I can't decide what to think about "Pastor" Terry Jones

[wookie72]

Obviously he's some sort of sociopath, but is delusional or a cagey extortionist? By claiming that he had a deal with the NYC Imam, he can make it look like he was "trying" to do the right thing but the deceitful Muslim punked him. At worst, he can try to extort the PArk51 people to get them to move the center, making him a hero to the Islamophobes. So is he crazy or crazy like a fox? (no Fox news puns, please)

[LostinVA]

1. cagey extortionist

[dkf]

2. Personally I think he wanted to destroy the "Islam is peace" stories in the media.

So he decided to try to goad Muslims knowing what the effect would be.

What the American public will take from this I have no idea.

[Brickbat]

3. He's a grifter who can't believe his luck.

[Skidmore]

4. I've met several Pastor Joneses in my lifetime.

He just happened to catch the right wave to propel him further than his little flock of 50. There are thousands of these vitriolic manipulators in the fundamentalist/evangelical churches of this land. AND they are no different than any imam who teaches radicalism or hatred. The ones I've met never got far, usually because they were turned out by their own parishioners after either having been caught stealing from the collection plate, screwing the deacon's wife, or hitting on the teenagers of the church. They prey on people's weaknesses and threaten fire and brimstone and mayhem as a matter of theology. The only loving diety they serve is the one who will protect and care for only them.

[Fuzz]

5. With that village people mustache I think he's got some personal issues

he needs to deal with first. Poor guy.

[Skidmore]

7. There's another thread on GD which talks about

how he has been exposed as using his parishioners for slave labor in his furniture business.

[wookie72]

11. So we're being jacked by Nathan Arizona? nt

[wookie72]

12. Lots of men have mustaches like that and no personal issues

The bassist from Spinal Tap, for example.

[Fuzz]

17. oh yeah, his goes to 11

[wookie72]

21. ALthough to be fair

He did have some issues with the size of his instrument.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. Oh, come on, that moustache is the only good thing he's got going for him. nt

[Fuzz]

19. Rides 10 cents?

[H2O Man]

6. Words have meaning.

There is no evidence that he is a sociopath. He is a hostile, delusional, ignorant fool.

[wookie72]

10. He seems to have little awareness of the consequences of his actions

Isn't that part of the textbook definition?

[H2O Man]

13. That describes

millions of people. Again, there is no evidence that he is a sociopath. An angry fool who has been played by others who do not care about him is accurate.

[wookie72]

22. meant the moral consequences... nt

[NoNothing]

25. Can you be specific?

Is it inherently immoral to offend people?

[wookie72]

26. Causing discord, essentially saying that American citizens are evil....

I don't believe for a minute that he cares about threats to American troops. And he's now tried to reframe it so that the Park51 people (who are NOT his equivalent) are the bad guys.

[NoNothing]

27. The threats to American troops

Come from independent moral agents. (I am assuming you would agree with me that Muslims are as capable as anybody else in the world of moral judgment and independent moral action). The guy in Florida has no moral responsibility for their decision to act immorally.

[H2O Man]

28. Yes.

I agree. My response remains the exact same.

[Brickbat]

15. I think he is totally aware of the consequences of his actions, and relishes it.

On the other hand, people who riot when a book is burned half a world away should also be aware of the consequences of their actions.

[wookie72]

23. Were they rioting or demonstrating? nt

[Mimosa]

29. Sorry, he's a bit of a sociopath

'Minister', 'Pastor' or not Jones is up to no good and has a bad history.

Nicky at the Speakeasy had posted this piece about Jones from a German paper. He once lived in Germany.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,716409,00.html

[H2O Man]

30. Words really do

have meanings. Sorry.

[Swamp Rat]

8. Terrorist/extortionist

He wants fame and to ignite a holy war.

[Warpy]

9. I think he's achieved his goal

He's gotten enough publicity to shake the dust of Florida off his heels and enter the right wing talk circuit, which is where the real money is. With him out of the state, likely the embezzlement investigation will be put on hold. He'll be leaving his shattered cult behind, but he hardly cares about them since they've served their purpose.

He lost money on his real estate scam and you know those boys count their importance to the universe in their net worth as well as in the number of people they can manipulate away from their families. Both have diminished greatly, so he was in desperate need of some other scam.

He's a sociopath of the worst kind, one who is both charismatic and smart enough to realize the potential in starting a cult.

[Redstone]

14. All three. And more. I bet he owns child porn, too.

Redstone

[deutsey]

18. "Dumb ass" works for me n/t

[mike r]

20. He's all of the above

[yellowcanine]

24. "...but is (he) delusional or a cagey extortionist?" Both, not mutually exclusive.

He is delusional, he is cagey, and he is an extortionist. Three for three.