Minister Got Suckered

"Hey Pete, simply put, what do you think?"

Hey folks,

Happy Friday to you. Since it IS Friday, time to go to the Emails. This is also the day I HOPEFULLY get the news on what kind of Baby stuff to buy. That's right, today we are supposed to find out if Josh is going to have a Brother or a Sister. Can't wait.

So lets go to the Emails. Simple question. Simple answer. Here is the Link.

AP - Pastor nixes Quran-burning, claims NYC mosque deal By ANTONIO GONZALEZ, Associated Press Writer Antonio Gonzalez, Associated Press Writer – Thu Sep 9, 7:43 pm ET

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The anti-Muslim leader of a tiny Florida church backed off his threat to burn the Quran, defusing an international firestorm Thursday after he said he was promised that a planned Islamic center and mosque would be moved away from New York's ground zero. The imam planning the center, however, quickly denied such a deal.

The Rev. Terry Jones had been under intense pressure to abandon his plan to burn the Quran on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. President Barack Obama urged him to listen to "those better angels" and give up his "stunt," saying it would endanger U.S. troops and give Islamic terrorists a recruiting tool. Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the extraordinary step of calling Jones personally.

Standing outside his 50-member Pentecostal church, the Dover Outreach Center, alongside Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, Jones said he relented when Musri assured him that the New York mosque will be moved.

Jones had never invoked the mosque controversy as a reason for his planned protest. He cited his belief that the Quran is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims.

But he said Thursday that that he prayed about the decision and concluded that if the mosque was moved, it would be a sign from God to call off the Quran burning.

"We are, of course, now against any other group burning Qurans," Jones said. "We would right now ask no one to burn Qurans. We are absolutely strong on that. It is not the time to do it."

Musri thanked Jones and his church members "for making the decision today to defuse the situation and bring to a positive end what has become the world over a spectacle that no one would benefit from except extremists and terrorists" who would use it to recruit future radicals.

After the news conference, however, Musri told The Associated Press there is no deal to move the mosque. He said there was only an agreement for him and Jones to travel to New York and meet Saturday with the imam overseeing plans to build a mosque near ground zero.

"I told the pastor that I personally believe the mosque should not be there, and I will do everything in my power to make sure it is moved," Musri said. "But there is not any offer from there (New York) that it will be moved. All we have agreed to is a meeting, and I think we would all like to see a peaceful resolution."

It goes on to recap, ETC. So the simple question posed to me was this.

"Hey Pete, simply put, what do you think?"

I was never for the Pastor burning the Quran to begin with. Yes, I DO still have serious reservation on Islam being a "Religion of Peace." The FACTS just seem to point otherwise. Yes, I do not recognize the Quran, to be the Word of God. Sorry. But I'm also not Muslim. I also think, as stupid as it may be, the Pastor has a Constitutional RIGHT to Burn it. I'm GLAD he backed off.

OK. Now having said all that, I think this guy, with a Church of 50 people, was trying to make a name for himself. He GOT GLOBAL attention. Even the Pope got involved. I still do not see how burning the Muslim Book makes any kind of point to begin with. It would not put our Troops in more danger than they already are, nor would it make the world LESS safe. They have been at war with us since BEFORE we even had a Navy. True. Look it up. So this was nothing more than an attention getting stunt. In MY Opinion.

However, IF he DID cut a deal with the Imam in reference to moving the Ground Zero Mosque? That would be quite an achievement. But I think he got suckered. I do not think that they have an intention whatsoever to move it. But I guess we will have to wait and see.
Peter

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