ANDERSON, Ind. —
A Florida pastor who plans to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11 doesn’t have the support of several local churches.
Florida Pastor Terry Jones is known for espousing anti-Islamic rhetoric, but gained national attention in recent weeks when he declared Sept. 11 “International Burn-a-Quran Day.”
A Facebook page established to promote the Quran-burning event has received 12,270 “likes,” but much of the response from U.S. and international leaders has been outrage.
Locally, church leaders have expressed the same sentiment.
The Rev. Robert Williams of St. Mary’s and St. Ambrose Catholic churches in Anderson originally poked fun at the evangelical Florida pastor.
“It’s a good idea if he does it and holds it in his bare hands while it burns,” he said in jest.
Speaking more seriously, Williams called Jones’ plan “despicable.”
Williams said burning Qurans will only embolden extremists and endanger Americans around the world, including U.S. troops.
Pastor Arthur Jaggard of First Baptist Church of Anderson had a different perspective.
“I really think — I’m certain — that we are called to pray for our enemies and not to hit back. Having said that, it’s clear to me that Islam is an anti-Christian religion,” he said.
“I’m fairly sure the aim of Islam is to destroy Christianity,” Jaggard said.
Jaggard said he’s read the Quran and stated that the holy book begins peacefully but gradually becomes more violent.
“By the time you get into the late 20s, it’s already calling upon Muslims to kill the infidels ... Christians and Jews,” he said.
Bishop William Smalley of Trinity Episcopal Church endorsed tolerance.
“We’re all children of Abraham. Islam and Judaism and Christianity all come from Abrahamic roots and we really are children of common parents and we shouldn’t be acting this way,” he said.
Smalley also supports the proposal to build a mosque two blocks away from ground zero in New York City.
“I see no problem with it. I know a lot of the parents and relatives of people who died there are saying we ought to allow this. In the Episcopal church, we have been saying we really need to have dialogue with one another. We can’t have dialogue with one another if we’re burning each other’s sacred books,” Smalley said.
Smalley agrees with Williams that burning Qurans will only incite violence. “I also worry what’s going to happen to Christians around the world and to our service men and women. We’re just expanding the war if he does this,” Smalley said.
Williams said burning Quarans sends the wrong message to the worldwide community. “This is the reason people around the world hate us.”
Contact Brandi Watters: 640-4847, brandi.watters@heraldbulletin.com.
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