The Dove World Outreach Center is a Gainesville, Florida-based church whose members believe in “the whole Bible,” the “end times,” and other cool Jesus stuff. For September 11, they’ve planned a whopper of a party called “International Burn a Quran Day,” and it is very inclusive! Anyone with a Koran to burn and the belief that Islam is “of the Devil” can attend. A bad-ass mustache is optional, especially for ladies.
Is your current version of Christianity just not steeped in hatred of The Religion of Peace © enough to suit your tastes and make you feel righteous? Do you yearn to do something to protest the evil, godless abomination that is Islam…without actually having to do anything substantive or meaningful? Do you feel your patriotic, AmeriKKA uber Alles blood come to a boil every September 11th? Do you festoon your SUV with yellow ribbons and “THESE COLORS DON’T RUN!!” and “FREEDOM ISN’T FREE!! stickers? Do you think Glenn Beck is a prophet? Do you want to belong to a church where there pastor has discovered how to turn hatred of Muslims into a for-profit business?
Boy, do we have a deal for you, kimosabe!! Yes, for the price of admission of only one Koran, you to can participate in this officially- sanctioned, fully-sanctified, washed-in-the-Blood orgasm of inter-religious hatred…because it’s What Jesus Would Do, don’tchaknow??
Uber-Jesus-y hatred of heathen, idolators, Muslims, and…well, pretty much everyone: it’s as American as gay-bashing and separate water fountains!!
You know, I have fun making fun of those who hatred of The Other seems to be the only thing holding their fragile, miserable, pointless existence together, but I really do feel sorry for cretins like Dr. Terry Jones. It would be SO much easier to try to find common ground, to find ways to foster understanding, so that 9.11 remains a terrible but solitary tragedy. Never mind the fact that such abject hatred requires a lot of energy that could be used for good instead of evil. What these haters don’t (and refuse to) realize is that part of the object of terrorism is sowing anger, hatred, fear, and divisiveness. In succumbing to these ugly emotions, people are actually handing terrorists the victory they claim to want to deny them. What Would Jesus Do?? I’m thinking Dr. Jones’ business model ain’t it…but then I don’t even believe in God, so what do I know??
If you think it makes you feel better to sow anger and hatred, then knock yourself out. It’s a free country, and you’re free to spew forth as you see fit. In so doing, though, you’re implicitly admitting that the terrorists have won…and you’re the reason they are.
The truly sad aspect of this silliness and the hatred fostered by the Dove World Outreach Center zealots is that it’s no longer limited to Muslims. No, now they’re branching out to hate homosexuals…and they’re all atwitter about their upcoming No Homo Mayor Protest this coming Sunday.
Apparently, the biblical imploration to love thy neighors as thyself only applies if they neighbor is White, Christian, Heterosexual, and Republican. Somewhere warm and breezy, Jesus is weeping in his Corona….
