The way I see it: one crazy group of monotheists wants to burn another group of monotheists' holy book.

Over the past 2000 years, the 3 main varieties of monotheism have actively persecuted each other and also executed members of their own religions who believed the wrong thing. The starting point both for Christianity (when it got powerful enough) and Islam was to convert or kill all pagans in their territory, a process that continues today in Africa and Asia.

At certain moments in this appalling history, enlightened thinkers have tried to reign in the crazy monotheistic impulse to kill anything different. In the past they succeeded for short periods but their main legacy was the founding of the United States as a place where religion was separated from the state. The Founding Fathers were a group of Deists who were not beholden to any specific religion.

The problem is that America is - let's be honest - divided into "sane" and "insane" territories depending on location, social standing and religious belief. The most fervent Christian believers are from areas that were traditionally the poorest and most backward parts of the country. Since the 1950s, however, the South has become demographically more powerful and able to determine the course of the country. And it is dragging the more "sane" areas into the crazy discourse of End Times Fundamentalism and Dominionism.

Remember, the likes of our Koran-burning preacher want to turn the Enlightenment around and go back to a worldview that says everything was created in 4004BC. They are no different from the Taliban. They are the mirror image of the Mad Mullahs in Iran.

So yes, go ahead and burn that Koran, but remember the God you worship has bloodstained teeth and enjoys nothing better than getting his followers to kill each other. In his name - remember?