Doxy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doxy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/942 "2010-09-21T19:11:42Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > > [@Doxy](#): > > > > You say that their inherent laziness leads them to NOT kill each other. > > I say their inherent laziness is pretty much the REASON for killing one another. > > It’s much easier to kill someone and take what they have worked for than to work for it yourself. > > I probably should have said ‘change adverse’ rather than laziness. \*\*Just lazy, I guess. \*\*Heh. Heh! You made me snort! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/943 "2010-09-21T19:36:27Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > But he only did it because God told him to, so really it’s God’s fault. “I was just following orders” isn’t an excuse, whether those orders come from God or Hitler. > [@magellan01](#): > > How can you say that? A religion’s adherents will to admire, look up to, _and emulate_ the man on whom the religion is founded. How can you possibly say that if Founder A did X and Founder B did not do X, that the followers of Religion A would not be **more** inclined to do X? That makes no sense. Because the followers of religions do no such thing. Once created a religion becomes a thing independent from its creator. Christians are under the control of Christianity, not Christ; Christ is to Christianity what Mickey Mouse is to Disney; a trademark. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/944 "2010-09-21T19:49:56Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > “I was just following orders” isn’t an excuse, whether those orders come from God or Hitler. If god, a real honest to god one and only god, tells you to do something then you had pretty much better do it. It is frikken’ god, fer christ’s sake, not some petty dictator. That’s the whole point. But there isn’t a god, so what is in these books is pure fantasy that people **do** follow the same way that people did follow Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/945 "2010-09-21T19:58:13Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > > “I was just following orders” isn’t an excuse, whether those orders come from God or Hitler. > > If god, a real honest to god one and only god, tells you to do something then you had pretty much better do it. Not if what it tells you to do is wrong. Why should a god have any more moral authority to tell you to do something than any other random person? ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/946 "2010-09-21T20:04:23Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Not if what it tells you to do is wrong. Why should a god have any more moral authority to tell you to do something than any other random person? Because he is god, not some random person. You know 700’ tall, long white beard, angels blowing horns flying around his head, creator of the universe, etc. He tells you what is right or wrong and has conveniently written in down in a number of contradictory books scattered around the globe. ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/947 "2010-09-21T21:40:50Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@Gyrate](#): > > > > But he only did it because God told him to, so really it’s God’s fault. > > “I was just following orders” isn’t an excuse, whether those orders come from God or Hitler. > > > [@magellan01](#): > > > > How can you say that? A religion’s adherents will to admire, look up to, _and emulate_ the man on whom the religion is founded. How can you possibly say that if Founder A did X and Founder B did not do X, that the followers of Religion A would not be **more** inclined to do X? That makes no sense. > > Because the followers of religions do no such thing. Once created a religion becomes a thing independent from its creator. Christians are under the control of Christianity, not Christ; Christ is to Christianity what Mickey Mouse is to Disney; a trademark. Well put. I always thought it was ironic that the conservatives have taken ownership of Jesus, given that by today’s political standards, Jesus was a LIBERAL. Kind of like Reagan using “Born in the USA” as a campaign theme, when clearly he had no idea what the song was really about. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/948 "2010-09-21T22:03:33Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > > Not if what it tells you to do is wrong. Why should a god have any more moral authority to tell you to do something than any other random person? > > Because he is god, not some random person. You know 700’ tall, long white beard, angels blowing horns flying around his head, creator of the universe, etc. He tells you what is right or wrong and has conveniently written in down in a number of contradictory books scattered around the globe. He say what he likes, that doesn’t make it true. ---
**Author:** ![Doxy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Doxy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doxy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/949 "2010-09-21T22:07:22Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@Uzi](#): > > > > Because he is god, not some random person. You know 700’ tall, long white beard, angels blowing horns flying around his head, creator of the universe, etc. He tells you what is right or wrong and has conveniently written in down in a number of contradictory books scattered around the globe. > > He say what he likes, that doesn’t make it true. I accept no moral authority higher than myself. I hold myself responsible for any and all decisions I make and any and all actions I take. I also accept the consequences, both good and bad, that these decisions and actions may bring about. If I’m going to take responsibility for them and accept the consequences for them, I’m damn sure gonna take credit for them as well. And to be perfectly frank, I haven’t met anyone with what I’d consider to be “better” or “higher” morals than mine and the ones I try to teach my children. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/950 "2010-09-21T22:09:46Z")
Well, that’s nice for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that billions of people around the world live by gods commandments and base their decisions upon that ‘moral’ code. ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/951 "2010-09-21T22:14:32Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Well, that’s nice for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that billions of people around the world live by gods commandments and base their decisions upon that ‘moral’ code… > \*\*\*…as they or others interpret them. \*\*\* There, I fixed it. No two people on the Earth have the EXACT SAME interpretation of anything, especially their religious “laws”. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/952 "2010-09-21T22:17:49Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Well, that’s nice for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that billions of people around the world live by gods commandments and base their decisions upon that ‘moral’ code. That’s not a moral code, that’s just obeying orders indiscriminately, which is an amoral position at best. Not a moral one. ---
**Author:** ![Doxy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Doxy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doxy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/953 "2010-09-21T22:20:49Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Well, that’s nice for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that billions of people around the world live by gods commandments and base their decisions upon that ‘moral’ code. It’s actually quite good for everyone since I don’t try to impose my morals on anyone other than the people I have a societal obligation to teach. Namely, my three children. It’s good for society because my personal moral code (and hopefully the personal moral codes my children are developing) won’t let me steal from you or physically harm you unless it’s to protect myself or another blameless person. My moral code won’t let me see a truly hurting individual without trying to help. My moral code won’t allow me to turn my face from the plight of the helpless. My moral code also won’t let me enable someone in doing something harmful to themselves or another. The world would be an infinitely better place if everyone minded their own business FIRST. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/954 "2010-09-21T23:07:22Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@Uzi](#): > > > > Well, that’s nice for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that billions of people around the world live by gods commandments and base their decisions upon that ‘moral’ code. > > That’s not a moral code, that’s just obeying orders indiscriminately, which is an amoral position at best. Not a moral one. Hence my use of quotes. You of all people know that the religious will base their actions upon what their book says rather than what is right. I’m pretty sure you’ve argued as much on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/955 "2010-09-21T23:08:03Z")
> [@Doxy](#): > > > [@Uzi](#): > > > > Well, that’s nice for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that billions of people around the world live by gods commandments and base their decisions upon that ‘moral’ code. > > It’s actually quite good for everyone since I don’t try to impose my morals on anyone other than the people I have a societal obligation to teach. Namely, my three children. > > It’s good for society because my personal moral code (and hopefully the personal moral codes my children are developing) won’t let me steal from you or physically harm you unless it’s to protect myself or another blameless person. > My moral code won’t let me see a truly hurting individual without trying to help. > My moral code won’t allow me to turn my face from the plight of the helpless. > My moral code also won’t let me enable someone in doing something harmful to themselves or another. > > The world would be an infinitely better place if everyone minded their own business FIRST. You sound alot more reasonable than the average “busybody” Christian,(not to be confused with most Christians) so I’ll ask this. If you found out about someone in the hospital, dying slowly of a painful disease, or lying obviously brain dead with no hope of recovery, would you appose euthanasia? I know it’s a whole other thread, but it seems to be the “moral” ones that force theor way onto these situations (See Terry Schiavo) ---
**Author:** ![Doxy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Doxy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doxy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/956 "2010-09-21T23:21:07Z")
> [@Mozart1220](#): > > > [@Doxy](#): > > > > It’s actually quite good for everyone since I don’t try to impose my morals on anyone other than the people I have a societal obligation to teach. Namely, my three children. > > > > It’s good for society because my personal moral code (and hopefully the personal moral codes my children are developing) won’t let me steal from you or physically harm you unless it’s to protect myself or another blameless person. > > My moral code won’t let me see a truly hurting individual without trying to help. > > My moral code won’t allow me to turn my face from the plight of the helpless. > > My moral code also won’t let me enable someone in doing something harmful to themselves or another. > > > > The world would be an infinitely better place if everyone minded their own business FIRST. > > You sound alot more reasonable than the average “busybody” Christian,(not to be confused with most Christians) so I’ll ask this. > > If you found out about someone in the hospital, dying slowly of a painful disease, or lying obviously brain dead with no hope of recovery, would you appose euthanasia? I know it’s a whole other thread, but it seems to be the “moral” ones that force theor way onto these situations (See Terry Schiavo) Absolutely NOT! As a matter of fact I was just explaining this on another thread! (How strange!) I actually find it morally REPUGNANT to keep alive a person in chronic pain or someone with a terminal illness that wishes to die. The example I gave was that we euthanize our pets out of a sense of moral obligation to them, yet we refuse to offer this same compassion to our loved ones. On edit: Oh, yeah… the reason I sound more reasonable than the average “busybody” Christian is likely because I’m not a Christian! LOL ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/957 "2010-09-21T23:39:57Z")
> [@Mozart1220](#): > > > [@Uzi](#): > > > > Well, that’s nice for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that billions of people around the world live by gods commandments and base their decisions upon that ‘moral’ code… > > \*\*\*…as they or others interpret them. \*\*\* > > There, I fixed it. No two people on the Earth have the EXACT SAME interpretation of anything, especially their religious “laws”. **Mozart1220** , if you are quoting someone, don’t alter what they write. I see you se off your words in bold, but in the future please don’t do it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/958 "2010-09-22T00:53:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > > [@Mozart1220](#): > > > > There, I fixed it. No two people on the Earth have the EXACT SAME interpretation of anything, especially their religious “laws”. > > **Mozart1220** , if you are quoting someone, don’t alter what they write. I see you se off your words in bold, but in the future please don’t do it at all. I clearly showed that the changes were mine. ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/959 "2010-09-22T00:55:01Z")
> [@Doxy](#): > > > [@Mozart1220](#): > > > > You sound alot more reasonable than the average “busybody” Christian,(not to be confused with most Christians) so I’ll ask this. > > > > If you found out about someone in the hospital, dying slowly of a painful disease, or lying obviously brain dead with no hope of recovery, would you appose euthanasia? I know it’s a whole other thread, but it seems to be the “moral” ones that force theor way onto these situations (See Terry Schiavo) > > Absolutely NOT! As a matter of fact I was just explaining this on another thread! (How strange!) > > I actually find it morally REPUGNANT to keep alive a person in chronic pain or someone with a terminal illness that wishes to die. The example I gave was that we euthanize our pets out of a sense of moral obligation to them, yet we refuse to offer this same compassion to our loved ones. > > On edit: Oh, yeah… the reason I sound more reasonable than the average “busybody” Christian is likely because I’m not a Christian! LOL You seemed to me like one of the sincerely good ones.. my apologies, and also for bad wording. ---
**Author:** ![Doxy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Doxy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doxy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891/960 "2010-09-22T01:32:41Z")
> [@Mozart1220](#): > > > [@Doxy](#): > > > > Absolutely NOT! As a matter of fact I was just explaining this on another thread! (How strange!) > > > > I actually find it morally REPUGNANT to keep alive a person in chronic pain or someone with a terminal illness that wishes to die. The example I gave was that we euthanize our pets out of a sense of moral obligation to them, yet we refuse to offer this same compassion to our loved ones. > > > > On edit: Oh, yeah… the reason I sound more reasonable than the average “busybody” Christian is likely because I’m not a Christian! LOL > > You seemed to me like one of the sincerely good ones.. my apologies, and also for bad wording. No apologies necessary. I know lots of people that are good and of high moral fiber… I’ve noticed a remarkable lack of what we term “religiosity” in all of them. Some self-identify as Christian… others don’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891.md?page=47) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-books-in-the-us-burn-quran-day/550891.md?page=49)