Category: Dove World Outreach Center

Controversial pastor Terry Jones has burned copies of the Koran and a depiction of the prophet Mohammed to protest the imprisonment in Iran of ‘Christian’ clergyman Youcef Nadarkhani — a follower of a cult of Christianity.

The tiny church headed by Jones is considered a hate group.

When Don Northrup founded Dove World Outreach Center in 1985, his widow says he never envisioned it becoming what it is today.

Then, it was a growing evangelical church with a congregation of almost 200 members. Now, a handful of people attend services in which ministers carry handguns and rail against Islam.

But is Terry Jones’ tiny group of followers a ‘cult’?

From our Religious Insanity file: An armed Christian organization, Right Wing Extreme, will protect a church that is planning to host an “International Burn a Quran Day” on the ninth anniversary of September 11, the church’s pastor said on Tuesday.

The Dove World Outreach Center, in Gainesville, Florida, says it is hosting the event to remember 9/11 victims and to take a stand against Islam. With promotions on its website and Facebook page, the nondenominational church invites Christians to burn the Muslim holy book.

Dove World Outreach Center Pastor Terry Jones has accepted the support of Right Wing Extreme, which he said offered to come to the church with between 500 and 2,000 men on September 11. He described the organization as an armed civilian militia group.

“There is a need for this protection. It is absolutely necessary in light of the death and terror threats we have received,” Jones said in an e-mail to CNN.

Muslims and many other Christians, including some evangelicals, are fighting the church’s plan to burn the Quran.

We can be sure of this: ‘Pastor’ Terry Jones might as well burn his Bible — since he either has not read it or does not intent to obey its teachings.

A Florida church says it will go ahead with plans to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite the city refusing to issue a burn permit, Orlando’s Fox35 TV reports. We think this kind of behavior is so ill-advised that we feel comfortable slapping this news item with the ‘religious insanity‘ tag.