MattFancy Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 The Department of State is issuing this Travel Alert to caution U.S. citizens of the potential for anti-U.S. demonstrations in many countries in response to stated plans by a church in Florida to burn Qur'ans on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Demonstrations, some violent, have already taken place in several countries, including Afghanistan and Indonesia, in response to media reports of the church's plans. The potential for further protests and demonstrations, some of which may turn violent, remains high. We urge you to pay attention to local reaction to the situation, and to avoid areas where demonstrations may take place. This Travel Alert expires on September 30, 2010. We also remind you of the continuing threat to U.S. interests and citizens posed by various terrorist groups, as outlined in the Department's Worldwide Caution. U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website at in order that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. U.S. citizens without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. U.S. government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. My fiance works for a member of congress and got this in an email this morning. Just a heads up to anyone that is traveling or knows someone who is traveling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reic Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I still don't get how a church thinks its a good idea to burn a holy book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 Your guess is as good as mine. Makes no sense at all to me. And why now? 9/11 happened 9 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbear Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Does anybody wonder if maybe Jones isn't in fact unifying many ties thought to be forever severed amongst all Abrahamic faiths? I don't know if we could get them to agree on the colors of the rainbow, but everybody seems to find Jones distasteful. From a group think perspective, he would hardly be the first to try and change the direction of a culture or movement in this way. Think or a herd of people moving steadily left. Suddenly, somebody runs so far out to the left he is standing in the face of oncoming traffic yelling "Come on everybody over here!" The crowd takes a second looks at him and thinks "that man is crazy! Why the heck would I follow him. I may want to move left, but I'm going to stay to the right of him." That loon just put a huge stop sign on the momentum of the crowd. He is the barrier. Now what happens if he moves to the right a little? Suddenly many in the crowd who identified them selves as left find themselves moving right a bit just to stay to the right of the lunatic left of which nobody wants to think themselves a part. I think of this as the Archie Bunker effect. There is a part of me which hopes he knows his Archie Bunker influence. However, it seems that is probably giving him too much credit. If so, there is a part of me as somebody who ascribes to no particular organized religion, which hopes maybe some overarching power really did talk to him. Whether he realizes his role or not is probably unimportant. It may even work better with him seeming more earnest if he actually believes what he says...and is roundly criticized for it. Maybe history needs it's version of ditch diggers too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Earlier today on the Tony Kornheiser show, they blamed the media for this entire thing. It's one crazy ass pastor with only 50 +/- followers. This should have never received any airtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 a good idea for the country? or a good idea for "some dude that wants to stand on a table, drop his pants, jump up and down, and squeek LOOK AT ME!!!"? context is everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Earlier today on the Tony Kornheiser show, they blamed the media for this entire thing.It's one crazy ass pastor with only 50 +/- followers. This should have never received any airtime. I had a friend tell me the same thing, my thought as a pastor was simple. You're right, he is an extremist and on the fringe and apparently so are his 50 followers, but his actions have the potential to bring about much harm. I mean all that is needed is a nice picture of a preacher standing over a stack of burning Korans to inspire a new round of violence against Americans and against Christians. What's more as a pastor my thought was simple..."In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12. I'm not certain what part of that he doesn't understand, but if he doesn't want people burning Bibles then he shouldn't be burning Korans and if that's the case then God didn't tell him (as he says) to burn the Korans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpillian Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I don't who I'm disappointed with most in this scenario: -- the wack job pastor who's doing something incredibly fringe, but harms exactly no one -- the media for giving him the whack job a pulpit where none really exists -- Islamic whack jobs that actually think his burning of books actually merits a response; let alone protests; let alone some sort of actual violence. It's all pretty crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I don't who I'm disappointed with most in this scenario: -- the wack job pastor who's doing something incredibly fringe, but harms exactly no one -- the media for giving him the whack job a pulpit where none really exists -- Islamic whack jobs that actually think his burning of books actually merits a response; let alone protests; let alone some sort of actual violence. It's all pretty crazy. D. All of the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKINS@THEGOALLINE Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 MSNBC has just reported that Pastor Jones has canceled the Quran burning scheduled for saturday, apparently Pastor Jones is meeting with the Imam behind the ground zero mosque instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 MSNBC has just reported that Pastor Jones has canceled the Quran burning scheduled for saturday, apparently Pastor Jones is meeting with the Imam behind the ground zero mosque instead. Sanity has prevailed. BTW, does that mean God changed his mind and now doesn't want Pastor Jones to burn the Korans? Or is Jones disobeying God by canceling the burning? Or maybe God never told him to burn them in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Earlier today on the Tony Kornheiser show, they blamed the media for this entire thing.It's one crazy ass pastor with only 50 +/- followers. This should have never received any airtime. I don't who I'm disappointed with most in this scenario: -- the wack job pastor who's doing something incredibly fringe, but harms exactly no one -- the media for giving him the whack job a pulpit where none really exists -- Islamic whack jobs that actually think his burning of books actually merits a response; let alone protests; let alone some sort of actual violence. It's all pretty crazy. Come on, you know the U.S. media better than that. It doesn't matter how small, or how wrong the demonstration is : if there is any shock value to the story at all, then certain media channels are BOUND to jump on it, 100 times out of 100.....Guaranteed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Come on, you know the U.S. media better than that. It doesn't matter how small, or how wrong the demonstration is : if there is any shock value to the story at all, then certain media channels are BOUND to jump on it. And what was this pastor doing? Please he was begging for the attention, that's why he had a big sign in front of his church about the burning. So don't lay this all off on the media, the pastor wanted every bit of the attention that he got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 And what was this pastor doing? Please he was begging for the attention, that's why he had a big sign in front of his church about the burning. So don't lay this all off on the media, the pastor wanted every bit of the attention that he got. I'm not blaming the media. I'm just saying we shouldn't all be in so much shock that the media would give it so much attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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