Charles Merrill demonstrates witless moral equivalence, showing no ability to distinguish between a group that disapproves of his behavior and one that sanctions killing him. This is the kind of thing I discuss in my new book Religion of Peace? Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn’t, which is coming soon from Regnery.
And while no Christians are likely to get in a lather about his desecration of the Bible, by burning the Qur’an he has set himself up for a death sentence and given a pretext that has led to international riots in the past. Both are “terrorist manuals” indeed.
From MarketWatch (thanks to all who sent this in):
NEW YORK, July 26, 2007 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Charles Merrill, the artist who recently edited the Holy Bible with a black marker and pair of scissors, has lately burned a rare Islamic Holy Book, The Koran, valued at $60,000.00, in an undisclosed Chicago location. “The purpose of editing and burning Abrahamic Holy Books is to eliminate homophobic hate,” Merrill stated. “Both ancient books are terrorist manuals.”
He continues, “I inherited the rare Islamic book from my late wife, Evangeline Johnson Merrill. As the daughter of the founder of the international pharmaceutical giant, Johnson and Johnson, Inc., doors of kings and queens opened to her around the world. Evangeline was given the rare manuscript by the late King of Jordan when she was on a mission for the United Nations in the 1950’s.”
“Airplanes are flown into buildings because of words, and hate crimes against gays,” Merrill said.
Merrill is a self-made millionaire, artist, fervent atheist and cousin of the co-founder of Merrill Lynch.