Quran Burning Incident

[oOGarrettOo]

For those who haven't heard, a Pastor in Gainesville, Florida, oversaw the "trial" and burning of hundreds of copies of he Quran. This, unsurprisingly, caused riots and violent displays in and around the Middle East.

CNN's Cover

I hope I'm not the only one completely appalled by this.

Do you think by burning this book, even though it is a holy book, they are within their rights as American's to deface it, or should something be done, some reprimand, for this heinous act? Would your feeling's on this change if it were any other holy book/document? What are your opinions on the riots and such?


PS. If this needs moved, please do so, I wasn't sure where to put it.  

[IIBlack-Embers48II]

I think its fine, personally. Anyone has the rights in America to Freedom of Speech. But! That doesn't mean I think its smart. Just because you dont like a certain religion, doesn't mean you should say you hate it, or tell the believers that their wrong, or try to convert them. Especially if they are very strong rooted in their believes or something like that. I dont do that. People should have more open minds. Everyone is so closed minded these days... But, anyway, I have also heard report of Muslims burning Christian Bibles before. Do the Christians get all upset and start riots? I haven't hear of any...

 

[Esiris]

IIBlack-Embers48II

Do the Christians get all upset and start riots? I haven't hear of any...

The November Riots- Christians in Egypt didn't want to follow the building code. So it's not even about defacing something sacred- it's about being allowed to build a building.

I find what Terry Jones did to be disgusting and bigoted- but I'm glad it isn't illegal. He's doing it because he thinks his religion tells him to- as long as he doesn't cross the line, inciting violence or attacks someone, it should remain legal. We can't police people's bad taste and bigotry until it actually hurts others.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

I wish that jerk would change his name. I keep thinking it's the ACTUAL Terry Jones.

ETA: I personally would not be open minded about someone desecrating a sacred symbol of my religion and culture. I would be pissed off. Granted I would probably write a pissy letter to a newspaper rather than kill a UN official, but y'know.  

[Aakosir]

It's just outright disrespectful. How would they feel if someone decided to have a mass burning of Bibles?  

[kage no neko]

I think he's being a little stupid in doing so, but he has the right. Just like they'd have the right to hold a bible burning.
Maybe it's because I don't have any "holy book", but I don't really see what it matters as long as it's not your own private book. Yeah, it's an insult to your religion (and therefore the followers)... but they're not actually harming anyone. And I think the point of it IS to be an insult.  

[Venra Axel Prey]

*sigh* Sometimes it seems like our freedom to speech overruns our freedom to religion.
Sure, he technically has the right to burn a saced text. That doesn't mean it is right, morally or otherwise.
This guy disgusts me. How on earth can you hold a holy book--for that matter, any book--on trial? Let alone find it guilty of anything! If it bothers you, don't read it. If the religion bothers you, don't practice it. Problem solved. No burning required!  

[Bad Quality Serena]

rolleyes He is so ignorant. He knows nothing about his own religion,Or anything about the Quran.  

[Esiris]

Venra Axel Prey

*sigh* Sometimes it seems like our freedom to speech overruns our freedom to religion.

Both of these freedoms only say the Government won't infringe on those rights- they don't mean that we're protected from private groups or people.

Quote:

How on earth can you hold a holy book--for that matter, any book--on trial? Let alone find it guilty of anything! If it bothers you, don't read it. If the religion bothers you, don't practice it. Problem solved. No burning required!

I've been reading a lot of stuff- here on Gaia and in local bookshops- there are some people who teach that Wicca involves incest- and they claim to be Wiccan in their book.

I think that book and it's authors are guilty of something- what I can't say since I don't know the Law. Do you think they should be stopped?  

[Aakosir]

Esiris

Quote:

How on earth can you hold a holy book--for that matter, any book--on trial? Let alone find it guilty of anything! If it bothers you, don't read it. If the religion bothers you, don't practice it. Problem solved. No burning required!

I've been reading a lot of stuff- here on Gaia and in local bookshops- there are some people who teach that Wicca involves incest- and they claim to be Wiccan in their book.

Sadly, freedom of press does not limit people to only publishing the truth... Hopefully people are smart enough to realize these imposters are just that, imposters. But there are people who will believe it...  

[Esiris]

Aakosir

Esiris

Quote:

How on earth can you hold a holy book--for that matter, any book--on trial? Let alone find it guilty of anything! If it bothers you, don't read it. If the religion bothers you, don't practice it. Problem solved. No burning required!

I've been reading a lot of stuff- here on Gaia and in local bookshops- there are some people who teach that Wicca involves incest- and they claim to be Wiccan in their book.

Sadly, freedom of press does not limit people to only publishing the truth... Hopefully people are smart enough to realize these imposters are just that, imposters. But there are people who will believe it...

I don't think book authors are protected by the whole Freedom of the Press.  

[Aakosir]

Esiris

Aakosir

Esiris

Quote:

How on earth can you hold a holy book--for that matter, any book--on trial? Let alone find it guilty of anything! If it bothers you, don't read it. If the religion bothers you, don't practice it. Problem solved. No burning required!

I've been reading a lot of stuff- here on Gaia and in local bookshops- there are some people who teach that Wicca involves incest- and they claim to be Wiccan in their book.

Sadly, freedom of press does not limit people to only publishing the truth... Hopefully people are smart enough to realize these imposters are just that, imposters. But there are people who will believe it...

I don't think book authors are protected by the whole Freedom of the Press.

No, pretty much everyone who writes/says something is. Why would we be able to descriminate against one type of person? College students are able to post blogs about teachers without consequences, so why wouldn't an author be able to write whatever they want?  

[Esiris]

Aakosir

No, pretty much everyone who writes/says something is. Why would we be able to descriminate against one type of person?

Because the US founding Fathers made a distinction between Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press.

I think they make a distinction between periodicals- no matter what form they take, and books.  

[Aakosir]

I was just having a conversation with someone and they said, if they felt like spending the money, they would burn one everyday. As the conversation progressed, I realized that person is absolutely ignorant and biased. He totally misunderstands the teachings of the Quran and does not care to actually look up what it says... I don't understand how someone could be so ignorant and biased and be okay with it. He is dead wrong about what he thinks it teaches, but I know me trying to educate him will not work... He's one of those who will use this site that has all the bad parts quoted and taken out of text to say "Nuh uh, this came directly from it"... I already tried to say that Christians even take parts of the bible out of context and interpret it to benefit their wrong doings, which not just Christians do. Every religion has people that do this. And some people, like the person who made this site, do it to make a bad name for others for who knows what reason...

So a lot of this crap comes from blatant ignorance and refusal to learn the truth... I guess their little world where everyone is out to kill them is better than the truth  

[Aakosir]

Esiris

Aakosir

No, pretty much everyone who writes/says something is. Why would we be able to descriminate against one type of person?

Because the US founding Fathers made a distinction between Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press.

I think they make a distinction between periodicals- no matter what form they take, and books.

No actually. There is a lot of... misunderstanding about the true meaning of what they wrote. There are many college papers that analyze the meanings. But either way, if you publish a book, what you have written will be protected.