Preacher 'Prays' About His Decision to Burn Qurans

(Sept. 7) -- The Rev. Terry Jones said today he is "praying" about his decision to burn copies of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, but made his comments in front of a sign suggesting that he would move forward with it despite warnings from top military officials that doing so would endanger U.S. troops.

"We realize that this action will indeed offend people, offend the Muslims," he told CNN today. But, he said, "we cannot back off the truth of the dangers of radical Islam just because people are going to be offended."

Speaking in front of a sign that read, "International Burn a Koran Day," the pastor told CNN, "We are definitely praying about it." But he stopped short of vowing to go through with the plan.

His comments came four days before Saturday's 9/11 anniversary and a day after The Wall Street Journal published comments from Gen. David Petraeus that the desecration could endanger U.S. troops abroad.

"It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems," Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, told the newspaper. "Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."

In Washington today, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, "I urge people to respect other people's faith and behave respectfully. I think such actions are a strong contradiction with all the values we stand for and fight for."

Jones' plans also were condemned at a joint news conference held in Washington by Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious leaders.

"Freedom of religion is a hallmark of this country," Ingrid Mattson, head of the Islamic Society of North America, told reporters today at Washington's National Press Club, according to a CNN report. "It is time to decide "whether we are going to live up to our values."

Larry Reimer, a minister at the United Church of Gainesville, Fla., said more than 25 religious leaders in the area have committed to speaking out publicly against Jones' message and reading the Quran in their churches and synagogues in protest.

"Our position is that if they can burn the Quran, we can read it," Reimer told AOL News today in a phone interview. He said he tried to talk Jones out of burning the holy book but got nowhere. "I called him two weeks ago to encourage him not to go through with this," Reimer said. "This is dangerous on so many levels. But if he's not going to listen to Gen. Petraeus, he's not going to listen to me."

Carl Romey, assistant pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Gainesville, said Jones is putting Americans in harm's way. "I think he's enjoying the publicity. But he's putting our city and our country at risk," Romey told AOL today.

Romey said Jones is not preaching the gospel of Christianity. "He called the church to see if we wanted to protest with him. I said we would never stand with him," Romey said. "Just calling the church the Dove Outreach Center is an oxymoron. He has no understanding of Christian teachings."

News that Jones' small Florida congregation planned to burn the Islamic holy book sent hundreds of protesters into the streets of the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday. Demonstrators chanted "death to America" and "long live Islam." Three thousand others rallied in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

Jones, leader of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, says "Burn a Koran Day" is intended "to remember those who were brutally murdered on Sept. 11" and "to send a clear message to the radical element of Islam." But with tensions already high because of controversy over a planned Islamic center near New York's ground zero, many say burning the Muslim holy book is the wrong move.

Like the Vatican, for one, which spoke out publicly today against Jones' event. "No one burns the Quran," it said in its newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.

Jones, 58, told The Associated Press today he had received more than 100 death threats and has begun wearing a .40-caliber pistol. But he and his flock of about 50 raised eyebrows in Gainesville long before their plans gained him international notoriety. He is the author of the book "Islam Is of the Devil" and offers items with the same sentiment on his website, where those interested can purchase "Islam Is of the Devil" coffee mugs and T-shirts.

In August, the Dove World Outreach Center was forced to go on the tax rolls after an investigation by Florida officials found that the church was operating in part as a for-profit by selling furniture on eBay, according to a report in The Gainesville Sun.

In March, a "No Homo Mayor" sign posted on church property protested the mayoral campaign of then City Commissioner Craig Lowe, who is openly gay. Lowe was elected. Later, the church elaborated on its objection to Lowe on its blog. "What is homosexuality?" it wrote July 22. "Detestable, indecent, wicked, offensive, perverted, shameful, unnatural, degrading, impure, futile, foolish, godless, dishonorable, a lie."

An official Facebook page for "International Burn a Koran Day" had more than 8,000 fans by Tuesday afternoon. "Eternal fire is the only destination the Koran can lead people to so we want to put the Koran in its place -- the fire!" the group wrote under "mission." But far more Facebook pages have been created to oppose the event.

And last year, the church came under fire when children in the religious group as young as 10 showed up at their public school with "Islam Is of the Devil" T-shirts. The children were sent home and told to change their clothing.

From the pulpit Aug. 29, Jones warned his congregants that their Sept. 11 event could be dangerous. "There is a chance that they will do as they have said and they will blow the building up," he said. But today, the pastor said the church must go ahead with its plans anyway. "Why don't we send them a message?" he asked on CNN.

Jones did not return e-mail messages today from AOL News.