Crackpot, so called, Minister
That's right, this crackpot Florida pastor is nothing but a fraud, I'll say this once and only once, just because we have free speech doesn't mean that it is legal for this person to burn a Holy Book. Yes, we have free speech, but you can't cry fire in a crowded theater, if there is no fire. This guy should be arrested and thrown in jail with other criminals, except even they won't want to associate with him. There should be a law against burning any Holy Book, like there was regarding Flag burning.
Labels: burning, crackpot, Florida, Free Speech, Holy Book, minister
posted by Charles Amico at 2:26 PM
3 Comments:
Hi, Charles. Pastor, not Paster. Anyway, I actually disagree with you, for once. I disagree with the Pastor as well, of course ! His proposal disgusts me. However, I cannot argue against it in terms of "bad taste" - just as I feel that it is absolutely fine for the Cordoba project to build its pool and auditorium and community center in the old Burlington Coat Factory downtown. (As an aside: When I worked in the WTC in 1994-95, I used to wander into the Sufi Bookshop that was a few blocks away; I bought a great book on Shakespeare there, and meditated for a few minutes in the prayer room, removing my shoes first, of course... Nobody made a fuss about THAT actual mosque, which I think is still there, although I cannot swear to that). Anyway, Gurdjieff said "Respect every religion" and I think that is a wise attitude. The fact that most adherents of most religions show ultimate disrespect for their founders' truths doesn't mean that I have to be like them, does it? This Pastor has completely forgot what his founder taught, as have the loudmouths of all religions these days. But ... in our secular country, burning a book does not pose an immediate physical danger to people. Unfortunately, in this case, it may prove a less-than-immediate physical danger to people far distant from the bonfire-of-the-insanities. So I would strongly discourage the act, and also speak out loudly - very loudly - about that idea of Gurdjieff's - respecting EVERY religion, and, you know, following the goddam Golden Rule. Because this Pastor (desecrating the term, applied to this moron) is not following that beautiful rule.
But, as I would not outlaw pornography other than child pornography and snuff stuff, I would not outlaw book burning. I would just label it for what it is - antisocial bigotry and deplorable behavior. I would not ban "The Secret History between Blacks and Jews" either - a lovely publication of the Nation of Islam, one I have read without pleasure, and which is largely taken from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, of course. Well, anyway ... to each his own.
Your still-waiting-for-Beacon-to-outperform friend,
Jerry Wechsler (Happy New Year)
Thanks as usual for your comment Jerry and the pickup of my spelling error. I corrected it. I agree with you about the NY mosque. I have no problem with it. But I disagree with you on this one too. To me there is no difference yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater to this.
Charles, that's fair. I'll say this: In THIS case, it comes so close to yelling fire! that I'm against it. Book burning is something repressive dictatorships do. See Fahrenheit 451. Anything that hinders access to information is almost certainly evil. I'm just not sure I'd outlaw it. Anyone who actually does it, however, is both crazy and dangerous.
jw
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