insiders.

i have to say, i am disappointed (as usual) with the evangelical christian response to the idiot in florida who apparently doesn't read his own holy book, much less the quran.

there is no condemnation.

oh, there's a bit of "please don't do this" and "this is a bad decision" but no one in the evangelical christian world is saying, "this is wrong." no one. and this is ridiculous.

the evangelical conservative right in this country has told itself for years that it's a persecuted minority (thank God it's a minority but any claim to persecution could not be much farther from the truth). they've developed this kind of insider protection instinct that is leading them, in this case (and in other cases), to not be able to call out someone on a distinctly unchristian act. christianity in general in the west has forgotten what it really means to be a minority, and the protestant arrogance that disdains the writings of the patristics has led to a skewed image of christianity's interaction with the wider world.

it's not only that, though. it's that our culture in general has developed an incapability to actually condemn or endorse anything. the "bad decision" rhetoric is impotent and ridiculous. yes, it is a bad decision to burn qurans, but even more so, it is an unchristian decision. and the inability of other pastors to call out this guy betrays christianity's own syncretism with modern individualism. one of my favourite quotes recently is from a rabbi who said, "Give me a break. Is there really a point to Rabbinic leadership if it does not come with value judgments?" any spiritual leader, anyone who wishes to think of him- or herself as a spiritual leader could learn from this.

burning qurans is wrong. it is unchristian. the end.

update: i am grateful to a friend for pointing me to this article.