What if the ritual of burning the written word. . .

[stellanoir]

in the grander scheme of things, energetically only makes those words *stronger*. . .?

[customerserviceguy]

1. What if 'stronger'

means more willing to use violence to achieve the aims of the worshippers of a particular set of written words?

Had an interesting thought this morning, if political cartoonists do what they do best to mock this nutball FL preacher, and depict a Koran either burning or about to be burned, will they have fatwas issued against them?

Some people can't "get" a joke, or understand the true meaning behind a subtle point, or see things in an ironclad way when their leaders tell them to attack.

[stellanoir]

4. Well on the predictable level of reactionary alleged righteous indignation

there certainly is the potential of this irreverent and intolerant idiocy inciting violence as was so concisely stated by Petreus yesterday.

So sure. Of course the short sighted Koran burning will infuriate a percentage of Muslims. Yet it may inspire greater and purification of devotion in others.

It could be akin to how projecting hatred is counterproductive IMHO.

John Fugelsang who is really astute and very funny is filling in for Stephanie Miller this week. He was raised by theologically oriented parents. He said yesterday (paraphrasing) that the Koran references JC in many places and that furthermore, it references the Virgin Mary more frequently than the Bible. So go figure.

I've not studied it though I've heard similar statements before.

Ignorance breeds intolerance for sure. It' so tiresome.

Yet I was specifically thinking of a curious thing I read long ago. Whether it was true or merely well invented it made me contemplate the nature of fire as I often have done.

It was about the burning of heretics during the Inquisition. An Inquisitor was said to have remarked that they were not burning heretics because they were wrong. They were merely putting their beliefs to the test of fire. (???)

You may think this is nutz and it's admittedly only speculation but If one is to align themselves with the belief in reincarnation, then who knows whether or not the transformational element of fire wouldn't instill more fervent beliefs over multiple incarnations. Impossible to prove but that's what I wondered.

As for humor and irony, I agree some people just are far too fear based to even comprehend it. It escapes them entirely.

BTW Humor is my religion and irony is my elixir.

tra la la

[bowens43]

2. personally

I think that ALL religious texts should be destroyed. Religion promotes ignorance, hatred and bigotry. All deity based religions are equally vile.

[surrealAmerican]

3. A lack of texts would not ...

... make religion go away. It would lead to followers being even more dependent on their religious leaders to tell them what to think, and would make the leaders less accountable to the historic tenets of the religion.

[stellanoir]

5. yup

it can be and has been construed that they are largely based on fear of death.

Buddhism, UU's, and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster may be the few exceptions.