![]() "You can't just burn them or throw them in the garbage," he says. He says shaimos - documents containing the name of God in Hebrew - are treated in a similar manner. ![]() Genack is the rabbinic administrator and CEO of the OU Kosher Division. Rabbi Menachem Genack of the Orthodox Union says "the Torah is handled with an enormous amount of respect." Generally, he says, the sacred texts are buried. "In the case of most laypeople, they would bring it to the church and let the parish priest dispose of it," he says. The bishop, who is chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, says no specific ceremony is involved. "The appropriate way - if it was necessary to dispose of that item that had been torn or water-aged - would be to bury it or burn it," he says. In the Greek Orthodox Church, Bishop Andonios says, either a layperson or clergyman could put the Holy Scripture to rest. Many of the religious leaders who spoke to NPR agreed that burial was the most respectful way to dispose of their sacred text. It should be wrapped in something pure and buried in a place where people do not walk. That's why there would be such a visceral response to burning the Quran, even though a layperson could do so under Muslim law - as long as the intent was respectful. Malik says the assumption there is that Americans disrespect Muslims. "The problem is when one puts a malicious intent as part of the burning." "If one said, 'Well, we're burning some Qurans today,' that wouldn't incite riots in Afghanistan," he says. Malik, who spent time in Afghanistan in November 2010, says the troops should have asked for guidance. Many faiths prescribe specific rituals for disposing of them, and the bottom line is respect for the words on the page. Islam certainly isn't the only religion that has rules about how to handle its sacred text.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |