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In Theory: Appropriate ways to observe 9/11

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The Dove World Outreach Center, a church in Gainesville, Fla., will mark the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by hosting an “International Burn a Koran Day” event on church property. A Facebook page created for the upcoming event proclaims that the burning of Islam’s holy book will be done “in remembrance of the fallen victims of 9/11 and to stand against the evil of Islam. Islam is of the Devil!”

In your opinion is it appropriate for a religious institution to mark the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil in this way? How would you call on your respective congregants to observe the day?

It is wrong to regard any religion as a true faith if it professes hatred and bigotry towards another religion and its followers.

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The spirit of Islam, Christianity and Judaism share one critical aspect of their faith, which is love.

Hearts are mended when love embraces and brings comfort to those who are hurting.

Every American, American Muslims included, felt the deep anguish of 9/11. We all need mending.

At our mosque, we annually commemorate 9/11 by dedicating prayers to the victims and their families. We encourage others to share with us our prayers for peace and love to all.

Imam Sayed Moustafa Al-Qazwini

Islamic Educational Center of Orange County

Costa Mesa

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Archbishop Tutu said that “without forgiveness of evil, there can be no future.” Judaism counters that “without hatred of evil, without refusal to forgive evil-doers, there can be no future.”

Each Sept. 11 should remind us that true evil abounds and metastasizes in our world. The Torah views non-resistance to evil as an unconscionable moral wrong. It is our duty to resist evil by force, if necessary, to protect innocent victims and ourselves. From the Biblical perspective, it is morally preferable to kill an aggressor rather than allow an aggressor to perpetrate violence against us.

Evil is a reality, freedom is in peril, and we are locked in a war with annihilationist jihad that will determine our fate for generations. Many Christians, like Tutu, believe “love conquers all.” Well, love does not conquer evil. I would tell my congregants that forgiving the unforgiveable mocks the dead and compromises our defenses.

Rabbi Mark S. Miller

Temple Bat Yahm

Newport Beach

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When people are afraid of others, they tend to objectify and dehumanize. Their fear turns into anger and they justify their hatred by categorically calling all of a certain group evil. This always happens in times of war, and — while it is a very human reaction — it only serves to escalate and inflame prejudice. How ironic that the group in Gainesville is using the same tactic that probably created the terrorists who, blinded by their prejudice and inflamed by their rhetoric, took such a reprehensible action. Not everyone blames Islam for this tragedy. I can’t think of a more offensive way to memorialize this calamity. Let those who are without sin cast the first stone.

Dr. Jim Turrell

Center for Spiritual Living Newport-Mesa

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Two Catholic Churches were burned down in Philadelphia, and 13 people died during the “Bible Riots” of 1844. Catholic immigrants protested the use of the King James version of the Bible in schools because the Pope was referred to as “that man of sin.” Name-calling, demonizing, hatred and persecution are nothing new. Because our Constitution protects free speech and freedom of religion, groups like the Dove Center, the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party can have their shameful events.

In our Engaged Buddhism programs at the Zen Center, we seek to better educate ourselves about an issue or current event (for example, the war in Afghanistan, the slow movement, the anniversary of Hiroshima or 9/11). We explore and apply relevant Zen or Buddhist teachings to the topic, and then encourage congregants to use meditation and reflection to determine their own response and action.

Rev. Dr. Deborah Barrett

Zen Center of Orange County

Costa Mesa

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I know how upset I would be if any group were to publically burn bibles. The church sponsoring this event wants to get its point across (that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal salvation), but such antics fall very short. While we must avoid being too passive, at the same time we cannot underestimate the power of prayer. How many events were influenced by the fervent prayer of many people (for example, the Battle of Lepanto in 1571)?

Do Christians truly make a concerted effort to pray for peace and for the conversion of all terrorists? Yes, it is difficult to pray for our enemies, but we are called to do as much.

Fr. Stephen Doktorczyk

St. Joachim Church

Costa Mesa

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Let’s be clear. Blaming the Koran for 9/11 is like blaming the car instruction manual for the acts of a drunk driver. The operator was at fault, not the manuscript. Similarly, blaming all Muslims for the actions of a few is like blaming all Fords because the drunk driver was driving a Ford.

But in America we have adopted God’s idea of freedom for all. We allow people and institutions to have operator error, even to act in their own worse interest. I believe book burning is always wrong and always offends God. God loves words. God loves the sound of words, the thinking up of words, and the arrangement of words. God began the universe with words, and nicknamed his Son “The Word.”

Our use of words is something we share in common with God. So every time we abuse words, make hate speech, harm someone with our words, oppress people with words, or burn the words we are devaluing our humanity and wounding God.

I think on 9/11 — instead of burning scared books — we should all speak kind words and write sacred words. Send someone a thank you card. Tell three people you love them. Start a prayer journal or write a prayer of thanks and put it on your refrigerator. Create something with good words.

Pastor Mark Wiley

Mesa Verde United Methodist Church

Costa Mesa

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It might be legal for the “Dove World Outreach Center” to create an International “Burn a Koran Day,” but it certainly isn’t right! I’d instruct the police to camp outside their location because once they move from word to action I would hope they will be charged with a hate crime! It is completely outrageous that a group would use a name that conjures up images of peace and then call for violence. They are using the anniversary of Sept. 11 to veil their own hate-filled terrorism. If we are to learn anything from the attack in 2001 it is that violence is never the answer. We are called to respond in peace not with ignorance, hatred and attack on Islam.

The Rev. Sarah Halverson

Fairview Community Church

Costa Mesa

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From atrocities of terrorism to inhumanities like book burnings, particularly destroying what other people hold holy, we humans seem to always be dreaming up evil.

Thankfully, God is always creating good, coming up with wonderful transformations and surprising us with ways that love conquers hatred, joy overcomes despair, and reconciliation overpowers revenge.

The best we can do is to point people toward God and demonstrate that God is alive and well and at work in this world.

(The Very Rev’d Canon) Peter D. Haynes

Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church

Corona del Mar

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I fear that in responding to this issue we might be giving the erroneous impression that the Dove World Outreach Center is an entity that has some Christian moral legitimacy. Its website describes it as “a New Testament Church — based on the Bible, the Word of God.”

This is false advertising.

What the center is planning is totally foreign to the spirit and specific teachings of Jesus. Jesus condemned hateful, vengeance-saturated behavior. The center’s plan is ugly, stupid, dangerous and reprehensible.

Christians organized and carried out the Holocaust. Christians carried out the devastating Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995. Will the center be observing that anniversary with a burning of the Bible?

Msgr. Wilbur Davis

Our Lady Queen of Angels Church

Newport Beach

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