Very well said.

Just because the preacher CAN do something doesn't mean the preacher SHOULD do something (like burning Korans as expression of First Amendment rights). He delayed the original burning because of the projected impact as explained to him (i.e. this very thing).

I wonder why he went through with it now, other than the fact he's an idiot.

Kind of like yelling out Fire in a crowded theater. If someone gets trampled you can get charged.

Convert now........
 

Convert now - avoid the rush.


http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/in...&pagename=News

".........Thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes in Western Ethiopia after Muslim extremists set alight approximately 50 churches and dozens of Christian homes. ............"

"........One of those areas is Besheno where, on November 9, all the Christians in the city woke up to find notes on their doors warning them to convert to Islam, leave the city or face death............."

I wonder what the chances were, considering there were muslims that died on 9/11, that at least one of them had a Quran tucked away in their desk at one of the WTCs, and if this is the case, then a Quran was already burned long ago.

On a different note, if the muslim community holds the Quran in such high regard, if we place a copy on airliners, will the extremists think twice before attempting to bring one down?

Yes, and for the reasons you cite some of us believe it's actually not a religion but an extremely dangerous ideology. How many time must it be demonstrated/exposed that it is such before we sit up and take notice?

I also think the pastor stupid, but then again I've never met an intelligent "man of the cloth". As was said the pastor was merely exercising his constitutional freedoms and we're ready to inflict pain on an American for doing something that is protected by the Constitution of the United States? Think.

Why are we as Americans getting upset over the fact that someone is exercising his constitutional freedoms??

This is a battle of ideologies, has been for centuries. Freemen will not "convert" nor will the extremists convert us.

When we start giving up "Our" (Western) Freedoms to appease islam or the muslims then I would say that our freedoms are no longer worth fighting for....

Same shit different day, the battle continues.

Holly:

I refer you to RTK's comments.

Furthermore, there is a difference between expressing ones First Amendment rights and being a sensationalist. I dont believe we should bow to anyone least not to Islam...but there is nothing to be gained by being an asshat either.

Crip

1. What happens if you meet the people who stole rifles and shot up innocent people?

2. After you get done punching the preacher, what will be your argument against his position?

When did the Western world become so afraid of Islam that we are afraid to call a spade a spade? If Person A performs a lawful action, and Person B's response is murder, rape, arson, or any other immoral act(s), why should we denigrate Person A, and ignore Person B? Is this indirectly condoning/allowing Person B's reaction?

It is regrettable that the Preacher's actions have made your job tougher. Policemen make my job tougher. Every time they arrest someone, I wind up working harder, because I have to decide the case. However, this is the price we pay to have some semblance of a just, safe society. If the cops ignore the criminals, my life will be easier, but the criminals' neighbors/victims will be much worse off.

In my humble opinion, all the Pastor did was cause a bunch of criminals to point a light upon themselves, allowing the world to see just how evil they are. If they are evil because of their religion, we need to know.

I sincerely regret that our military's mission has been made just that much more difficult by the actions of one idiotic preacher. In my day it was usually the liberal media morons trying to get a big scoop that would put our lives in danger.

Pastor Jones, one day, announced that he would burn a Quran and then, supposedly, was talked out of it by U.S. representatives that explained to him the circumstances to be faced by the U.S. military if the burning occurred. He acquiesced and after a period of time went ahead and did it anyway, filmed it and posted it on the internet. In my opinion, he knew exactly what he was doing and what the results would be. He is being his own agent provocateur.
He wants to flame Muslim anger towards the U.S., because he probably has it in his mind that this will all escalate and spiral into a war between Muslims and non-Muslims and he is putting his money on the non-Muslims.

I do not agree with what Pastor Jones did in any way, shape or form. I would never think of doing it because I would not disrespect someone's beliefs in such a manner and secondly, because it would obviously put our troops in further un-warranted peril. Unfortunately his right to do so is protected by his "freedom of speech", but like "Pete" suggested, Pastor Jones doing so is not too dissimilar from yelling "Fire!" in a crowded movie theatre. He knew what the result would be, so maybe there is a means by which to punish him within the laws of this country.

As far as "akv" not thinking that there is a good possibility that the next world-wide war will be between Muslims and non-believers, the only thing that I can say is "Wake up!"

"Viking" was right when he said,

Read the Quran and you will see passages that direct the reader on everything from the first thing you do from the moment that you awaken in the morning to wiping your own arse. It is much more invasive into an individual's life than the Bible could ever hope to be. And if you cannot find a passage that tells you what to do in any specific instance, you need only go to the nearest Imam and he will interpret a passge for you that he says pertains to your problem. The one passage that has always stuck in my mind is the one that states that "all non-believers shall be made believers and if this does not come to pass, then they should be killed". (I am sorry that I am paraphrasing here. I wish that I could quote the actual passgae and phrasing, but my Quran is at the bottom of one of the many boxes in the spare bedroom waiting for moving).

This is not to say that the religions of the western world have never done pretty much the same thing and maybe are still doing it to a lesser degree. The Crusades and the Spanish Conquistadors were good examples. The historical slogan for the conquisatdors was, "God, Gold and Glory". But at least the conquistadors had two stated hobbies other than the religios aspect of their actions; Money and Fame. The radical Muslims just claim religious justification for killing anyone who does not believe and go on their merry way.

I sincerely hope that it does not come to an "us vs. them" battle, but even my, self-proclaimed, "Muslim-lite" friends think that it is almost inevitable.

Crip,

Thank you for the response, as it does shed light on your post, for me.

Am in agreement that sensationalism, is not a good thing.

However, if it were not sensationalized, then we would not be talking about it, and "they" would not know about it, hence they would believe that "we" as Americans agreed to bow to them...out of fear?

Just my small little opinion.....which is always learning new things.:o

Holly

Reid: Probe of Quran Burning Considered
 

Reid: Probe of Quran Burning Considered

Well, it appears some in congress agree with some of the posters here. Islam is a protected religion it would appear.

http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/H...4/03/id/391567

"........Sen. Lindsey Graham said Congress might need to explore the need to limit some forms of freedom of speech, in light of Tennessee pastor Terry Jones’ Quran burning, and how such actions result in enabling U.S. enemies............"

So where do we draw the line on what is protected? It's clear the Flag is fair game. Any who get POed when it is burned are told to get a thicker skin. The Bible and Christian items are fair game - Piss Christ. But if it POs Muslims it's a no-no? Infidels PO Muslims - so convert now - avoid the rush. Once Islam becomes the law of the land there will be long lines down at the corner mosque of those converting.

All we need to do to get equal protection is run out and cause death and destruction anytime some person or group defaces any of our sacred items.

The guys on the ground
 

It is easy for us to have different opinions as far away from the frontlines as San Francisco or rural Pennsylvania. These notions of absolutes, all Muslims are this unified mindless evil collective, we must just nuke from orbit, doesn't seem to mesh with feedback we are getting from our troops on the ground, the BTDT types who have been and are serving in the Middle East with direct experience. Consider sources as diverse and respected as, Major Gant, CMM Mike Hall, SGM Billy Waugh, not to mention those members of this BB who have served or are currently serving in the region. The messages we are getting is its a tough mission, a different culture and mindset. The people in this part of the world are survivors, some good some bad, and that is their reality. We have returning vets talking about their sympathy for Iraqi or Afghan women, and kids, sure the insurgents are barbaric. We have Americans living among Afghans and Iraqui Muslims, working with them, training and fighting alongside local security forces. We hear about the corruption and challenges. We are not hearing that Iraquis or Afghans taken as a whole are evil, and most are Muslims.

It's a simple question, do the bulk of these thousands of Americans who have direct recent experience living among Muslims abroad in war feel they are all the same and incorrigible? Should we simply pull out and nuke every Muslim man woman and child because they are all just evil? Or do they feel it's brutal over there, these people are survivors, on the whole just like people anywhere some good, some bad, most in between, if we want to win them over for our own security, we better prove we are stronger than the wolves who prey on them. We are not hearing such absolutes or mass condemnations from accounts of those in harm's way, or those who have served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Though as BuffaloBob sagely noted, some idiot, coward, pastor, who doesn't have the stones to fly to Kabaul to burn his Korans, a guy whose biggest daily risk is wearing mismatched socks, is pounding away about holy war and the evils of Islam from his couch in Florida.

You talk of wakeup calls, there are certainly dangers from the Islamists to us all. My wake up call to your line of thinking is when I hear similar thoughts from the likes of Viking or blue02hd, men who are on the front lines living and working alongside Muslims, read their posts very carefully, their views on the people over there and Islam carry much more weight in my book than some guy in Florida trying to get air time.

Senator Graham may have other reasons for limiting free speech, having been in the press himself:

Would anyone seriously consider changing the freedoms we have under our constitution because a party who doesn't give a rat's ass about our constitution got annoyed? If that happens, they've won already. Why are we fighting terrorism? Might as well roll over and show our bellies. :( That idiot Graham should be impeached, or recalled or whatever it is they do to idiots in government.

Susan

So should Islam......
 

So should Islam be protected by law in the US?

Should it be a hate crime to deface a Koran in America?

Should all Americans (who are not Muslim) have to watch their step and avoid POing Muslims? Can I have a pig pickin' in my back yard if my neighbor is a Muslim? If he tells me he's offended I'm having pork and I tell him to piss off did I just commit a hate crime?

How far should we go? Where do we draw the line? Should a line be drawn?

Can Islam live in peace with western values?

Lets see how Egypt turns out in September. Lets see how well the Coptics and secularists fare in the elections.

Me? I believe what they say. They say they aren't here to live in peace with the west but to convert it to Islam.

Ron Hubbard said it best. The esiest way to get rich and powerful. Invent a new religion. So he invented one.
Religion is about controlling the masses. Thats all it has ever been about.