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But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Christians have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to burn a Quran on private property in Florida, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable.

OK, that’s not what President Obama actually said. The President was actually talking about Americans being tolerant of building a Muslim religious center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York City, to be named “Cordoba” after an historic Muslim defeat of Christians.

I’m sensing a double standard. Christians need to be tolerant of Muslims practicing their religion — but Muslims can stick their fingers in the eyes of Christians and Christians are just supposed to offer the other eye?

The proposed “International Burn a Koran Day” planned by Pastor Terry Jones (no relation to the Monty Python) planned for September 11, 2010, by Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville (no relation to the Gaines who founded Mad Magazine) Florida has provoked a firestorm of protest — literally. An Associated Press news story tells us that “Hundreds of angry Afghans burned an American flag and chanted ‘Death to the Christians’ to protest the planned burning of Islam’s holiest text.”

Yep. When I think of demonstrations in support of religious tolerance, burning an American flag and shouting “Death to the Christians!” was the picture I had in mind.

Afghanis burn American flag

Meanwhile, the Vatican, President Obama, General Petraeus, and Sarah Palin have all condemned the proposed Quran burning. Now there’s a hands-across-the-water that only Pastor Jones could have given us.

Of course the Pastor’s religious freedom is sort of shaky. Four FBI agents visited his church today. Now that’s not at all chilling of the First Amendment, is it?

Fine, fine, fine.

It strikes me that if Iran can bend Sharia law by proposing to hang an adulteress instead of stoning her to death, Pastor Jones should likewise show his Christian tolerance — and his patriotism — by composting the Quran instead of burning it.

Hey, Ellen Page — got a problem with that?

This article is Copyright © 2010 The J. Neil Schulman Living Trust. All rights reserved.


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