Student disagrees with Islam

Jeremy Gatlin 

Guest columnist 

Jeremy Gatlin Guest columnist Last week, Floridian pastor Terry Jones caused quite a stir when he announced he would burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11. 

He called on other people to join him because he was against the construction of a mosque at Ground Zero in New York. 

News of Jones’ plans reached Afghanistan and caused Afghans to rally in protest, according to www.nydailynews.com. The website said  Gen. David Petraeus feared Jones’ actions would endanger the lives of American troops.

The website states that Jones flipped back and forth about burning the Koran until he finally decided to cancel the event after the mosque was given a new location.  

I’m thankful he didn’t burn the Koran because his actions could’ve endangered the lives of many people.

But I think I understand what Jones must have been thinking. I don’t think a mosque should ever be built on Ground Zero.  It would be insensitive to the lives that were lost and everyone affected to allow a group of people who share the same beliefs as the terrorists to build a mosque.

Despite the problems with his chosen type of protest, I agree with Jones’ views against Islam. 

Before I go any further, I want to say that while I don’t agree with Islam, I don’t hate Muslims. 

Islam, in my opinion, is an evil religion, and its holy text, the Koran, teaches hatred.  For example, Koran 8:37 reads, “In order that Allah may separate the impure from the pure, put all the impure ones, one on top of the other, in a heap and cast them into hell.”

What this verse means is that Muslims are to kill people who don’t practice Islam, which is entirely different from what the Bible says.  In John 13:34, the verse reads, “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Nowhere in the Bible does it say to kill people who believe differently than you.  Instead, we are to love them.

The action, however, that Jones was going to take would’ve only caused hostility and fighting.

Also, burning the Koran isn’t going to make Islam go away because Muslims will still practice its teachings.

I know that not everyone reading this article is a Christian, but the only way to combat Islam and other religions effectively is for Christians to unite and show Christ’s love to nonbelievers, pray that the nonbelievers submit their lives to Christ and not judge nonbelievers.

If Jones wants to take action against Islam, then he should put into action the three things I have mentioned.  Taking militant action against a group of people will only end badly for all parties involved.

The love of Christ is the only way.