Speakeasy forum: What a bunch of crap. . .

Consider their faith to be fact.
Why?...beyond me.
This happens in countries all around the world.
If you have to deal with these people it is best not to poke at their faith.
Since their faith is fact they have no tolerance for this.

This GI knew or should have known this.
This sort of activity is VERBOTEN.

If someone wanted to use the bible for target practice it would not effect me at all.

But I can separate FAITH and FACT.

I also suspect he'd receive some sort of disciplinary action if he'd chosen a Bible as his target. The UCMJ isn't about being democratic and tolerant. It's about maintaining rigid standards designed to serve a specific purpose and all must comply for the mission to be successful. As well, we're trying to gain the respect of a people who mostly cherish the Koran. Some go quite a bit overboard by our standards but this is not a reason to respond with taunts. One could well say of this solder that he could have tipped a few Iraqi citizens who were fence leaners in the direction of the terrorist organizations. The mission of our military is to remove those who would do harm and not create more of them. In order to gain the confidence of the average Iraqi citizen who may have been taught that the US is a bunch of evil doers is to display otherwise while we are in their presence. We need to prove that any such lessons they received were in error....and we need to set an example that makes them want to be more like us. Gunning down their holy book was, IMO, not the way to accomplish anything of lasting good.

I think it's reasonable to say that their religion is more important to them, just as your religion is more important to you. Would you like it if someone shot up a Bible? Of course you wouldn't. Neither would I and I'm not a religious person.

Sorry folks but this topic should now be closed due to godwins law being pulled into effect by James Denison

Godwin's Law is often cited in online discussions as a caution against the use of inflammatory rhetoric or exaggerated comparisons, and is often conflated with fallacious arguments of the reductio ad Hitlerum form.

The rule does not make any statement whether any particular reference or comparison to Hitler or the Nazis might be appropriate, but only asserts that one arising is increasingly probable. It is precisely because such a comparison or reference may sometimes be appropriate, Godwin has argued[4] that overuse of Nazi and Hitler comparisons should be avoided, because it robs the valid comparisons of their impact.

What are we going to do with those billion Muslims (the vast majority of whom are decent, nonviolent people)? Kill them all? Should I tell my Pakistani coworker to start making out his will?

...would satisfy you? I've read and seen many, many statements from Muslims in which they denounced terrorism and said it was a gross distortion of what their religion is really all about. Maybe you've missed them, or maybe you think all of the world's Muslims are one big organization that can issue press releases or something?

When an act of white-on-black racist violence occurs, do you, as a white person, feel the need to issue a public statement denouncing it? If not, why not?

that can survive without OPEC oil? I suppose you run your vehicle on water?

If we're going to occupy a country and claim to be trying to make it a better one, we should have the decency to respect the religious beliefs of the citizens of that country. The soldier who did this should be ashamed of himself and the damage an act like this has likely done. I'm glad the army issued a swift and sincere-sounding apology.

...but doubt I'd use it for target practice. Then again the Mormons don't hate me far as I know and aren't out trying to kill me at every turn of the road. If so, then I'd probably feel differently. I can commiserate with the Marine for his "**** on you and what makes you this way" reaction. If it wasn't for the Koran, there might could be peace in the Middle East. There is no law or doctrine or religion that pushes hatred of others in today's world, and gives every excuse for wars, than the Koran. To not recognize that and accept it as truth is to be foolish.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, supposedly built where Jesus was put to death and buried, is controlled by six "Christian" groups that divide the building and grounds among them. In 2006, Time magazine told of an earlier situation when monks there "brawled for hours, ... clubbing each other with giant cnadlestick holders." So great is their distrust of one another that the key to the church is entrusted to a Muslim. Also, a documentary recently on the same topic (the Church) showed that the argumentum ad baculum has been going on for about 400 years.
The nominal reason for the "zeal" is that some of these groups expect Jesus to return at the spot, and they want to be the first to greet him. (I am not making this up!) Another reason, better known to the Christmastime pilgrims especially, is that each group gets its own fees from visitors.

This information, BTW, is from the very Watchtower we studied today worldwide; the article topic was "Who is wise and understanding among you?" (Jas 3:13) The study covered 3:13-18 verse by verse, and we found much good counsel there that helps us avoid [imperfectly] these problems.












But, of course, our bible is said to be poorly translated; maybe these Jerusalem groups have a better version.

Anyone who can't tell the wrong from the right here is just a sad, sad person.