Mosques

[dsheinem]

I am not saying that he is the sharpest pencil in the box, but that he is trying to exercise the same rights that those seeking to build the mosque are.

Yes and no. Both are trying to exercise first amendment rights, but Jones is after freedom of speech while the builders are after freedom of religion.

[Jrecee]

There have been talks to move it apparently. I don't know the details of how they decided on that place, obviously a lot of factors are involved, beyond just what the media has been saying since they picked up the story.

1.)There is a very small "mosque" a few blocks away, but it can't accommodate anywhere close to the number of muslims who live in that area.

2.)The building has been abandoned for years, and I think it was even scheduled for demolition.

3.)Nobody expected this outcry. It was just a good location for it.

4.)They saw it as an opportunity to show their religion in a positive light, near a place where something negative happened.

5.)Muslims just want to show that they have conquered us by building a mosque near ground zero

6.)Supporters just want it there now for the sake of showing their support for the constitution. Giving in and building it somewhere else would be giving in to bigotry.

Any or all of those could be reasons. Number 5 may be extreme, but I have no doubt that there is a group of muslims somewhere in the world who see it that way. It's still not a good enough reason to be against it though.

And yes, the pastor is exercising his rights. I think a lot of the hate isn't because he's burning Korans (it's a book, I could care less, although with the history of book burning, I think it's a waste no matter what's in it) but simply because he represents a radical/racist view. I imagine a lot of Christians see him the same way that Muslims see al qaeda.

[vash23n]

The guy is a Christian. It is not apparent until you are fairly far into his website. I guess some people would say he is not a Christian since he seems to believe in it in an odd way. No miracles, doesn't matter if Jesus existed or not etc..

Isn't that Utilitarianism? Or wait, there is another one that reminds me of that. It is based on a guy's name. An early settler, I think. I am worthless.

[vash23n]

I imagine a lot of Christians see him the same way that Muslims see al qaeda.

Many Christian groups have joined with Muslim groups to protest what he is doing.

[GSZX1337]

The guy is a Christian. It is not apparent until you are fairly far into his website. I guess some people would say he is not a Christian since he seems to believe in it in an odd way. No miracles, doesn't matter if Jesus existed or not etc..

Isn't that Utilitarianism? Or wait, there is another one that reminds me of that. It is based on a guy's name. An early settler, I think. I am worthless.

Are you talking about Calvinism?

[Limewater]

The guy is a Christian. It is not apparent until you are fairly far into his website. I guess some people would say he is not a Christian since he seems to believe in it in an odd way. No miracles, doesn't matter if Jesus existed or not etc..

Isn't that Utilitarianism? Or wait, there is another one that reminds me of that. It is based on a guy's name. An early settler, I think. I am worthless.

Are you talking about Calvinism?

I think vash23n meant Unitarianism.

Utilitarianism is an ethical system with no religious component based upon the idea of minimizing net pain and misery and maximizing net happiness and/or comfort in the world. Peter Singer has written a lot on it, though the idea is not original to him.

Calvinism is a system of Christian doctrine that is very dependent on the idea of the existence of G_d and Jesus Christ as a literal figure and savior of the world. Most people seem to just think of it as the idea of predestination, though.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I just read this in an AP article about the latest goings on in the Koran burning saga: "In Pakistan, about 200 lawyers and civil society members marched and burned a U.S. flag in the central Pakistani city of Multan, demanding that Washington halt the burning of the Muslim holy book. "

Yeah guys, burn the US flag and then demand that the US gov't stop the burning of the Koran. I think I missed that chapter in the Dale Carnegie book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

JY

[dedalusdedalus]

Yeah guys, burn the US flag and then demand that the US gov't stop the burning of the Koran. I think I missed that chapter in the Dale Carnegie book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

JY

The solution to this is that we all sit back, let people burn both Korans and American flags, and think about it as a stimulus to Koran publishers and American flag manufacturers.

/pseudotroll

[Hatta]

How about we hold a Burn Everything rally? Bibles, Korans, American flags, The Satanic Verses, The Origin of Species, The Audacity of Hope, The Canterbury Tales, Twilight, the Unibomber Manifesto, you know, anything and everything. It could be cathartic. Then we could all hang out by the fire and get to know each other. Maybe there wouldn't be so much fear and anger after that.

[Limewater]

How about we hold a Burn Everything rally? Bibles, Korans, American flags, The Satanic Verses, The Origin of Species, The Audacity of Hope, The Canterbury Tales, Twilight, the Unibomber Manifesto, you know, anything and everything. It could be cathartic. Then we could all hang out by the fire and get to know each other. Maybe there wouldn't be so much fear and anger after that.

And alienate the environmentalists?