captaincaveman

So, it seems the tiny church in Florida has ignited a major international outcry with its planned koran burning party.

It appears not to actually matter that nothing has, as yet, been burned. The faithful are already on the streets and muslim politicians are having a field day.

I could go on about the routine church and bible burning in muslim countries - but is there any point, oh the irony and hypocrisy !!!!

Oh well - at least they pay well.

littlejimmy

You could, but it's not really the point here. It's just needlessly provocative. They know exactly what kind of reaction they are going to get, and are making the most of their fifteen minutes of fame. it is nutters winding up nutters...but the rest of us could suffer the fall-out.

MacScot

Sadly, people are probably going to die because of this pastor's actions, especially in Afghanistan, where there is expected to be a flurry of 'human' bombs against the coalition forces.

Grace O Malley

Apparently this pastor is now speaking to the man upstairs and awaits his guidance....

This church has a max of 50 members, says a lot....

Charismatic

I support him but I don’t think he goes far enough. There is plenty more religious material just asking for a match, don't stop half way through a good thing .

seven seas

routine church and bible burning? Really? Or just made up? The only incidents I've heard of are spontaneous rampages by packs of animals in shithole countries. Certainly nothing as organised and publicised as this.

Charismatic- that's easy for you to say, over there in NZ. The rest of the world is facing a serious issue.

There IS an element of exaggerated indignation and delight at having yet another opportunity to act like scum. Will you focus on that element, or on the majority that vastly outnumbers them who will continue to behave like normal people?

(as a committed atheist it hurts me to say this kinda stuff. But most people aren't murderous wife beaters)

shakh your bootie

I think the CIA should abduct the ****, and deposit hi in downtown Tehran. Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, I say.

MacScot

They'll go to him whether a fatwa is declared or not...he'll be the new Salman Rushdie, which he'll have brought upon himself.

Ray

just announced ..the burning is off

hnd

I just find all this so very, very depressing. I thought religion (with a small "r") preached peace - shame some/all can't practice what they preach

Charismatic

We can only wish people on all sides would take religion a little less seriously really . I personally was very upset to hear they had no plans to buy carbon offset credits, anger between irrational religious zealots is nothing new but there are innocent people caught in the global warming crossfire.

Incidentally I’m going to conduct my own burning of Principia Mathematica, Watson & Cricks 1953 paper titled “A structure for DNA” and a book about Advanced particle physics. I expect the scientific establishment to be outraged....

nogoingback

As a radical atheist, I believe we should stand up and be counted when idiots like this pastor risk inflaming the majority of unthinking Muslims and other unthinking religions.

When I say stand up and be counted I mean stand with the idiot pastor and defend his right to free speech as this is the first pillar of our civilization in the west.
It is easy to give ground to groups/religions but a line must be drawn and then no more. We will find our way of life destroyed if we keep on submitting to the whims of mythology which all religions are.

I am not here to inflame an already incendiary issue but I relish discussion with any body who can put forward a clear argument for their position but the religious people I have tried to reason with soon become angry when they can not explain why the Koran/bible is any more true than Harry Potter.

If religion is a Personal issue then keep it in your heart and stop pushing your mythology on others e.g. all the crap here in the ME about how god wants women to be second class citizens dressed in black from head to foot or how homosexuality is a crime against god, FFS.

If there was this mythical creature god and he was so concerned about us doing things which were so bad then surely he would have made us as robots without free thought.

As you can see I feel very strongly about this subject. I would defend anybody who's freedom of speech is threatened with very few limits(Pedophiles and hate towards women & homosexuals etc.) Even the right of Muslims to call the West disgusting,sick and decadent.

Sorry for the long post but we in the West must explain and defend that most precious of our freedoms, Free speech.

Genesis

This bloke is one evil bastard. He cares not a jot about anyone else only about his own mad beliefs. There is no doubt that many innocent people will be slaughtered if he goes ahead with it. The Koran is a holy book just like the bible, what does he expect from such a haenous act? I have no religion at all but respect the sanctity of others beliefs. So should he, especially as he reckons he's got God.

Tockalosh

To put another slant on this, I was in Saudi yesterday for a meeting with a very bearded local chap. At the end of the meeting we got chatting about this very issue and what he said was quite wise
Basically the printed paper is not the essence of Islam. Its just a method of propogating and supporting the intent. What is of importance is the message and intent so this idiot in the US is just making himself a fool and a target because he cant harm the message

Was impressed to be honest. Of course he is only 1 voice of wisdom in 8 billion nutters who will now want the pastor assisnated along with the rest of his Kaffur compatriates. If only the muslims in the Middle East realized how dim 95% of Americans are, then perhaps they wouldnt listen to them as much

Hello.Kitty

there's freedom of speech and inciting hatred through our freedom of speech. Would we feel it a correct use of freedom of speech if an Imam organised a Burn the Bible Day? No.

Nor is it a measured, rational response to the issue. It has no argumentative power and won't have any consequence on the outcome, having been dismissed as the act of a group of lunatics... ironically, just like the terrorist attacks that started this whole sorry story.

As for it being cancelled or postponed, well... there's a surprise, but sorry to say, the horse has already bolted. This dimwit planted the idea in the minds of many and regardless of whether he does or doesn't, there will be some who do... and he will be responsible for it.

I wonder if he thought his little stunt was worth dying for?