Pastor Jones activity in Germany

The world is holding its breath -- and it's all down to a tiny Christian fundamentalist church in Florida.

Next Saturday, on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Rev. Terry Jones and his colleagues plan to burn hundreds of copies of the Koran on the church's property in Gainesville, Florida.

The White House has condemned the plan, and Muslim organizations around the world have warned of the consequences should the Koran-burning go ahead. But the church is sticking to its plans.

Naturally the radical Islamophobes know very well that their deliberate provocation could trigger potentially violent protests and riots. But they have washed their hands of any responsibility. "Let's just make one thing clear," the wannabe Koran-burners write on their blog. "A small church, in a small town, down a back road, burning copies of its own books, on its own property, is not responsible for the violent actions anyone may take in retaliation to our protest."

Terry Jones, the man behind the action, is the pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center, a church that manages to attract a Sunday congregation of just 50 people, members of the radical fringe of the evangelical movement. Jones, a 58-year-old former hotel manager with a distinctive mustache, is also the author of a polemic book titled "Islam Is of the Devil."

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,716409,00.html

Conservative Christian leaders condemned a Florida pastor who plans to burn 200 copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, saying Wednesday that Christians don't burn other religions' holy books.

It's as simple as the "separation of church and hate," said the Rev. Rick Warren, a California megachurch pastor who prayed at President Obama's inauguration.
The National Association of Evangelicals, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Southern Baptist leaders all issued similar statements leading up to Saturday's anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in American history.

"Book burning is a cowardly act by those afraid that their beliefs aren't strong enough to attract people if they are allowed a choice," said Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life.

The Rev. Bob Old of Springfield, Tenn., doesn't care what they think.

The longtime Baptist minister says the Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Center Outreach in Gainesville, Fla., is doing the right thing by burning the Quran. So he's going to do likewise.

More at http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100909/NEWS01/9090347/Springfield+minister+plans+to+burn+copy+of+Quran++too


I'm so proud of my state. :sarcasm:

but he's spot on here ... "Book burning is a cowardly act by those afraid that their beliefs aren't strong enough to attract people if they are allowed a choice," said Warren

Here is Mr Tolerance equating gay couples to all manner of horrors, and he does so for simple self promotion and promotion of his products.
RICK WARREN: But the issue to me is, I’m not opposed to that as much as I’m opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.

STEVEN WALDMAN: Do you think, though, that they are equivalent to having gays getting married?

RICK WARREN: Oh I do. …


So he calls us every horrible thing in the book. We are like those who marry children or their own siblings.
Anyone who wishes to promote that man as a voice of reason is part of the Jones mindset because Warren is that himself. A slandering hate monger, pushing prejudice against others for his own benefit, and doing it in the name of God as if he had that right. Embrace him if you wish, just do not expect those he attacks to agree with you and he that he and Jones are not very similar creatures.
I just have to wonder what Warren's defenders here would say if I called them those things. Oh, they'd hit alert and freak out. If you would not want it said about you, do not promote those who say such things about others. The Golden Rule, that is called in some long forgotten faith.

"Rev" Terry Jones, and his ilk have no credentials on any level,
usually anointed themselves as 'pastor' and go out and preach to
those even less educated than themselves, and yet get media attention
to the degree that they bring down the hammer of condemnation on any
who follow the Christian faith.

Does this man have any formal, advanced education? Is he accountable
to any bishop or judicatory body? Are there standards to which he must
apply his words and deeds? Most mainline and ecumenical bodies have
such authorities, standards and requirements.

It's as if I declared myself 'Dr' and went about setting up a clinic
and diagnosing and treating patients, and extracting fees from them.
But in that case, the authorities would be on me like white on rice.

Separation of church and state is inviolate, but religious bodies
should also have standards of accountability. This is a travesty.