Burning the Koran

A new musical by the creators of the Comedy Central show “South Park” recently opened on Broadway. The play, entitled The Book of Mormon, pokes fun at LDS beliefs and missionaries. Mormons who have seen the play have given it, as might be expected, some mixed reviews. The LDS hierarchy, to its credit, has not urged its members to boycott the production.

I have always had problems with authority, religious and otherwise. I probably would answer the old question, “Is there nothing sacred?” with “Not that I can think of.”

If you as an artist want to put a crucifix in urine and call it “Piss Christ,” I think you have that right. While I personally doubt the artistic merit of that installation, I am close to being an absolutist on First Amendment freedoms. It is one of the reasons I am a proud card-carrying member of ACLU, and I carry that card right next to my Pennsylvania license so the TSA guys at the airport see it when I show my ID.

On the other hand, having the right to do something does not mean you should do it. Other considerations apply. One is being polite. I see no reason deliberately to insult people with deep beliefs. There are also practical considerations. For example, you have a right to burn an American flag in protest, but in doing so you will almost always bring disrepute on the cause you are trying to advance.

I’m getting to the point here--bear with me. I don’t think the preacher in Florida should have burned the Koran. It is a book revered by millions, considered to be god’s word, and it was not a polite thing to do. However, there is a fundamental craziness about people in Afghanistan who, in retaliation for that burning, would murder innocent United Nations workers who had nothing to do with the incident in Florida.

When religious adherents are willing to kill for their beliefs--whether it be UN personnel or abortion providers--that kind of fanaticism must be opposed. It cannot be excused. As President Obama noted in a statement on the killings in Afghanistan, it is “an affront to human decency and dignity.”