Not In the Name of Christ

It is September 11, a day for remembering, marred by one man’s foolishness.

Let no one think that Terry Jones, who continues to threaten a Qur’an-burning, is acting in the name of Christ or Christianity. He is defying the unified voice of the world Christian community. He is inciting anger, fear, and hatred. The action he threatens is nothing but empty symbolism with respect to godly truth, while to Muslims—who regard the Qur’an as co-eternal with Allah—it is more than symbolism, it is a violent assault.

There are better ways to stand for truth: for example, to examine whether the “eternal Qur’an” makes sense. There are ways to share truth (The Witness book explains and defends basic Christian beliefs) while showing love:

In the name of Christ, I call on Terry Jones to give up on this foolishness. I call on him to walk away from his misguided attempts to use it as a negotiating piece. I call on him to set aside the attractions of notoriety, if there is any motivation for him in that. I call on him to give up pretending he is acting on behalf of Christ or Christianity. I urge him to humble himself and repent—in the name of Christ.