This coming Sunday a small church in Florida is planning to have a "burn a Quran day".
This in turn has sparked protests around the Muslim World and has even forced General Petraeus to make a comment saying how the event could cause danger to the military personnel abroad.
The whole event is somewhat mind-boggling.
The pastor planning the event is so far from the message and life of Jesus that it is hard to even comprehend.
His complete disregard for the lives of others that may be put in jeopardy shows the true narcissism of the man and the overall church.
I think 99% of individuals in the U.
S.
would agree with this.
However, this event can serve as a powerful test of our freedom of speech.
The freedom of Speech just doesn't pertain to nice, quiet, and respectful political or religious rhetoric; it also protects the profane, disturbing, and offensive.
Whether it is burning a Quran, a Torah, a Bible, or an American flag, there are going to be some people that say the government should make it illegal-either because the simple offensive nature of it or the disturbance it could cause.
However, just as the right should never have tried to take on a crusade against flag burning or other attempts at public censorship, the left cannot make some crusade against Quran burning or displaying a picture of Mohammad.
There may be backlash because of it; while I understand the deeply disturbing nature of the Quran burning (like most Americans would be deeply offended if someone was burning the Bible for some kind of show), for people to start rioting and being violent against the U.
S.
government or other U.
S.
citizens for this is stupidity.
The overwhelming majority disagree with this childish act from the church, and the government has come out in strong opposition to the demonstration.
However, we cannot allow the threat of violence and extremism to cause us to deny the freedom of speech and expression, just as the government was wrong in denying other civil liberties following the 9/11 attacks.
The price of living in a free society means allowing things which are disgusting and offensive and may even cause security issues.
However, the price of trying to censor and stop these actions is much greater- a slow and gradual loss of our liberties and freedoms.
Speak out against the Quran burning day, let your Muslim friends know that this type of extremism does not represent you or your family; however, realize that the effects of allowing to this happen are less dangerous than the effects of the government stopping it from happening.
This is a hard truth to swallow, but something we have to hold forth in a free society.