www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Quran Burning

Drudgereport has links to several other "ministers" who will be burning Qurans tomorrow:
Westboro Baptist to Burn Quran [ocala.com]
Springfield Pastor To Burn Quran [newschannel5.com]

This can't be good for the Greek Catholics in Muslim lands. I wonder if there is anything we can do to distance ourselves in the eyes of Muslims from this "ministers"?

No

It is equally important that we distance ourselves from the secularized syncretists--including Secretary of State Clinton--who refer to the book as the "Holy" Quran.

The final two words do not belong together on the lips of a Christian!

Glory to Jesus Christ!

She's a Christian? She seemed so much just a secular humanist or something that does not really believe in any higher power than the gov't.

Kyrie eleison,

Manuel

Because of the actions of this unbaptized heretic (a Protestant who has no part in Christ and his Church), true Christians from the East and the West will suffer brutal retaliations from Muslims.

It is extremely sad that the Vatican (as well as the other Apostolic Churches) is not emphasizing the fact that the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church have nothing to do with the U.S. "Christianity" and that people around the world (and enemies of Christians in particular) regard the United States as the leading "Christian nation" while in fact the political leadership of the USA has nothing to do with Christianity but with Evangelicalism, a Protestant sect.

While I do not agree with burning the Quran, as someone who comes from a Protestant family and has many Protestant friends, I tire of the insulting and uncharitable way in which you repeatedly speak of Protestants.

Slava Isusu Christu!

The Quran should not be burned and should be respected, as a text that brought pure monotheism to most of the desert Arabs and many people in India and other lands that were polytheists, even if there are narrations in it that do not co-incide with our Sacred Text and theology.

It is a book that holds the words of God for over 1.5 billion Muslims who use its words over 5 times a day for Sunni Muslims in Salat (daily obligatory prayer), Sunni Muslims also do extra Salat besides the obligatory ones called Sunna Prayers and Witr Prayers, and 3 Salat a day for Shia, they consolidate Salat prayers. They also use Qur'an in duas (prayers) at weddings and funerals, etc. All Muslims also aspire to memorize their Holy Qur'an. It is so deep in the psyche of these people that rage and deep anger is the only answer to this and it is a deep blasphemy to them and strikes them at their core that this exceedingly Holy Text would be desecrated by Christians in America. We should condemn this action as the Vatican has already done so. In the 21st Century Christians should show Muslims respect and tolerance and try to meet Muslims and dialogue with them--even getting to know them outside of doctrinal discussions and participate in their everyday lives.

Muslims are also a part of the People of God and they journey with us to the beatific vision and are very moral and upright, and follow the Prophet Abraham through Ishmael his son thereby being united to the covenant of Abraham and also through Abraham to Noah's Covenant. I have never met a Muslim that was not pious and kind to me. I am grateful to be serving the One God with them.

I always follow the doctrine of Nostra Aetate on issues like this. I know within our tradition there is a repudiation of Muslims and Jews in their walk with God, but this is abrogated--thank God! We all are a Pilgrim People and we should respect each other.

Robert

I'd say this is about a billion times more offensive http://abcnews.go.com/US/satanist-c...center-exorcism-ritual/story?id=11524098
though I don't expect it to receive condemnation from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, General Petraeus and others. Also, I seriously doubt anyone is concerned about it having the potential to cause violence around the world.

I agree that the tone towards Protestants many of whom are good inspiring Christian people and possibly in some mysterious way joined to Christ and his Church through Baptism and faith may have been harsher than necessary. I think though that events like this, do tend to be evidence of the need for a larger Christian body with accountability amongst a group of leaders. When one pastor of 50 people can garnish this much attention and humiliate our faith and endanger her members without anyone being able to step in from his sect, you can see that the splintering of Protestantism is an issue, because now Christ is represented by anyone who can become any kind of leader in any part of the world. Granted, there is scandal and sin in the Catholic Church and all churches even amongst the leadership, but there is also the ability for sanity to prevail (eventually), for the sinner to be corrected or made an example of and for the truth to be clarified by some Bishop or group of people that can shed light on what is official vs. what is one person's interpretation or opinion. This person seems to have too much power.
But I admit there are areas where I think many protestants shine and can teach Catholics how to excel more in. Would that we all at least grow and unite as much as possible.
As per Robert's post, I look forward to seeing what may be said, because I recognize some of it from the catechism, yet wonder if it is a tad too respectful? Granted, respect is good, but there is still a need to evangelize. It is still better according to our theology if a Moslem freely converts to Christianity (if spiritually aware of the truth of the Gospel) and I respect the one's who do often at the threat of their life. But all this to say, I agree that I have gained respect for Moslems that I have met and think that there is much we can appreciate from them as well. Though, like Christianity, (though maybe more polarized) the story is quite varied from sect to sect as we know. But yes, dialogue and even friendship are good ideas in my opinion. Burning the Koran, is a terrible idea.

ISTM that Mexican has made a great point that all of us should agree upon, be we Catholic or Orthodox or right, left or center in our politics. That being said we must be careful not to equate all American Protestants with the beliefs and actions of some. They, and we, often make the same mistake in our criticisms of each other!

Amen....but we still need to be on guard against fanatics from all sides.

Christ is in our midst!!

Does anyone see the real issue here? If the media had not made this thing into a big deal, this minister would not have even come to the attention of anyone, let alone the entire world, both Christian and Moslem.

But the secular media has made it a cause to show Christians, as well as other people of faith, as fringe people, outside the mainstream of rational beings--people to be held up to scorn and derision. Notice that they leave Moslems alone for the most part--look at how they backed off after the Danish cartoon issue became such a big deal.

IMHO, this whole thing began with the media's antipathy toward religion, especially Christianity, and is still being fanned as a way to marginalize Christians and the ifluence of Christians.

Bob

Pastor Thomas:

Christ is in our midst!!

AMEN.

Bob

I wholeheartedly concur.

And I, most emphatically, do not. I think that some of the sentiments expressed by one of our moderators are, at the least, unfitting and unfortunate. The suggestion that we Christians cannot accept that our Muslim brothers and sisters regard their Sacred Text as "Holy" and show our respect for their beliefs by using that word in referring to it is incomprehensible. I encourage everyone to re-read the Horvath post carefully.

The entire discussion, here and in the press, of the madness in Florida and the dispute over the construction of a Muslim cultural center (NOT a mosque) near (NOT "ON") the site of the World Trade Center, seems to have been long on emotion and short on respect and accuracy. For some of this the press is to blame, but for many of the most outspoken "contributors," it has appeared as if the issue is being hijacked in support of some other agenda.

It is not just "one another" that we Christians are called to love.