Burning the Quran

I did not intend to weigh in on this until today. As the anniversary of 9/11 draws nearer, I am hoping, and have prayed that this Pastor's endeavor will be thwarted somehow. For me this has nothing to do with tolerance because I don't really believe in 'tolerance' as it is popularly touted. Neither do I respect or consider this false religion and any of it's books in particular to be worthy of any type of protection. But I see a much deeper problem here.

After having listened to notable converts from Islam such as Mosab Hassan Yousef, Walid Shoebat, and Kamal Saleem, I've learned from their own admissions and definitions that Islam is more than a religion. It is in fact a political system that is bent on world domination and it is very intolerant. Many notable bible scholars, as well as some of these converts, believe that this 'religion' is the vehicle that the anti-Christ will use to achieve his near global reign for the allotted period of time the Bible foretells.

What does burning the Quran have to do with any of this? Well, for one thing, it is not the method Christ set out for us to deal with unbelievers. Their books have no power in and of itself. This is more of a social protest being done in the name of Christ, and I believe, erroneously so. The "burning" should take place in the lives of Christians first. I cannot help but wonder how many of the members of that church, or of those in agreement with this, have books (novels, magazines, so-called 'Christian' literature) in their homes which should be discarded. And what about going a little further and looking into their DVD and CD collections, their cable TV subscriptions and so on? And what if we went further still and examined their conversation, their habits, the way their time is spent, their service or behavior towards the unsaved neighbors around them? Is there genuine good works, fruit of the Spirit, prayer and intercession for others in their lives?

I will go so far as to say that I believe this pastor is simply being used as a pawn by satan in all of this. This act will give the radical Islamic elements 'justification' for any forthcoming hate crimes and acts of violence against Christians. Indeed, it will turn the spotlight squarely upon Christians in the West, in a whole new way (think: persecution), and fuel their agenda, perhaps after having obtained for them the sympathy of those who have been sitting on the fence until now.

This is my two cents on the subject at hand. While it is very easy for Christians to have and give their opinion, may we each also make a point of bringing this before God in our private prayers before 9/11 arrives.