There have been two events that have sparked some attention in news headlines recently. One of them was the proposal by American Pastor Terry Jones to burn the Koran on September 11 2010 "to remember those who were brutally murdered on September 11th 2001" and to send a warning "to the radical element of Islam":
http://www.news.com.au/world/us-pastor-terry-jones-promises-to-hold-koran-burning/story-e6frfkyi-1225915614362#ixzz0zSHwDFxG
The other is by Australian Alex Stewart who made a youtube video of himself ripping pages out of both the bible and the Koran and smoking them:
http://www.news.com.au/national/lawyer-alex-stewart-smokes-pages-from-the-koran-and-bible-and-says-we-should-get-over-book-burning/story-e6frfkvr-1225919970728
When I first read about the Koran burning pastor, I was outraged. Like many other people, believer and non believer alike. I could not comprehend what this man was trying to achieve by his actions or how he thought burning a holy book that over a billion people profess a faith in would help the victims of the September 11 attack. So it should be no surprise than that I struggled to justify the actions of Alex Stewart.
Now I am not religious in any sense. I will be the first one to tell you that and I actually agree with Alex when he says:
"It's just a fucking book, who cares? It's your beliefs that matter”
And after looking through the comments, I found it quite interesting a few Christians agreed as well:
Mal Posted at 9:20 AM September 13, 2010. Good on you Alex! What is so terrible about burning the Koran or bible? Only the superstitions in our minds. It's just paper and ink - get over it!! And I say that as a Christian. Comment 82 of 160
Jonathan of Sydney Posted at 9:19 AM September 13, 2010. Being a Christian I quite like this. The bloke is entirely correct of course. It has nothing to do with the paper, it's the actual message inside it that counts. Comment 80 of 160
dnb Posted at 2:17 PM September 13, 2010. I'm a Christian and a conservative one. For me they can burn whatever books they wanted, Bible is not the exception. Like this guy said it just a book. I have it though on my iPhone as apps. so who cares. But if you burn my iPhone, you got to pay me for it or give me an iPhone4. I'll take that. :-). Comment 121 of 160
I just wished to God (figure of speech) he had expressed it through words instead of such a strong demonstration of unbelief. If he had to express his concern through such strong actions then he should have at least included not only religious books but much loved secular and atheist literature as well, such as Richard Dawkin’s “The God delusion” and Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”. Just to really drive home the point that the books themselves are not what’s important.
Clearly the man must have known the repercussions of his actions before going through with them. He would have know full well he would be offending a lot of people and didn’t seem to care that much. I agree there are people out there that take religion to the extreme and take their religious faith far too serious. But what should our response be, more intolerance and purposely offensive behaviour? Do we really think this will resolve the issue?
What did Alex really think believers (the audience I assume he was trying to reach) would take from his video?
“Oh yeah, because you just smoked the bile and Koran, I guess the book I’ve believed in all my life really is bullshit. Thanks Alex.”
Whether I believe in any holy books or not is irrelevant. People do. And not just those annoying, outspoken, in your face believers, but also the old woman who has been through nothing but hardship all her life, and it wasn’t the Australian atheist institute that helped her through life. It was her faith, her faith in the words of a particular holy book. Is she hurting anyone, no. Is she trying to convert the world to her belief system, no. Shes simply holding onto a belief that helps her through hard times. Religious faith should always be a personal matter. An openly discussed, thought out, researched but personal matter.
Has political correctness gone too far in our society?
Yes, I believe it has.
Should religious belief be analysed and critiqued like any other discourse?
Yes, it should.
Is the answer to start burning anything and everything that gives people a little hope to their lives?
No, I think if we really put our minds to it we can come up with a far more civil and productive way to have an open ended conversation about religious faith in our society.
Jason
http://www.news.com.au/world/us-pastor-terry-jones-promises-to-hold-koran-burning/story-e6frfkyi-1225915614362#ixzz0zSHwDFxG
The other is by Australian Alex Stewart who made a youtube video of himself ripping pages out of both the bible and the Koran and smoking them:
http://www.news.com.au/national/lawyer-alex-stewart-smokes-pages-from-the-koran-and-bible-and-says-we-should-get-over-book-burning/story-e6frfkvr-1225919970728
When I first read about the Koran burning pastor, I was outraged. Like many other people, believer and non believer alike. I could not comprehend what this man was trying to achieve by his actions or how he thought burning a holy book that over a billion people profess a faith in would help the victims of the September 11 attack. So it should be no surprise than that I struggled to justify the actions of Alex Stewart.
Now I am not religious in any sense. I will be the first one to tell you that and I actually agree with Alex when he says:
"It's just a fucking book, who cares? It's your beliefs that matter”
And after looking through the comments, I found it quite interesting a few Christians agreed as well:
Mal Posted at 9:20 AM September 13, 2010. Good on you Alex! What is so terrible about burning the Koran or bible? Only the superstitions in our minds. It's just paper and ink - get over it!! And I say that as a Christian. Comment 82 of 160
Jonathan of Sydney Posted at 9:19 AM September 13, 2010. Being a Christian I quite like this. The bloke is entirely correct of course. It has nothing to do with the paper, it's the actual message inside it that counts. Comment 80 of 160
dnb Posted at 2:17 PM September 13, 2010. I'm a Christian and a conservative one. For me they can burn whatever books they wanted, Bible is not the exception. Like this guy said it just a book. I have it though on my iPhone as apps. so who cares. But if you burn my iPhone, you got to pay me for it or give me an iPhone4. I'll take that. :-). Comment 121 of 160
I just wished to God (figure of speech) he had expressed it through words instead of such a strong demonstration of unbelief. If he had to express his concern through such strong actions then he should have at least included not only religious books but much loved secular and atheist literature as well, such as Richard Dawkin’s “The God delusion” and Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”. Just to really drive home the point that the books themselves are not what’s important.
Clearly the man must have known the repercussions of his actions before going through with them. He would have know full well he would be offending a lot of people and didn’t seem to care that much. I agree there are people out there that take religion to the extreme and take their religious faith far too serious. But what should our response be, more intolerance and purposely offensive behaviour? Do we really think this will resolve the issue?
What did Alex really think believers (the audience I assume he was trying to reach) would take from his video?
“Oh yeah, because you just smoked the bile and Koran, I guess the book I’ve believed in all my life really is bullshit. Thanks Alex.”
Whether I believe in any holy books or not is irrelevant. People do. And not just those annoying, outspoken, in your face believers, but also the old woman who has been through nothing but hardship all her life, and it wasn’t the Australian atheist institute that helped her through life. It was her faith, her faith in the words of a particular holy book. Is she hurting anyone, no. Is she trying to convert the world to her belief system, no. Shes simply holding onto a belief that helps her through hard times. Religious faith should always be a personal matter. An openly discussed, thought out, researched but personal matter.
Has political correctness gone too far in our society?
Yes, I believe it has.
Should religious belief be analysed and critiqued like any other discourse?
Yes, it should.
Is the answer to start burning anything and everything that gives people a little hope to their lives?
No, I think if we really put our minds to it we can come up with a far more civil and productive way to have an open ended conversation about religious faith in our society.
Jason
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