Take A Stand

President Obama and General David Petraeus have expressed their wish that more Americans will stand up and speak out against the proposed Koran burning on September 11 by a small Pentecostal congregation in Florida (50 members and their pastor).

My view is consistent with a theme I have discussed before.  This minister feels we need to take a strong stand but one does not combat bullies by being a bully.  That is not to say one shouldn't use force (intellectual and physical) when appropriate, but in this case it is just going to make the extremists angrier.  What does he think he will accomplish?  The terrorists are going to stop terrorizing?  No, they are only going to get more intractable and he must know this.  I can only assume he believes this is the beginning of the Rapture as foretold in Revelations and he is fighting God's War, whatever that means.  Maybe he has read one too many "Left Behind" books.

In any case there can be no reasoning with this pastor because God is on his side and that is that.  I am frightened for America and everything we stand for.  I have always disagreed with radical atheists (e.g. Sam Harris) who believe that even moderate religious views lead to the implicit condoning of more extremist views.  I believe that people are naturally  inclined to believe in something beyond themselves (whatever that may be) and this should in fact be a positive force in their life.  But with behavior like this I am beginning to think the extremist atheists have a point.  I know this is just one insignificant group in Florida but coupled with the "Glenn Beck types" in the media, I think we are losing all semblance of reasoned and reasonable discourse.  We are allowing emotions rather than rational thought to determine our response to extreme Islamic ideology and violence.

So to the Pastor I say; Put down the match and embrace tolerance, it's what Jesus would do.