- Sep 1, 2004
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Stepping away from specifics, I think it is worth giving a Christian perspective on fire, and what it does. Perhaps even more importantly, what it does not do.
Fire does not desecrate.
In the Old Testament, fire is associated with God himself. God speaks to Moses through the miraculous burning bush, which flames but does not burn. God leads his Chosen People through the desert in a cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night. When sacrifices are made to the Lord, they are made through fire. Abraham is told to kill his only son, Isaac, and then burn his body, as a sacrifice to God. That which we burn, ascends to heaven as an offering.
Therefore, we can see that for the ancients, fire does not desecrate; it sanctifies. The same principle holds true today.
The heretics, from both sides of the Christian divide, were not burned in order to send them to hell. They were burned in order to purify their souls from their heresy. The fire was regarded as purgative, in other words; it purifies. The sin of heresy was regarded as being so evil, that only fire would suffice to eradicate it from the soul.
And then we come on to holy or sanctified objects in our faith. Examples are holy water, religious texts, spoiled consecrated wafers etc. There are distinct conventions about how these items may be disposed of, and how they may not be disposed of. For example, holy water may be poured into the ground, but may not be poured into a drain or sewer.
Many Christians may not even realise this, but after a baptism, when the water from the font is disposed of, it does not go into a drain; it goes from the font into a soakaway; ie into the earth. Similarly, the ashes used for Ash Wednesday may not be put into a bin, but they may be placed into the ground; buried.
And then we come to an old, battered, no longer useful Bible. Again, the appropriate way to dispose of such an old Bible is not to put it into a bin, or into a landfill with other rubbish. The appropriate, respectful way to dispose of such a book would be either to bury it directly in the ground, or if that feels wrong, to burn it, and then to bury the ashes in the ground.
And one final point. The ancient Israelites thought that the sacred could be contaminated by the impure, and so sought to retain ritual purity for their lives. Christianity teaches the exact opposite; when the sacred comes into contact with the profane, the profane is sanctified. In our faith, Christ clearly demonstrates that anything which is truly sacred cannot be defiled. If it could, that would make sin more powerful than God, which is nonsense.
Islam appears to return to the Israelite attitude to holiness; it is a retrograde step from what Christ himself teaches us, in other words. In Islam, as in Judaism, sin has the power to undo what God himself does. In our faith, nothing has this much power. You can take a Holy Bible, and do what you like with it; it remains Holy. That which God has done, man cannot undo.
In neither Judaism nor Christianity can fire desecrate. Fire purifies, and constitutes an offering to God. This may not be what is intended, but nonetheless, theologically speaking, this is what is achieved.
Fire does not desecrate.
In the Old Testament, fire is associated with God himself. God speaks to Moses through the miraculous burning bush, which flames but does not burn. God leads his Chosen People through the desert in a cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night. When sacrifices are made to the Lord, they are made through fire. Abraham is told to kill his only son, Isaac, and then burn his body, as a sacrifice to God. That which we burn, ascends to heaven as an offering.
Therefore, we can see that for the ancients, fire does not desecrate; it sanctifies. The same principle holds true today.
The heretics, from both sides of the Christian divide, were not burned in order to send them to hell. They were burned in order to purify their souls from their heresy. The fire was regarded as purgative, in other words; it purifies. The sin of heresy was regarded as being so evil, that only fire would suffice to eradicate it from the soul.
And then we come on to holy or sanctified objects in our faith. Examples are holy water, religious texts, spoiled consecrated wafers etc. There are distinct conventions about how these items may be disposed of, and how they may not be disposed of. For example, holy water may be poured into the ground, but may not be poured into a drain or sewer.
Many Christians may not even realise this, but after a baptism, when the water from the font is disposed of, it does not go into a drain; it goes from the font into a soakaway; ie into the earth. Similarly, the ashes used for Ash Wednesday may not be put into a bin, but they may be placed into the ground; buried.
And then we come to an old, battered, no longer useful Bible. Again, the appropriate way to dispose of such an old Bible is not to put it into a bin, or into a landfill with other rubbish. The appropriate, respectful way to dispose of such a book would be either to bury it directly in the ground, or if that feels wrong, to burn it, and then to bury the ashes in the ground.
And one final point. The ancient Israelites thought that the sacred could be contaminated by the impure, and so sought to retain ritual purity for their lives. Christianity teaches the exact opposite; when the sacred comes into contact with the profane, the profane is sanctified. In our faith, Christ clearly demonstrates that anything which is truly sacred cannot be defiled. If it could, that would make sin more powerful than God, which is nonsense.
Islam appears to return to the Israelite attitude to holiness; it is a retrograde step from what Christ himself teaches us, in other words. In Islam, as in Judaism, sin has the power to undo what God himself does. In our faith, nothing has this much power. You can take a Holy Bible, and do what you like with it; it remains Holy. That which God has done, man cannot undo.
In neither Judaism nor Christianity can fire desecrate. Fire purifies, and constitutes an offering to God. This may not be what is intended, but nonetheless, theologically speaking, this is what is achieved.
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I'm keeping it, thx.
