...and this dumb @ss wants to burn the Quran.
 

By MITCH STACY, Associated Press Writer Mitch Stacy, Associated Press Writer – 3 mins ago
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The leader of a small Florida church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy said Wednesday he was determined to go through with his plan to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite pressure from the White House, religious leaders and others to call it off.

"We are still determined to it, yes," the Rev. Terry Jones told the CBS Early Show.

Jones says he has received more than 100 death threats and has started wearing a .40-caliber pistol strapped to his hip since announcing his plan to burn the book Muslims consider the word of God and insist be treated with the utmost respect. The 58-year-old minister proclaimed in July that he would stage "International Burn-a-Quran Day."

Supporters have been mailing copies of the holy text to his Gainesville church of about 50 followers to be incinerated in a bonfire on Saturday to mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Gen. David Petraeus took the rare step of a military leader taking a position on a domestic matter when he warned in an e-mail to The Associated Press that "images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan — and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence."

Gen. Ray Odierno, the former top commander in Iraq, said Wednesday he fears that extremists will use the incident to sow hatred against U.S. troops overseas.

"This feeds right into what they want," Odierno said on NBC's "Today Show. Odierno now heads of U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Jones responded that he is also concerned but is "wondering, 'When do we stop?'" He refused to cancel the protest at his Dove World Outreach Center but said he was still praying about it.

"How much do we back down? How many times do we back down?" Jones told the AP. "Instead of us backing down, maybe it's time to stand up. Maybe it's time to send a message to radical Islam that we will not tolerate their behavior."**

Jones gained some local notoriety last year when he posted signs in front of his church declaring "Islam is of the Devil." But his Quran-burning idea attracted wider attention. It drew rebukes from Muslim nations and at home as an emotional debate was taking shape over the proposed Islamic center near the ground zero site of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York.

His actions most likely would be protected by the First Amendment's right to free speech. The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear in several landmark rulings that speech deemed offensive to many people, even the majority of people, cannot be suppressed by the government unless it is clearly directed to intimidate someone or amounts to an incitement to violence, legal experts said.

The fire department has denied Jones a required burn permit, but he said lawyers have told him he has the right to burn the Qurans, with or without the city's permission.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/quran_burning?ref=nf

**If he gets killed doing this, I would applaud if someone says,

"Maybe it's time to send a message to radical Christianity that we will not tolerate their behavior."


Thank you Mr. Jones for doing something so absolutely assinine that others may die for your ignorance.

That's a very small if...

The book burning idea just kills me. Really? Isn't that something the Nazis advocated?

You read my mind.

That's another way this could be taken out of context by extremists.

I really want Terry Jones from Monty Python to come out and tell this asshole to stop using HIS name. Or else burn something else that starts with Q, like a quince, to show how idiotic this is.

yawn

I'm so bothered by this and I really hope it doesn't negatively impact the troops in Afghanistan.

He got what he wanted: attention and outcry

and a .40 caliber pistol.

I'm all for free speech, but this is just stupid. It's also NOT what Jesus would do.

The irony is that radical Christians are speaking out against radical Muslims, yet they don't recognize they're in the same end of the spectrum, just of a different religion.

If he had any balls he would burn pictures of Mohammed.

I'm wondering if these people know that Jesus is mentioned (and glorified) in the Qu'ran 29 times. And Mary is mentioned, also as a prophet, 34 times. Why do these people hate Jesus?

But this asshat isn't concerned with logic, spiritualism or dogma. He just wants his 15 minutes, even if it means death and destruction for years to come. And the US can pride itself on being a country that burns a holy book.

Not to mention, it isn't the Qu'ran that's the problem, it's a specific kind of people that use it to their own means...just like he is now doing with the Bible. Religion can be bent to fit an agenda.

The lack of knowledge about the similarities and shared places and people throughout Judaism, Christianity, and Islam of the majority of Americans blows my mind. The Angel Gabriel mentioned in all those faiths? Same Angel Gabriel folks. He has a place in other faiths too, Mormons and Baha'is reference him, and depending on where one places them in a religious category that falls into the faiths above.

THANK you.

+2 interwebs for you.

That's the funny/sad part about all of this. He's doing this in hopes of outbursts and some Muslims are falling right in step; He wants Muslims to strike out and kill over this just to "prove" how barbaric and "evil" they are. People need to just look the other way and let the loon have his BBQ.

I think we should have an interfaith BBQ, can we all agree on beef and Hebrew National dogs? Tofu for the Buddhists, Jains, Adventists and Hindus! I think the Mormons have jello salad covered and all the vegetarian faiths can make salad. I'll be nailing the invitations on doors of houses of worship as soon as I can find a hammer.

I'm extremely grateful for my confirmation class of comparative religions.

I don't know what jello salad is but a gut feeling tells me that might be a good thing.

I always get Hebrew National because they taste better. :)

Sad thing is that somebody will be reeled into doing exactly what he wan't them to do. Good bet is either in Afghanistan or Pakistan. Another good bet is some poor NGO worker will be the one that receive the brunt, or some local NGO that receive money from the west.

He got what he really wanted which is notoriety and publicity for himself and his fringe congregation. In his mind he will come out a winner no matter what. Frankly I think he is a bore. I put him on par with the nutcases from Westboro who protest our Soldiers deaths because of their (Westboro members) own bigotry.

No kidding...have you seen any of his interviews? He can barely string together a coherent sentence.

But but, God WANTS him to do it. :rolleyes:

Yeah well if so, I don't want anything to do with your god, buddy.

That was one of my favorite classes, too - and I love Hebrew Nationals!

Most of them are yummy. They're basically jello with other goodies floating in them or mixed in with them. My favorite is the Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, but for some reason, I cannot master it. My mother made a mean lime jello one with pineapple, cottage cheese & Cool Whip.

http://images.media-allrecipes.com/s...mall/75711.jpg

ok, while this is a stupid idea, is the act protected?

Yes.

That's why no one on GC or anywhere else is attacking this guy for being anything more than an idiot.

Yep, by the First Amendment.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.

BUT I'VE HEARD THE ARGUEMENT THAT IT POTENTIALLY VIOLATES THE HOMELAND SECURITY ACTS BECAUSE IT WILL INCITE TERRORISM. I THINK THAT ARGUMENT IS SPECULATIVE AT BEST AND WOULDN'T HOLD MUCH WATER.

SORRY FOR THE CAPS. WORK COMP.

Is the capslock key broken on your work computer? You should call IT.

I think the Gov see inciting terrorism as someone who preaches on a street corner for people to blow themselves up in shopping malls or schools, not someone burning books.

I know that the burning of crosses are illegal because it's commonly used for racial intimidation, so could the burning of religious texts be considered religious intimidation? Are there laws to protect religious intimidation as there are to protect people from racial intimidation?

GO TO HELL, STARANG21. LOL.

IT DOESN'T VIOLATE HOMELAND SECURITY ACTS. THE MEDIA COVERAGE IS WHY THIS HAS RECEIVED SO MUCH ATTENTION AND OFFENDED THE MASSES. BLAME THE MEDIA FOR EVEN ALERTING THE TERRORISTS. IF IT THIS PREACHER WAS VIOLATING A LAW, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING FOR PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT ANYMORE BECAUSE THAT NOBODY "PREACHER" WHO CAN BARELY TALK WOULD BE GETTING HIS ASS KICKED BY THE GUBMENT.

That's racial intimidation of a minority group and the religious symbol is a mechanism. Hate crime legislation has yet to cover everything that idiots can possibly think of and particularly acts based on religion. The connection would have to be made between religion and minority group status. Being Middle Eastern is a racial and ethnic minority status and being of the Islamic faith is sometimes consider a religious minority status. However, in examining the motive behind this man's stupidity, religious and ethnic intimidation can be overshadowed by his claim that he's speaking out against Islamic extremism.

Afterall, people burn, throw, or tear up religious texts relatively often depending on where you are. It is sometimes all a matter of how it's received.

no, i just didn't feel like taking it off.

yea, i figured it's a pretty weak argument.

I've heard this, but haven't gotten any actual confirmation: is it true that the guy said that, if people did die, it would be "tragical"? Who does he think he is, Flavor Flav?

Sorry to disappoint...the bookburning has been canceled.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/09/flo...pt=T1&iref=BN1

dammit and here was buying some gasoline and matches

I predicted this.

I'm annoyed that it was BREAKING NEWS on CNN. They had the nerve to have the awesome Donna Brazile on there to talk about this dumbass.

Dumbass pastor's mission was accomplished. People may not know his dumbass name but they know his dumbass existence. What's next for the dumbass?