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Obama to Florida Pastor: Call Off Koran-Burning 'Stunt'

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President Obama himself has urged the pastor of a 50-member Florida congregation to call off a planned Koran-burning this Saturday, a protest the president called a "stunt" and that could provoke "serious violence."

Obama, in an interview aired Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America," implored Gainesville Pastor Terry Jones to "listen to those better angels" and realize "that this is a destructive act that he's engaging in," the AP reported.

To this point, despite the concerns of the American military and pleas from other religious leaders, Jones has insisted he will go ahead with the book burning Saturday outside his Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville.
President Obama in Parma, Ohio September 2010, the day before he urged calling off book burning 'stunt'
Obama, in the Thursday interview, threw his weight into the debate, as he had earlier in the plan for a mosque and Islamic center near Ground Zero in New York. The president said supporters should be allowed to build the mosque, although he withheld judgment on the wisdom of such a project.

As for Pastor Jones, Obama said that "as a very practical matter, I want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women who are in uniform. . . . Look, this is a recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda. You could have serious violence in place like Pakistan and Afghanistan." The spectacle could even serve as an incentive for some individuals "to blow themselves up," Obama said.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also weighed in on the controversy. "Pastor Jones' threats to burn the Koran will put American service men/women in danger -- for their sake please don't do it," he said in a Twitter post.

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41 Comments

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greystoneknight

We the people of the United States are promised freedom of religion. Our servicemen and women die for this right as well as all others we have. Where does it end? Are we to go back to the burning of people? Mr.Jones had a motive and I do not believe it was anything more then to bring attention to himself and his book. I can not think of anything that keeps people apart more then religion. Religion is not spiritual, maybe it is time for more spirituality and less religion. Maybe if Mr. Jones had not of received all the attention he did, he would have faded quickly. Maybe it is time to ignore people who want to preach being prejudiced and demonstrate their ignorance with this kind of behavior for personal gain.

September 11 2010 at 1:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
thesecretattic12

It is easy for you people to say go for it, but my American husband is over seas...cool it please???? The burning is a senseless idea.

September 10 2010 at 7:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
drm1001

Rush Limbaugh and Terry Jones went to school together...how does he feel about all this?

September 09 2010 at 3:28 PM Report abuse -4 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to drm1001's comment
Judy

It's really not an issue.

September 10 2010 at 10:00 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
drm1001

RUSH LIMBAUCH and TERRY JONES were in school together at Cape Girardeau, MO...reported and confirmed on the KFVS noon television news today...did you know it...what would Rush say about all this news happenings in America?

September 09 2010 at 3:27 PM Report abuse -4 rate up rate down Reply
drm1001

As Americans see and hear many things we must ALWAYS STAND together...UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...be strong and wise...resisting every temptation! WE WIN!!!

September 09 2010 at 3:10 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
we love mario!!!

I heard if they flood the site with pig blood, they would not want to build it there.

September 09 2010 at 2:55 PM Report abuse +5 rate up rate down Reply
we love mario!!!

Burn baby burn. It is about time the christians in this country too theie country back!!

September 09 2010 at 2:54 PM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
dawggybon

Newt Gingrich on the Proposed Cordoba House Mosque near Ground Zero. There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia. The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over. The proposed "Cordoba House" overlooking the World Trade Center site where a group of jihadists killed over 3000 Americans and destroyed one of our most famous landmarks - is a test of the timidity, passivity and historic ignorance of American elites. For example, most of them don't understand that Cordoba House is a deliberately insulting term. It refers to Cordoba, Spain the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex. Today, some of the Mosques backers insist this term is being used to "symbolize interfaith cooperation" when, in fact, every Islamist in the world recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest. It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way. Those Islamists and their apologists who argue for "religious toleration" are arrogantly dishonest. They ignore the fact that more than 100 mosques already exist in New York City. Meanwhile, there are no churches or synagogues in all of Saudi Arabia. In fact no Christian or Jew can even enter Mecca. And they lecture us about tolerance. If the people behind the Cordoba House were serious about religious toleration, they would be imploring the Saudis, as Fellow Muslims, to immediately open up Mecca to all and immediately announce their intention to allow non-Muslim houses of worship in the Kingdom. They should be asked by the news media if they would be willing to lead such a campaign. We have not been able to rebuild the World Trade Center in nine years. Now we are being told a 13 story, $100 million Mega-mosque will be built within a year overlooking the site of the most Devastating surprise attack in American history. Finally where is the money coming from? The people behind the Cordoba House refuse to reveal all their funding sources. America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization. Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could. No mosque. No self deception. No surrender. The time to take a stand is now - at this site on this issue.

September 09 2010 at 2:28 PM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply
Janie

THANK YOU!!!! GOD SAVE AMERICA!!!

September 09 2010 at 2:14 PM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
srqwayne

If this guy was dropping a cross in a bucket of urine Obama and the Democrats would be defending his right to do it. Mr. Jones may be an idiot but he deserves equal treatment.

September 09 2010 at 12:28 PM Report abuse +13 rate up rate down Reply

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