Koran Burning and Mormons on Broadway

This is actually based off of an article one of my friends posted on facebook.  The original story is HERE.  I was aware of the new Broadway play about the Book of Mormon and Mormons in general.  I had some friends who wanted to protest it at first.  I was also aware of contentions with the Koran in Florida and how a preacher decided to burn Korans.  There have been threats of this for several months now, but I guess they finally did it.

Anyways, Richard Grenell tells us: "Some Muslim followers in Afghanistan reacted to the burning by storming the UN compound and killing innocent international public servants.  The Mormon Church reacted to the musical by pointing the public to the superficial nature of it and the supernatural power of their faith."  He talks about how the burning of the books was insensitive and intolerant of our Muslim friends.  It is.  He also says that the burning of the book which was an expression of freedom of speech didn't endanger lives like the killing of innocent people.  He compares the reaction of the Mormon Church.  The Church did come out and make an official statement.  It told the members not to worry about it.  And it IS a different reaction.  And while I'm not trying to justify the killings in Afghanistan, I don't feel it's the same thing.

The Mormon musical makes fun of Mormons, or so I've been told.  But it's entertainment.  Most people going to shows know that it's making fun of something (and making fun of things usually happens through exaggeration).  It's not always based 100% on facts.  So while it may be irreverent and mocking of the Mormons it is not a direct attack.  Some who may already not like the Mormons may like them less after seeing it, but those who are neutral will likely stay neutral after seeing it.  Whereas the burning of the Koran, to me seems like a direct attack.  It was not done in an effort to entertain, but make a direct statement in opposition to their beliefs and completely intolerant of their beliefs.

Now onto the reaction.  The killings in Afghanistan.  In the story it says SOME Muslim followers were responsible for the killing.  These, in my opinion, were a bunch of hot-headed, easily angered Muslims.  It is a reflection of extremists responding to an extremist.  To compare these select members with the Church's official statement seems unfair.  The Church's official statement doesn't show any local, or personal levels of rebellion or protesting.  Granted I know that if there had been any killing there would have been news coverage.  So basically, although, being a Mormon I'm proud of the example my Church set as a whole, I don't think it should be used as a standard to compare with the Koran burning and how it affected some followers.

Yay for the Mormon Church's response to the mocking Broadway musical.  How intolerant and insensitive the burning of the Koran was in Florida and shame on the people who killed innocent people in reaction to the burning.  But most Muslims did not react the same way.  I don't know how a Muslim could not be saddened or offended by the burning of their sacred book, but most of them did not lash out against innocent people who possibly shared nothing in common with the 'burner' than the name of the country the were from.