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Not to be left out of all the fun, a Springfield, TN pastor wants to join in the Holy book barbecue planned for Saturday:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Springfield minister says he also plans to burn a Quran on Saturday to mark the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Rev. Bob Old told The Tennessean the Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Center Outreach in Gainesville, Fla., is doing the right thing by burning the Quran, and so he's going to do likewise.
Jones' plan to burn Qurans on Saturday has caused a furor of opposition, including an urging from President Barack Obama to call off his plan.
However, Old says not only does he plan to burn the Quran, but he intends to post a video of the burning book online.
Says Old of Muslims in America: "If they want to have their religion, they can have it somewhere else."
Wow that's just SO FUCKING AMERICAN, ain't it? Isn't that what the Puritans were told? "If you want your religion go somewhere else?"
I mean, we just knew that some asshole in Tennessee was going to join in the fun, didn't we?
*SIGH*
Look, I really didn't want to pay attention to this wacko down in Florida because clearly he's an attention-seeking media whore of the Fred Phelps variety. The media circus has already been whipped up, it was inevitable, but I just really hoped I could check out of Crazy Town and just not take part in the spectacle. But noooo, of course not, someone right up the highway from Nashville thinks this is a stellar idea! The nation has clearly gone off the rails and frankly I'm tired of having to say "you don't represent me!" over and over again.
People have a right to burn books in this country, it's part of the whole "free speech" thing, so enjoy yourselves. But I just have to wonder at what these folks are going to be thinking come Sunday morning when they show up at church for worship. As you arrive on church property and smell the acrid burned-ash-and-ink smell of your little holy flame fest, are you going to be proud of yourselves? Will you think that God is proud of you? Do you think Jesus looks down from heaven on you and smiles at setting flame to some ink and paper? Really?
Or will there be a tiny bit of shame in your hearts? Maybe the smallest shard of embarrassment that the entire world has looked upon you and your congregation, not with awe at how much you love, but with horror at how much you hate?
Is this how you represent God to the world?
"Vide", inquiunt, "ut invicem se diligant" - ipsi enim invicem oderunt - "et ut pro alteruto mori sint parati"; ipsi enim ad occidendum alterutrum paratiores erunt.
