On Koran Burning

If you’ve been following the news, you’re probably aware that this weekend, a Gainseville, Florida “pastor” plans a book burning of copies of the Koran (or Quran, if you prefer) on the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attack on the United States.

Below are some of the articles I’ve found helpful in considering this from a Biblical perspective:

Jeremy Smith, Some Thoughts on Book Burning:

Today, a man can threaten to burn a book and elicit condemnation from the world, and should the book burning take place a soldier may die on the other side of the world.  Ideas and actions have consequences, and our electronic world can shrink space and time to more closely connect the two.

Tony Reinke gives six points which “should make us very hesitant about burning other people’s religious books”:

May God give the Church open doors to preach the gospel, and may he bless his Word with self-authenticating gospel fruit. If we take our eyes off the priority of the gospel, we will be tempted to settle for the sparks of a small bonfire in a church parking lot, a miniature replica of what happened in Ephesus. The true gospel spreads like a wildfire, if we are faithful to lovingly and boldly proclaim it.

Kevin DeYoung is as blunt and insightful as always:

Of all the ways to voice your opposition to Muslim radicals and the Islamic religion this is about the stupidest.

Andrew Lisi offers advice to a friend, and concludes with:

I am saddened that a church of 50 people will not only destroy the Quran, but also damage the credibility of all the churches out there that go unheard for all the good they do in the name of Christ.