On the burning of books ...

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 Mr ProgFreak wrote:

Have a look at this "controversial" video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4XJQO3qol8

I agree 100% ... what's the big deal? Why should anyone be offended - and isn't it kind of ironic that before the announced burning of the Qur'an books by Terry Jones we see Islamists protesting in the streets, burning American flags in the process? 

I was somewhat provoked by that, and I completely disagree.
I can't believe he fails to understand (the substantial) difference between burning books and burning other symbols (eg. flags). It's true that flags and books both are symbols, but they differ in many aspects.

The Koran is both a symbol of Islam but in a more general sense it's also a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, history, culture etc. (a symbolic feature it shares with books in general). Besides the symbolic content, a book also has 'real' content. When you burn the Koran, you perform the act of burning a symbol of Islam, but you also inevitably perform the act of burning a book - which evokes nauseating historical memories. It's an immensely stupid thing to do.    

A flag has merely symbolic content (and - also the material it's made of)

I oppose to burning both flags and books (of course), but I find burning a book is far worse than burning a flag. And, surely, it is a big deal. 

I also wonder what kind of world the guy in video seems to be living in. He chooses to ignore the consequences of the act and ascribe more importance to his failed conclusion that 'it's just a book - it's not a big deal'. It is not 'just a book' and it is a big deal. He also mixes fiction with reality in his South Park example and says "Matt Stone and Trey Parker were doing the exact same thing". That's just ridiculous.   

And apparently it's also more important to 'stand up' for the right for religious extremist to 'protest', despite the extreme provocative aspects of their so called 'protest'. It's completely out of place to make this an issue of freedom of speech, actions, protests, whatever. 

My sentiment is that "freedom of speech" is not beyond common decency, and that it's out of place to put it on a pedestal every time someone wishes to severely provoke and hurt other people. 

I'm not religious, but I don't think religion is intrinsically, and only, a bad thing and that it - at all cost - has to be fought and argued against - you mostly can't argue with religious people. There is enough room in this world for both religious and non-religious people. Peace.

Edited by Paravion - September 11 2010 at 09:49