Terry Jones is pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center, a small church in Gainesville, Florida. An opponent of Islam, he has gained national attention recently for his plan to burn copies of the Qur’an at an event on September 11—the 9 year anniversary of attacks on New York City and Washington D.C..
Despite recommendations from high-ranking government officials to abstain from this act, as of September 8, Jones still planned to continue with his book-burning rally. He grounds his motivation in Biblical texts and his conception of God. Listen to this interview and consider the questions below.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. How is his view of God, particularly Jesus, influencing his actions?
2. One of the passages he refers to in justifying his course of action is Mark 8, when Jesus rebukes Peter. Look carefully at the context of that passage and ask yourself: Is he reading this passage correctly?
Mark 8:27-33
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
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