Freedom-Fighters Forum

By William J. Dell – 15 September 2010

In the Gospel of the Redman, the Seatons record the Twelve Commandments of the Redman. The first is stated as follows:

There is but one Great Spirit. He is eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, invisible. He pervades all things at all times. Reverence Him, and respect all worship of Him by others, for none have all the truth, and all who reverently worship have claims on our respect. So also, show respect to such things as are held sacred by others. [The Gospel of the Redman. Ernest Thompson Seaton & Julia M. Seaton, 1966, emphasis added.]

We profess to be a Christian nation. Then perhaps we should behave like Christians. Was it not Jesus Christ who taught in the Sermon on the Mount: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. [Matt 7:12]

Would we as Christians find it acceptable for others, including Muslims, to burn the Bible? Would Latter-day Saints find it acceptable for others to burn the Book of Mormon? Would Hindus find the burning of the Vedas acceptable? Or Buddhists the Tipitaka? Or Taoists their holy books of Tao te Ching and Zhuang Zi? Why then should we be surprised at Muslims finding it unacceptable for anyone to burn the Qur’an? Should we not all “show respect to such things as are held sacred by others?” Is this not what the Savior of the World was talking about when he said, “do ye even so to them?”

I believe it was Voltair who said: “I don’t believe a word you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it.” We may have “Freedom of Speech” in this nation, but with that freedom also comes responsibility. Burning flags and sacred books may be regarded by jurists as “protected free speech,” but what is the wisdom of it?

I am reminded of one episode of “The Waltons.” It was during World War II, and the residents of the community decided they needed to burn all the German books in their community. They gathered in the “square” and started the fire and were throwing the German books into the fire. John Boy retrieved one of the books from the fire and had an older resident, a German lady, read from the beginning of the book:

Am Anfang schuf Gott Himmel und Erde. Und die Erde war wüst und leer, und es war finster auf der Tiefe; und der Geist Gottes schwebte auf dem Wasser. Und Gott sprach: Es werde Licht! und es ward Licht. [1Mose 1:1-3]…

You have probably guessed that this is Genesis 1:1-3! These “good” Christians were burning the Bible! With the older woman and John Boy standing in the square, the citizens faded into the night and the “book burning” was stopped.

This Qur’an burning frenzy has come about because of the proposed mosque or community center at Ground Zero in New York City, a city that already has some 200 mosques. These 200 mosques are obviously a demonstration and testimony of New Yorkers tolerance toward Islam. I have heard no argument that the Imam has no legal right to build the mosque or community center at Ground Zero. The ONLY arguments I have heard are concerning the “wisdom” of building it there.

Perhaps the Imam should take a lesson from the above and “show respect to such things as are held sacred by others.” Perhaps he should show respect for a place called “Ground Zero” and held sacred by many who lost loved ones there on 9/11/2001 at the hands of Muslims. Then with that respect he would exercise “wisdom” and move his mosque or community center to an alternate location, which has been offered — unless his real intent is to make a Jihadist political statement on behalf of Radical Islam.