Jones—virtually alone against the massed forces of liberalism

Maybe one of the reasons Pastor Terry Jones folded was that he had received no support from any recognized quarter. As far as I can tell, the entire conservative movement, including the conservative anti-jihadists, attacked him, portraying his planned Koran burning as low and disgusting and against everything America stands for. The only exceptions I know of are Gates of Vienna and Diana West. However, GoV only supported Jones’s right to burn a Koran; it did not support the act itself, nor did it support Jones’s reasoning behind the act. Thus GoV’s position on the affair is the same as Michael Bloomberg’s—it is a liberal position (based on the absolute right of self-expression), not a conservative position (based on the defense of our substantive civilization against its enemies). Diana West has protested the horrendous campaign against Jones (see my summary of her powerful article), but, as far as I tell, she has not actually supported Jones’s position. I am not criticizing Diana West or GoV for not doing so, as this is a very difficult issue. I’m just observing that this is the case.

I am the only bylined writer or blogger I know of who has supported and praised Jones’s planned burning of a Koran as such. If readers are aware of others who have done so, please let me know. I think Jones’s position (before he folded) was brilliant and constructive, and, like human being, I’m hoping to find out that I am not alone in the way I feel.

Update: Just after posting this entry, I came upon David Yeagley’s very interesting article in which he explains the ancient tradition of burning the books and otherwise desecrating the beliefs of one’s enemies. He thus provides a philosophical and historical justification for Terry Jones, without actually siding with Jones.

- end of initial entry -

Mercedes D. writes:

You seem to stand alone, Lawrence, with the possible exception of Ace at Ace of Spades, who wrote:

AP: We Will Not Distribute Photos of Burning Korans

—Ace

As much as I buy into the idea that we don’t want to “enrage the Arab street” and put our boys’ lives in elevated danger …

… we cannot keep matching each of the demands of expansionist, murderous Islam and giving it a special place as the de facto national religion, the single religion for which the legal penalty of blasphemy exists.

I should note that AP had no trouble whatsoever in running obviously-staged propaganda pictures of Burning Korans during the Israel-Lebanon war of 2006. Then, the picture was intended as an incitement of Muslims against the Israelis, and obviously was a Hezballah-approved propaganda shot.

But now? Nope, can’t do that.

If a Muslim burns the Koran in order to blame it on Israelis and incite Muslims into warfare, run the shot.

If a Christian burns the Koran to make a point about Islam not in fact being this country’s official, obligatory state religion, don’t run the shot.

Via JimmieBJR’s twitter feed. He calls it “cowardly.” I’m not sure there’s another word for it.

[LA notes: I have deleted Ace’s paragraph praising Christopher Hitchens, the only contempoary writer I refuse to link or quote, because I regard him as uniquely hate-filled and evil.]

Again, another badge of Islam’s supremacy over other religions—and all governments—which is precisely what they’re killing for.

Other people have remarked upon the perverse incentives here: If Christians want their faith taken seriously, and respected by institutions and the government, apparently they’ll just have to start bombing and beheading and they’ll have that.

Furthermore, we continue to encourage Islamist killers. Every time they kill, what message does the nation and its communicative institutions parrot over and over?

1) Islam is a religion of peace.

2) Islam is one of the world’s “great religions.”

3) The overwhelming majority of Islam’s faithful are good, pious people.

Every time they murder in the name of Allah, then, we all collectively begin shouting how _______ wonderful Allah is.

Is it any surprise they continue to murder us then? They kill us, and we then proselytize on their behalf.

Posted by Ace at 01:09 PM New Comments Thingy

Thank you for speaking out in defense of Terry Jones. It seems that you and your readers are the only sane people left in this country. Everyone else seems to have already accepted dhimmitude. I stand with you, Lawrence. Please keep speaking out for those of us who have no public platform.

God bless.

LA replies:

Thank you.

However, I must note that Ace, while he strongly condemns the campaign against Pastor Jones, does not actually support Jones’s own position and the reasoning behind his position.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at September 09, 2010 07:41 PM | Send