Is the burning of the Quran what we are really coming to as a country? Does this symbolize what America has grown to become? Since the election of President Obama I have seen hatred, anger, and delusion like none other in my lifetime. So many of our politicians are a disgrace to the foundations the United States were founded upon. The “United” States of America; does this really mean anything anymore? Race, religious, and ethnic attacks have intensified since Obama took office. Why? To me it seems like suppressed hatred; racism in its ugliest form. Those who didn’t vote for Obama can’t get beyond the fact that he won the election. The animosity displayed has created a nation of hate and despair.
What does a church burning the Quran say about Americans; about the United States of America; about religion? I see Dove Church as an organization just as radical as the extremist Muslims they state their point is intended to defy. In CNN’s interview with Dr. Jones he stated he was “willing to put his life on the line” in response to the question “are you planning to go forward even though it will put American troops lives on the line?” Dr. Jones isn’t putting his life on the line. Dr. Jones however is putting the life of my son, along with many others, on the line as Americans serving our County in the United States military in Iraq and other Countries throughout the world. What Dr. Jones is doing is self-serving as he draw attention to himself in order to make millions by selling t-shirts, hats, and books that promote hate. The Bible doesn’t speak of hate; it speaks of love and acceptance. Would it be acceptable for Muslims to burn the Bible, for Christians to burn the Torah, or for Jews to burn either?
So how far have we come? In 1970 Five Man Electric Band recorded “signs” on the album Good-byes and Butterflies. Tesla recorded the song in 1990 on their album Five Man Acoustical Jam where the song reached number 8 on the Pop charts. What was this song about? Memberships, trespassing, dressing or looking a certain way… think about the words in this awesome song. “Long haired freaky people need not apply, so I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why. He said you look like a fine upstanding man, I think you’ll do. So I took off my hat and said imagine that, huh, me working for you.” What is it we see? Are all Muslims extremists, are all Jews, are all Christians? There will always be extremists of every walk of life; but that’s not the majority. For me the last verse in the song “Signs” is the one Dr. Jones and Dove Church need to remember… “And the sign said everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray. But when they passed the plate around at the end of it all I didn’t have a penny to pay, so I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign. I said thank you Lord for thinking of me, I’m alive and doing fine.”
To each their own – provided it harms no others.
