Christian responses to Quran burning

In a letter to the editor in today’s paper, Stafford resident Christopher Connell refers to the on-again, off-again plans to burn the Quran “shameful.” He writes:

It makes me ashamed I was raised Roman Catholic. This so-called church in Florida needs to be declared what it is– a terrorist organization–and its active members tracked for every penny by the IRS, stripped of any government security clearances, and charged with a hate crime.

If this is Christianity, I want nothing to do with it.

Christian leaders around the world have been very busy getting the word out that these plans are not, in fact, Christianity.

Today, I spoke with Stafford County resident and head of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, the Rev. Richard Cizik. He told me:

There is no way you can square  the words and actions of  Jesus with the behavior and  attitude of Pastor Jones.

Also, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have spoken against the proposed burning.

So have The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, The Presbyterian Church (USA), Cizik’s group, a slew of religious leaders, the National Council of Churches…

Well, the list goes on and on. Also, local religious leaders are holding an interfaith prayer service, tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Market Square in downtown Fredericksburg.

Faith leaders worry that Pastor Terry Jones will become the face of Christianity, much like the 9/11 hijackers became the face of Islam for many. And it is true that the small but sensational plan to burn the Quran has gotten way more attention that interfaith efforts, which have quietly been going on behind the scenes for years.

Speaking of tomorrow’s planned prayer service, planned by Imam Sami Shamma, Rabbi Devorah Lynn and the Rev. Gay Rahn, Shamma said:

“This pastor is receiving worldwide attention while beautiful work like what Reverend Gay and Rabbi Devorah are doing on Sept. 11 will receive little attention. It is the squeaky wheel getting the grease, and these people are very, very squeaky.”

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