Both Oars In Without Sense or Sensibility

Sep 9, 2010

I am sure that by the time my words are printed thousands upon thousands will already have been published denouncing Reverend Terry Jones’s plan to burn copies of the Qur’an on September 11. However, an act this misguided and objectionable is deserving of constant and universal condemnation. So, let me add my voice to the growing group of detractors by stating without hesitation or qualification that what Reverend Jones is planning, while legal, is clearly repugnant.

Ironically, it is the reverend’s own adamant defense of his plan to burn the Qur’an that levels the best condemnation of it. Implored to reconsider by bishops, pastors, imams and rabbis, he states defiantly, “Instead of us backing down, maybe it‘s time to stand up. Maybe it’s time to send a message to radical Islam that we will not tolerate their behavior.” His words beg the question: Can you actually stop a behavior by imitating it?

Adding to the irony is the name of Reverend Jones’s base organization: Dove World Outreach Center. It would seem that Reverend Jones is either a punster or has little appreciation for semantics. At the very least, his plans suggest he does not know doves, the world, outreach or the center, for that matter, very well. One wonders what he does know.

In a rare occurrence, a man of arms has stepped forward to join those of the cloth to denounce a private citizen’s behavior. While surely General Petraeus, who has dedicated his life to defending our freedoms, must appreciate Reverend Jones’s right to freedom of speech, he also knows that the reverend’s words and, even more so, his actions, if they occur as planned, will surely insight more violence in the world. General Petraeus sternly cautioned, “It is precisely the kind of actions the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems.” This warning should be heeded as wisdom, not discounted as baseless fear. There are proper ways to “stand up to radical Islam” as General Petraeus well knows, but fanning the fire is not one of them.

Certainly, it goes without debate that the burning of U.S. flags and especially of Reverend Jones in effigy by enraged Muslims around the world is equally deplorable. It seems radicals, regardless of their disparate ideological beliefs, use the same playbook. Doing so, they put the majority of us who remain rational, despite the depths of our conviction, in a very difficult place. It is indeed the hardened hearts and narrow minds of extremists of all faiths that create the proverbial rock and hard place in which we so often find our world.

Turning the tables on both Reverend Jones and those who have reacted to his threat in-kind, we who have our wits about us, but are too often too reserved to boil over, ought to shout, “How long must we suffer your collective, reciprocating ignorance?” It is not Christianity or Islam that is at fault here, but the humans who choose extremism and hate over tolerance and love. Certainly, any religion worth promoting and practicing would constantly strive to encourage the latter over the former in its adherents.

While as a Catholic I do believe there is an objective standard for determining if a text is truly holy, namely that it is the inspired Word of God, I recognize on a subjective level that sacredness, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, while I do not believe the Qur’an is the inspired word of God or equivalent in fact to Sacred Scripture, I still support the right of Muslims to ask that the Qur’an be treated respectfully.

All good people should be able to recognize that it is the human we dignify when we show respect for a text he or she holds sacred. Certainly, showing this respect does not require or necessarily indicate that we accept the theology or ideology of the text itself. I believe this was the lesson Pope John Paul the Great attempted to deliver a decade ago when he kissed a copy of the Qur’an. Taking a moment to reflect on this authentic, grace-filled act may be a positive alternative to giving any more attention to the shenanigans of Reverend Jones.