ChurchWatch
Join Craig von Buseck weekdays as he shares his perspective on the major trends and news affecting the Body of Christ today.
Craig von Buseck
By now, most people have heard the reports that a virtually unknown minister, Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, plans to mark the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington by burning copies of the Quran.
The QuranJones said he will still go ahead with the event despite U.S. official warnings it will endanger American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. "We are still determined to do it, yes," Jones told the CBS "Early Morning" show.
Earlier this week, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, issued a statement criticizing the plan to burn copies of the Quran on September 11, warning the demonstration "could cause significant problems" for American troops overseas.
"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan," General Petraeus said.
Petraeus warned that burning Qurans "is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems -- not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."
Jones insists the event is "neither an act of love nor of hate," but a warning against what he calls the threats posed by Islam.
But other Christian leaders disagree and have been vocal in their opposition to what is being called a dangerous publicity stunt.
On The 700 Club, Pat Robertson asked the question, "Can you imagine a pastor that is so egotistical that he would sacrifice the lives of missionaries and soldiers to go forward with it? … This guy is looking for attention. He's looking for publicity. … I think it's horrible what this guy is doing."
Open Doors USA President, Carl Moeller reacted with a strong warning. “The planned burning of the Quran is a disaster on two fronts: It violates the command of Jesus to love our neighbor and it would likely cause Christians worldwide to be more vilified and persecuted.”
Moeller says a possible Muslim backlash would probably focus on Christians living in predominately Muslim countries who already are caught in the crossfire, including those who have converted from Islam to Christianity.
“The burning of Qurans will only confirm what many Muslims believe – that Christians hate Muslims. That is exactly the opposite message we as Christians want to send."
“I urge the Dove World Outreach Center and its senior pastor, Terry Jones, to cancel the event," Moeller pleaded. "Hate is not biblical; it is not the message of Jesus.”
J. Lee Grady of Charisma Magazine declared, "Rev. Terry Jones does not speak for charismatic Christians, and his brand of fire-breathing judgmentalism doesn't even remotely resemble the message of Jesus Christ. I am praying that he will repent and renounce his outrageous intentions before the time arrives to strike the first match."
Grady points out that the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), which represents numerous Pentecostal denominations and charismatic fellowships, denounced Jones' actions in a recent statement. "The NAE calls on its members to cultivate relationships of trust and respect with our neighbours of other faiths. God created human beings in His image, and therefore all should be treated with dignity and respect," the statement said.
Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition wrote, "I heard someone call the Dove World Outreach Center’s 'Burn a Koran Day' a 'stunt' earlier today and I thought that captured it pretty well. Burning books takes on a very ominous tone because it is so closely associated with the Nazis. It is being done for one purpose – publicity. Like that Kansas pastor who shows up at military funerals with his crude signs, the Florida pastor is anxious for his 15 minutes of fame and he’ll do anything to get it."
Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship explains that this act is not only un-Christian, but it is also un-American. "The unique thing about the United States is that we are prepared to fight for and defend every single individual’s right to his or her choice to practice the religion of their choice. We learn to respect our differences in a free, pluralistic society."
"I find Jones’s plan to burn the Koran foolish and contemptible," Colson declared. "It poses dangers Jones has either overlooked or chooses to ignore.
Dr. John Rankin, president of the Theological Education Institute warns, if Jones burns the Qur’an, “the images will reverberate on the Internet internationally, and this could lead to unparalleled fury in the Muslim world.”
Colson agrees and points out that most of that fury will be directed into violence against Christians in Muslim areas throughout the world. "If Jones goes through with this horrid plan, people—Christian people—will suffer and some will die."
Secretary of State Clinton has condemned the church's plans during her remarks at a State Department dinner she hosted in observance of Iftar, the breaking of the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "I am heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come from American religious leaders of all faiths," Clinton said.
CNN is reporting that religious leaders in Gainesville have planned an event billed as a "Gathering for Peace, Understanding and Hope" on September 10, in response to the Jones' Quran burning plan.
Carl Moeller stated the case in plain language. "We will most likely see Christians killed around the world because of these Quran burnings."
So here's my take on this issue: I think we need to go back to the words of Jesus when confronted with these kinds of inflammatory and antagonistic actions.
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44, ESV)
Nothing more needs to be said.
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