One Christian reaction to the burning of the Quran
A small church in Florida has been the focus of media hysteria for declaring September 11th “International Burn a Koran Day.” Without focusing on the political reactions of this action, it is important for Christians to realize the implications of this action.
First and foremost, I do not believe the actions of Dove World Outreach Center, the church hosting the event, is sinful. Without more information concerning the motives of the church and the pastor Rev. Terry Jones, I cannot pass judgement. This post will not discuss why Christians can judge other Christians. Nonetheless, before a Christian can make a judgement against another, there must be clear evidence. Even though there has been a lot of coverage concerning this event, the fact is that very few have actually sat down with Rev. Jones to examine his motives and ultimately his heart.
Second, God calls Christians to hate all that is evil and cling to what is good. So the question Christians must ask themselves before hating the Muslim teachings — vis à vis the Qur’an — is “Does God consider it (the Qur’an) to be evil?” This could be a very long post should I go in-depth of this subject. I will do my best to summarize my position. Revelations states, “If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” The Qur’an contains parts of the Old Testiment but does not contain the entire book of scripture. (Yes, I realize the irony of using one holy text to debate another holy text. For a non-spiritual perspective on this topic, visit my sister-site.) Additionally, the Qur’an teachings are different from Christian teachings. Finally, the nail in the coffin comes the diety of Christ. Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Muslim faith treat Jesus as a prophet, not God in flesh. Because the Apostle Paul warns, “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing”, Christians are called to “have nothing to do with them.” Because of these reasons, the Qur’an must be rejected by all God-fearing Christians.
However, there is a difference between the Qur’an and the Muslim. There is a maxim (read not scriptural) that says “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” While there is no direct scriptual reference to this, it should be the motto of Christians everywhere. God condemns sin. However, God so loved his people that he sent his Son to die for our sins. Nowhere in scripture does God call Christians to kill Muslims (despite the beliefs of the early Crusaders). Additionally, scripture does not call Christians to burn the Qur’an or any other sacred texts.
God does, however, calls us to be at peace with everyone as much as we are able. Additionally we are not to “repay evil with evil.” Finally, we are called to live so that “no one can criticize [us].”
While I believe that burning the Qur’an is not sinful, I do believe it goes against the spirit of the word of God. While burning the Qur’an can be justified by the letter of God’s law, it does not take into account the spiritual consequences. While Christians should not be overly concerned with how the world views them, if we are to influence hearts and minds, we must be willing to let some things go. This is one of those situations. Yes, the Qur’an and the Muslim faith are evil. However, God loves Muslims as much as he lives Christians. Burning the Qur’an will only further the divide between Christians and the heart of Jesus.
Therefore, I humbly encourage my Christian brothers and sisters to pray for this church and this event. God is still in control, regardless of whether Rev. Jones follows through with his book burning. Let us pray that God speaks to the church boldly and that the church hears his voice.
Update: According to various sources, Rev. Jones has canceled the burning of the Qur’an. Hopefully, any other planned burnings will follow suit.