Would you delete a copy of the Koran?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Pomtroll

I read the Koran about 30 years ago. It was not much different than reading other religious texts for me.

Did you expect that it would be different?

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by astra

They should not be alienated. Just because one pastor wants to do it, doesn't mean all Americans agree with him, does it?

And just because a few crazed Muslims like to throw fatwa, doesn't mean that all Muslims agree.

[TGS]

Originally Posted by astra

They should not be alienated. Just because one pastor wants to do it, doesn't mean all Americans agree with him, does it?

I don't know - I'm not very patriotic but if I encounter someone going out of their way to be offensive about the UK, (or England, or Yorkshire), I get offended. It's not so much to do with the act itself but to do with the sense of ill-will towards me that the act generates. Again, offending people by burning a book is as nothing compared with stoning a woman to death because she was raped. But just as many Americans do not align themselves with the loopy pastor, so many Muslims do not align themselves murdering women who have had the misfortune to be raped. The trouble with an act such as the one the pastor proposed is that it is indiscriminate in that it seems to be directed at all Muslims.

[TGS]

Originally Posted by Pomtroll

I read the Koran about 30 years ago. It was not much different than reading other religious texts for me.

Hi Pomtroll, you should be aware that the Mods of this site, when they are acting as Mods, post in green. So seeing your post makes us all feel as though we have been naughty

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by astra

Many people were against burning it not because they thought it is wrong or offensive but because they were scared sh1tl3ss of what Muslims will do to retaliate.

(Shrug) "Free speech" doesn't mean "free from consequences speech." You gotta decide-- when something you say or do is going to make some homicidal maniac mad enough to kill you-- not say he'll kill you-- actually kill you-- if this is really worth maybe losing your life over. Maybe sometimes the answer is yes, maybe sometimes it isn't.

The better part of valor is discretion
-- William Shakespeare

Let the Wookiee win.
-- George Lucas

[LCF]

Originally Posted by AprilHare

There has been controversy recently in the press (and parts of the the rabidly religious world) about people burning the Koran (and other religious books).
Would you delete a copy of the Koran from your liseuse?
Do you believe it would resonate as badly as burning a paper copy of the book?

The two actions have almost nothing in common.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by TGS

Hi Pomtroll, you should be aware that the Mods of this site, when they are acting as Mods, post in green. So seeing your post makes us all feel as though we have been naughty

It's OK - we post in "Sea Green", not "plain green".

[church mouse]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

At its worst, the Bible is as bad as the Quran. But the average page of the Quran seems, to me, to incite hostility towards those outside the religion a lot more often than the average page of the Bible. I just did a web search with randomly chosen translations, and found that the word hell appears 14 times in the Bible (New International Version) but 97 times in the much shorter Quran (M.H. Shakir translation), providing objective support for my subjective impression.

I am uncertain that the number of times hell is mentioned in a book is in any way objective support that the book incites hostility towards others. Surely context is rather important?

Also, the purposes of the books seems important to me: The Bible (Old Testament) is primarily a chronicle (accurate or inaccurate is irrelevant) of the Jewish tribes; the New Testament is primarily a chronicle of part of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ (again, accurate or inaccurate is irrelevant); The Qur'an is primarily a repeated set of teachings for a way of life and, in view of its inherent repetition, will inevitably mention some words with frequency (once more, the accuracy or acceptability of the text is irrelevant at this point).

As to the original OP. I do not have an e-copy of the Qur'an but, if I did, I would delete it from my e-reader if I no longer wanted it on the e-reader. I have printed copies of The Qur'an and the Old and New Testaments and I would not burn any of them, but I would never burn any book because of the symbolism such an act evokes.

[Falcao]

Last year I downloaded to my PC a copy of the Quran, read the passage I was interested on, and deleted the file. What's the problem with that? I'm not anti-Islamic. Quite the contrary.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Falcao

Last year I downloaded to my PC a copy of the Quran, read the passage I was interested on, and deleted the file. What's the problem with that? I'm not anti-Islamic. Quite the contrary.

The topic's idea has never been about deleting a file. The OP hoped that we will digress to discussing political issues...I am very tempted to say

[joblack]

The people have the right to burn everything they want to (excluding forbidden substances and/or people/animals).

[happy_terd]

I don't think it is legal in the US to set your own house on fire...or your car.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by happy_terd

I don't think it is legal in the US to set your own house on fire...or your car.

That's ok, set fire to someone else's.

[Lbooker]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I read religious texts for, among other things, insight into the human condition.

Psychoanalysis could give you far better insights.

[Amalthia]

I'd just as well delete the bible from my Sony...to me the Bible or Koran makes no difference since I'm atheist.

P.S. For the record I do not agree with burning any books.