[zbckFNlW]

I don't think the Koran should be burned. At minimum, one should at least read it first.

Agreed. It's an ignorant, tactless and provocative thing to do IMO. I think the Book of Mormon is a hoax given objective facts easily disprove it, e.g. the Native Americans came from Asia several thousand years ago by DNA, archeological, etc, evidence. Still, I wouldn't burn it as it would be unnecessarily offensive to many decent people who believe it. As you suggested, I even have a copy of it in my personal library for reference purposes, as with some versions of the Bible, an English translation of the Qu'ran and some other religious study material.

That said, making the Koran a special case of 'a holy book thou shalt not burn' is precisely the state of affairs the radical Muslims are after. They are supremacists through and through. What does it say about the US, or the West in general, if we get to the point where one can burn a Bible, or fashion 'art' in the form of Piss Christ but we have to treat Islam with kid gloves?

I would venture to say we look pretty cowardly.

Agreed. Moreover, we would be emboldening extremists by doing so, teaching them that their tactics can be successful. I would never concede that free speech issue to extremists, no matter how crude and rude it may be. It's the extremists who have to respect the human rights of others just as people must respect theirs IMO.

Also, whatever Jones' shortcomings are as a Christian, he flat-out doesn't rate being put into the same category as those who would murder other people over a book they didn't even burn.

He just doesn't.

I agree but with an explanation. In no way whatsoever was what these Islamic extremists did acceptable for any reason. It's also certainly worse conduct...far, far worse, the ultimate worst...they killed innocent people. Even if they killed Jones, it would be likewise no excuse...Jones did not threaten them with any deadly force. He expressed his dislike of Islam in a very offensive way. Nobody has any justified reason to kill him for that.

That said, Jones knew what effects this would have with such extremists. He wanted to ring that bell, so whilst I hold the Islamic extremists who did these crimes criminally responsible, I believe Jones bears his share of moral responsibility for it. Just because someone has a right to do something doesn't mean he or she should do something or that it should be socially acceptable conduct amongst peers and the community just because it's legal.

For example, if I knew a widow was in suicidal straights over the loss of her husband, and I pulled a Westboro Baptist Church move on her at her husband's funeral, and she killed herself later that evening because what I did pushed her over that mental cliff, I may have had a right to do what I did, but I am morally responsible for contributing to the result, and society ought to call me a total POS and 'fault' me for my role in that, try to create a socially acceptable standard of human dealings within the boundaries of the law condemning such conduct as people do with the Westboro types, etc.