Why Using the Koran as Target Practice is Wrong

By now I assume that many around the world have heard of the Koran used as target practice at a military shooting range by a U.S. soldier…Check out the Link…http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080520/…ush_apology_dc

My argument is simple, the Bible’s moral law requires us to respect people. Respecting others is a fruit plucked out of the golden rule of loving your neighbor as yourself.

While there are wars recorded in the Bible between the nation of Israel and other nations, on religious and moral grounds, nevertheless there are instances of what Israel generally thought of God like, although resentfully, that is that God is gracious, merciful, loving and thus you have Genesis 21, among many others, revealing the mutual respect that Abraham and Abimelech had for each other, regardless of theological differences and it shows how God was gracious to both. More about this story below…

In addition to these glimpses, you have practically the whole NT that teaches goodwill to all men, regardless of differences in belief systems, thus you have the Sermon on the MT( Matthew 5-7), what Paul asserts in Galatians 6 about doing good to all people, especially to those who are in the community of faith, and it instructs Christians on how both unbelievers and believers are to be treated. Then you have Romans 12 where Paul teaches to strive to live at peace with all people.

The aforementioned passages informs me of how I am to look at the issue at hand…the issue of the U.S. soldier who disrespected every Muslim by using their bible as target practice.

Thus…my most basic argument is that deliberately disrespecting Muslims by using their Koran as target practice, something they view as a hideous crime, and a disrespect against their customs, is wrong.

For the record, I am not saying all offenses should be avoided. I am an apologist of the Christian faith. I speak my mind and I am not afraid of stepping on a few toes. However, using the Koran or something that is highly regarded as sacred by my friends, by my fellow citizens in this nation and by many around the world, as target practice, is unlike other things that we Christians do that may offend people from other faiths that stem from cultural differences.

It is a no brainer….I am not going to piss on someone’s tombstone because I have to go pee…I am not going to treat a person’s gift to me like crap….I am not going to take a JW’s watchtower mag and scrunch it up in front of there faces…I’ll simply say no thanks…I am not going to walk into a Mosque’s sanctuary with my shoes on…I am not going to raise my foot in an Indian home so that the bottom of my foot is shown…I am not going to be a a guest in someone’s home and pee on the toilette without whipping it off…(LoL)…I am not going to be a guest for dinner at anyone’s house and then eat and run…( some cultures expect long visits…) and I am not going to draw horns on a picture of the Pope…

What I am going to do is respect people to the best of my ability as God expects me to and if it takes respecting them by not mistreating their sacred objects, then so be it.

After all

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal. 6:6-10). God will deal with unbelievers (Gal. 1:8-9)

and

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”says the Lord (Rom 12:18-19).

As previously noted, even though there were wars between Israel and other nations, which were based on moral and religious grounds (some were a result of God’s judgment on Israel), there are still glimpses in the OT where we have a model of peaceful and respectful relationships between the two.

There is the situation at Beersheba between Abimelech and Abraham which was a relationship of mutual respect even though Abraham served the true God and Abimelech did not…( Gen 21:22-32).

Abraham lied to Abimelech saying Sarah was his sister (same thing he did in Gen. 12 with the Egyptians). Abraham was in the wrong for a) lying to Abimelech and b) disrespecting the nation’s customs for not having a veil over his wife, symbolizing that she was a wife.

Of course, Abraham offended God the most by almost having Abimelech killed and by lying when he did not have to. But here is what I want you to notice, while God’ grace on Abimalech is amazing, it is even more amazing that God would show grace on Abraham. Why? Because it shows that Abraham is no better than Abimelech. The same grace that spared Abimelech is the same grace that spared Abraham. Thus, if you, the Christian, can treat me with respect as a brother in Christ, then you can also show respect to a Muslim because I am no better than a Muslim…

If Abraham can respect the customs of the Philistines… then surely you and I can respect Muslims by not using their sacred book for target practice.

The story between Abraham and Abimelech is powerful and shows the possibilities of peace between people of different belief systems ( Check out Genesis 26 with the same principle seen between Isaac and Abimelech).