An Open Letter to Dr. Terry Jones

Dear Pastor Dr. Terry Jones,

I write this letter with little hope that #1 you would read it and #2 that it would make a difference, but I feel something should be said, whether the advice is heeded or not, that sir, is your choice.

As a fellow Christian pastor, I urge you to stop your blatant disregard of the Christian faith. Your continuation of your planned burning of the Koran, not only makes you a disgraceful American it disgraces the core teachings of the faith you claim to follow and represent.

I do not make my case based on personal feelings. I base it through Scripture which is strong enough to stand alone:

I make my case through…

Jesus

1. Where in Scripture did Jesus ever destroy (in any way) the holy books or the temples of worship for any other faith or religion?
2. Matthew 5:9-12 Jesus said the “Peacemakers” will be called the Sons of God – You do not make peace by inciting violence with your actions of burning the Koran. It goes on to say,  “Rejoice and be glad” when persecuted for righteousness sake, not go seek revenge or go make a “statement” when you feel others have done you wrong.
3. Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus tells us to “turn the other cheek” and to go out of our way to accommodate those who seek to harm us. I’m curious, how does your burning of the Koran fit with in these instructions?
4. Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus tells us to love our enemies. He asks, what reward is there in only loving your brother? Even the Pagans do that. How is inciting our enemies loving them? How do you open the door for the Good News of Jesus Christ, by angering them? I don’t know, maybe the word “enemy” from Jesus’ day meant something else…I’m sure it did.
5. Luke 17:11-17, Jesus performs a good deed, a miracle. One of ten men came back to thank him, it was a Samaritan. I am sure you are aware that the Samaritans worshiped differently than the Jews, this Samaritan could have looked at Jesus with great disdain, but he didn’t, maybe it was because Jesus didn’t incite him to violence and hatred, he loved him, healed him, did good to him. I wonder, how are your actions on September 11, 2010 in burning the Koran, follow in Jesus’ example? Where did Jesus burn the Samaritan’s holy book? Where did he “take a stand?” Um, maybe I missed something, either way, Jesus’ method led the man to faith.

Paul

1. Look at 2 Corinthians 11:23-33, now go study the rest of Scripture. For every “act” of violence, hatred, or wrong done against Paul, where did he one time respond with a “protest” or “standing up against his foes” or any other demonstration of what was “right” in his eyes? Where? He preached the Gospel. His life was for Christ not his own.
2. Check out Acts 14:19-22, Paul was stoned and left for dead outside of the city. I bet Paul got back up and made a protest against them for burning his Bible and attacking his fellow believers, don’t you? No, he went back into the city, preached the Gospel and encouraged the believers, declaring that one must suffer many hardships as a believer. It sounds to me that Paul did not need to “act” out in order to “stand-up” for his beliefs. He just lived them out, whether it cost him his life or whether he got to keep his life.
3. Furthermore, check out Acts 17:16-34, Paul goes to Athens and is encountered with a people who followed many gods and different religions. I bet we see here where he goes and destroys their temples and their idols and their holy books. Oh, man, once again, a peacemakers approach. He actually “preaches” against them and uses them to contrast the Truth and the Gospel.
4. We are instructed in Colossians 4:5-6, to be careful with how we deal with non-believers, to be full of grace and to be seasoned with salt, so that we may have an answer for everyone. I wonder how your approach on September 11, 2010, falls within these instructions?
5. In Acts 16:16-40, Paul and Silas are in prison. They have the opportunity to escape, but they know that in doing so it would cost the guards their life, so they stay and because of that the guards come to faith. Unlike you, they were unwilling for their faith to cause another person their life. You sir, make a mockery of the Christian faith when General Petraeus warns that our American soldiers will have the risk on their life increased by your actions and you ignore it! You may be willing to die for your faith, but you are not a peacemaker when you are causing & increasing problems for others on your behalf. If one attack happens because of your actions and any soldier loses their life, their blood will be on your hands, so I guess you might be very proud of them sacrificing their life for your right to be foolish.
6. In Romans 12:14-21, Paul urges us to BLESS those who persecute us and to not pay back evil for evil. How does your plan fit within that instruction?

The honest truth sir, there is no Biblical foundation for which you can say your actions are in the name of Christianity. What you are doing is in the name of Dr. Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center. Maybe its your way of getting a little fame and a little bit of news coverage, but you in no way are promoting the Savior Jesus or his teachings. You can twist Scripture all you want to make your point, people have done so for centuries, but you will be hard pressed to present grace and love through your actions. Our instructions are to go into all the world to make disciples (Matthew 28:19) as Christians we are called to represent Christ. You are not doing that and you are not paving the road for the Gospel to be preached, in fact, you are perverting the gospel, with a gospel of hate. Here’s a novel idea, arrange a massive prayer meeting not a Koran burning service, but then again, that may mean you think God is big enough to change the hearts of those you disagree with.

Sincerely,

Nick Carnes