Burning Questions

There's been quite a lot of furor about Re. Terry Jones and his plans to burn the Koran on September 11. Thought I would weigh in on the issue. First off, this is getting way more press than it deserves. But given that, what should be done about it? In my opinion, nothing. Let me preface this by saying I don't agree with what he is doing. I think it is a disrespectful act and not going to accomplish any good.

However, Reverend Jones does have the constitutional right to burn any book he wants in protest. Our government doesn't (and shouldn't) have the power to stop him. I fully support that the government should stay out of it. But as in the issue of the Ground Zero Mosque having the right to do something doesn't make doing it right.

The ones who do have the power to stop this circus are the media. For all their hype about fair unbiased news you can bet that there will be video footage and it will be well publicized. Without media support Rev. Jones would be just another nut on the internet. What if news coverage were limited to one sentence in small print somewhere?

P.S This just in. A Communique from the Vatican states:

  "These deplorable acts of violence, in fact, cannot be counteracted by an outrageous and grave gesture against a book considered sacred by a religious community. Each religion, with its respective sacred books, places of worship and symbols, has the right to respect and protection. We are speaking about the respect to be accorded the dignity of the person who is an adherent of that religion and his/her free choice in religious matters.

  "The reflection which necessarily should be fostered on the occasion of the remembrance of 11 September would be, first of all, to offer our deep sentiments of solidarity with those who were struck by these horrendous terrorist attacks. To this feeling of solidarity we join our prayers for them and their loved ones who lost their lives.

  "Each religious leader and believer is also called to renew the firm condemnation of all forms of violence, in particular those committed in the name of religion. Pope John Paul II affirmed: 'Recourse to violence in the name of religious belief is a perversion of the very teachings of the major religions' (address to the new ambassador of Pakistan, 16 December 1999). His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI similarly expressed, 'violence as a response to offences can never be justified, for this type of response is incompatible with the sacred principles of religion' (address of His Holiness Benedict XVI, to the new ambassador of Morocco, 6 February 2006)".

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