Should the government step in and stop Pastor Terry Jones?
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M$8 Answers
With regard to this issue, I would like to know why it is ok to burn bibles and/or USA flags but it is a controversy to burn the Koran? The USA military recently burned a shipment of Christian bibles that some church managed to get to Afghanistan in order to avoid trouble. Just the plan to burn Korans resulted in widespread USA flag burning. That just ain't right. Our wacko's have the right to burn the Koran, Muslim's can burn the Christian or Jewish bible to their hearts' content, but where do they get off burning our flag? That's for our own protesters to do.
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M$Is the idea of burning a religious book considered sacred by many, in a nation that was founded on a desire for and principle of religious freedom, horrendous? Absolutely! Hypocritical too!!
Does that mean it is justified to trample on someone's right of personal expression (freedom of speech) because we don't agree with them? No, no, and emphatically no!
The government would LOVE to get the go-ahead from the soft-hearted, naive Americans that they should step in, stop this Minister and "save our troops." Add that new power to the Patriot Act and the government can pretty much dictate absolutely everything in your life. And please do not trick yourself by saying that essentially they can do that now anyway, as an excuse not to fight for the precious few freedoms you have left.
Individual liberties in this nation are more sacred than religious beliefs, as contrary as that may seem. If those liberties are trampled, then so is all religion at any time it falls out of favor with the reigning powers that be.
It's a nasty bit of business, an extremist Christian shaking his (burning Koran) fist at extremist jihads. Pray our troops do not pay the penalty. Pray still that our citizens, who seem to be the favorite target of jihads, do not pay the penalty.
But pray harder that the George Soros puppets in D.C. don't jump on this opportunity to upend freedom of speech rights for everyone. If just one incident of stifling freedom of speech is considered justifiable, all freedom of speech is lost (eventually). Just look what they did with the Rico Act.
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M$
We may agree on this one. Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion trump sensitive feelings. Period. !!!
The more I think about it, having the government stop this minister to "save our troops" might be the ultimate slap across the face for our troops who are in the Middle East attempting to bring these very liberties to intensely restrictive cultures. (Not that I necessarily agree that Western culture is the end all and therefore should be applied everywhere; that discussion is for another day. But I do unreservedly believe that terrorism is a blight on the entire human race and this element of any culture must be eradicated.)
I just think we have to be conscious that our troops don't need us to blink (re liberties) when they are putting their lives on the line for it, and especially not in their name!
The Dove Outreach Center is said to have a congregation of 50. As of the 2006 tax records, the ministry had assets of over a half million dollars and an income of almost quarter million dollars. The City of Gainsville revoked the tax exemption from a portion of the property as the good pastor ran a for-profit furniture business from the property. Can you say “tax evasion?”
There is also indication that this good pastor has been running a world - wide furniture enterprise under the cover of guise of a charity. There is also indication that he was asked to leave Germany because of these shadow dealings. That and because he could not show any proof for his use of the title of “Doctor.”
I am sure that the good Pastor upholds the sanctity of life. However, he persists in advertising the book burning when high level military leaders of the current American war efforts say that American military personnel will become increased targets. Is the right to burn a book worth just one American hero’s life? Glenn Beck just held a rally to support our American heroes in the military. Are American soldiers only heroes if they perish in a combat situations?
Yes, the First Amendment protects scoundrels. The question is does this right apply to those seeking personal financial gain by fraudulent means. He has garnered the support of major media pundits who are also working as paid employees of an enterprise which converts causes to ratings and then into revenue. It has become a part of the Great American Buyocracy. The highest American right has become the right to make a buck - decency, civility and truth be darned.
Should the government step in to stop this travesty? No, but the American people should not be protecting a thief who is stealing our leader's time and putting fellow American lives in danger. The better question is:"What will it take for Americans to exercise their right to switch the dial when the hired help raise up scoundrels for profit.?"
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M$
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M$What goes around, comes around.
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M$
Yeah, that's right. I'd forgotten about that.
Last year, with less media attention, another two bit preacher announced he was burning a stack of bibles (he was a King James fan and didn't like the other versions). The local fire department threatened to fine him, so he wound up shredding them instead. The media was disappointed for reasons unclear to me.
The Bible, Youtube, CNN
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M$
Any government agency that stepped in to stop him from specifically doing this act would be in violation of the 1st Amendment. There are other reasons that could cause them to step in...like weapons violations, tax issues, or even immigrations issues. The problem is, it would still top off a lot of people about a civil rights violation.
United States Constitution
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M$I am all about free speech, but burning books is not free speech. In fact it is the opposite of free speech, it is the beginning of the END of freedom. Just because others have burned the bible, burned the flag...well we don't need to stoop down to that level in this country, again.... I completely agree with
Heinrich Heine....."Wherever they burn books, in the end will also burn human beings." - Heinrich Heine
If you would like to know more about the history of book burning throughout the world check out
Bosmajian, Haig. Burning Books. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2006. 233p. alk. paper, $39.95 (ISBN 9780786422081). LC 2005-35201.
The titles of the main chapters of this book are: "The Magic of Books and Fire," "Burning Blasphemous-Heretical Books," "Burning Seditious-Subversive Books," and "Burning Obscene-Immoral Books.
and just a thought....how many water balloons would it take to prevent a bonfire? AND ...remember only you can prevent forest...I mean book fires.
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M$
Hey, why is that bear in the background Christian? Jews pray standing up, Muslims pray prostrated, and Pastafarians pray swinging from the rigging. Real bears, um, well real bears pray on all four feet, moving fast, when it comes to a forest fire. And are they going to eat the fawn, or what?
No wait, not water balloons, I can just imagine a flash mob with Nerf Super Soakers...1000s of Nerf Super Soakers
@albanian that is a great question, and you are very observant, I didn't even notice that the bear was praying LOL!
I agree, @albanian, but I have to admit that I kind of like the approach that was taken, albeit a covert one. Pastor Jones said that the only way that he would stop was if he had a "sign from God." Today, both President Obama and Sarah Palin denounced what the man was doing. If the two of them can agree on something, then it *must* be a miracle! Even in the Bible there are accounts of God speaking through politicians. Surely pastor Terry Jones can understand this.
The good pastor found his sign, as they usually do when convenient. I came across a good article in, of all places, Aljazeera.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/09/201099184720360588.html
I'm glad to see them clarifying this, at least for the educated Muslims who read their articles.
And, just as an aside, I really do get my news from all the sources on Google, which is vastly preferable to watching Fox in all respects. I don't agree with Aljazeera often, to put it mildly, but I do check on their stories along with the rest of the worlds'.
http://english.aljazeera.net/
I almost forgot the real question. No, our government has no power to stop anyone burning any book and cannot prevent this. The local (town) government can prevent a bonfire. When another wacko church wanted to burn bibles that it regarded as bad translations, the town forbid it. So the church shredded the bibles, which was for some reason less newsworthy.