Bad Apples--Fascism in Florida

The Dalai Lama said last year that human suffering and troubles are a result of human ignorance. His wisdom in these simple words is unbounding. He also said, "One religious tradition in a world of six billion people, is not enough."


If you agree with these ideas, then maybe there is some hope for you. You are holding onto a lifeline in a churning sea of ignorance that is drowning America. Is the ignorance based on sheer stupidity and hatred, or is it based on fear alone? Fear of the unknown, fear of difference and of diversity? Please don't be afraid.

Terry Jones, a fascist--I'm sorry, a pastor in Florida is hosting a Quran burning on September 11th. He believes that Islam is the gateway to the devil, and that all of the Quran's teachings are evil and satanic. This reminds me of another event in history, involving someone by the name of Adolf Hitler, who led the burning of more than 25,000 books and teachings by Jewish and Catholic scholars (as well as others) in 1933. He fueled this fire by saying that these books preached anti-German teachings. Terry Jones says that the Quran preaches anti-Christian teachings. Has he ever studied Islam and its main ideas? Did he ever come across the similarities between some Biblical stories and Quran stories? He claims, "{the Quran} is evil because it espouses something other than the Christian biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims."

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Terry, but the Bible has also incited radical, violent behavior among Christians. Have you ever heard of the Klu Klux Klan? They use the Bible to defend their cowardly acts towards African Americans and Jewish Americans all the time. How about the Christian Fundamentalists, who use rape, incest, and sexual abuse of young girls to further their abuse of Biblical teachings.

I am not trying to downplay what happened on September 11th, 2001. I still can't watch the footage because I still can't deal with the senseless deaths of more than three thousand people. But I will always honor those innocent lives and I will always refuse to use their sacrifices as a reason to hate. Burning the Quran or hating Muslims will not bring them back. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." (Mohandas Gandhi)

As with any religion, there are people that take their beliefs to the next level, which often proves to be one of hatred, revenge, violence and sadistic, senseless murder. Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism all have their own sects of fundamentalists, who translate sacred teachings and creeds into the basis of violent acts against others. Didn't your grandmother ever tell you "don't let a few bad apples ruin the whole bushel?" Please don't let a few zealots place hatred in your heart. 9 out of 10 Muslims are non-violent, and the Muslim you know at the corner store actually came to this country with the same hopes and dreams that your ancestors came here with.

Please don't let a person like Terry Jones infect your mind with the poison he claims in the name of God and Christianity. Don't let this bad apple ruin the whole bushel.