You remember Terry Jones, the pastor of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainsville, Florida, who got world-wide attention a couple of years ago when he announced that he was going to burn a copy of the Qur’an.  Many Muslims, and many people of other faiths, and many people with no religious affiliation at all were outraged by Pastor Jones’ announcement of a time and place for the burning; but he was persuaded not to do it... by a phone call from President Obama.  I heard that at least one wing-nut fundamentalist Christian Tea Party guy said that the President’s intervention was proof that he is secretly a Muslim.  So Jones didn’t burn the book at the time he had said he would do it.  He apparently got the attention he wanted; so, with the world watching, he went about whatever business a fundamentalist pastor has to do and didn’t burn the Qur'an... on the announced day.  Later he did burn a Qur’an.  Demonstrations occurred in several places in the world.  In Pakistan nine people were killed and several others were wounded. The pastor is not known to have shown remorse or even sadness over his actions that sparked demonstrations which led to the deaths of Pakistanis in 2010.

This wing-nut pastor has once again gained the attention of Muslims around the world.  He was involved in the promotion of a cheaply and privately produced film vilifying Islam.  Clips from the movie were shown on television in Egypt and in Libya where riots broke out that led to the death of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, one of whom was Ambassador Christopher Stevens.  I suppose there is nothing that can be done in any international or American court of law to bring charges against the obviously evil pastor Jones.

My first impulse when I heard about this latest outrage was to think Jones surely must be mentally ill... or ignorant... or stupid.  Then I remember that there are many others who share his beliefs and applaud his behaviors.  Sadly, fundamentalism in any religion can turn easily and quickly to destructive behavior.  History is replete with accounts of people doing evil in the name of religion... and calling it good.  Pastor Terry Jones is obviously a man who is evil by design.  His actions are premeditated.  He is guilty of the deaths of those people in Pakistan and in Libya, and he is responsible for the attacks on the embassy in Cairo. Of course, he didn't coordinate activities, but his actions triggered the riots that caused the death of several people.  He says he is speaking for God.  He is demented  and evil. At the very least, other Christians of good faith should declare that Jones is evil and that his actions are immoral... that he does not represent Christianity.

Remember the comedian Flip Wilson.  We laughed when he said, “The Devil made me do it,” after he had done something silly.  It was funny because everybody in his audience knew it was a joke. Terry Jones is no comedian, and his behavior isn’t funny.  It’s never funny when people claim God tells them to do something.  It’s dangerous and scary.  I have come to believe that when anyone, even pastors and teachers, tell us that God wants us to do something, we should be afraid.