CNN and others have failed by providing a platform to another Jim Jones

[IndianaGreen]

US fundamentalist pastor Terry Jones, who wants to burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11, ran a church in the western German city of Cologne until last year when members of the congregation expelled him. Former members have spoken of his hate-filled sermons and insistence on "blind obedience."

Islamophobe's Past in Germany

Terry Jones Accused of 'Spiritual Abuse' at Cologne Church

By Yassin Musharbash and Dominik Peters

'Delusional Personality'

Former church members are still undergoing therapy as a result of "spiritual abuse," Schäfer said. According to Schäfer, Jones urged church members to beat their children with a rod and also taught "a distinctive demonology" and conducted brainwashing.

"Terry Jones appears to have a delusional personality," speculates Schäfer. When he came to Germany in the 1980s, Jones apparently considered Cologne "a city of Hell that was founded by Nero's mother," while he thought Germany was "a key country for the supposed Christian revival of Europe," Schäfer says.

Terry Jones used his powers of persuasion to expand the congregation. By the end, Schäfer estimates, it numbered between 800 and 1,000 people. They had to work in the so-called "Lisa Jones Houses," charitable institutions named after his first wife who has since died, under very poor conditions.

Increasingly Radical

Jones became increasingly radical as the years went by, former associates say. At one point he wanted to help a homosexual member to "pray away his sins." Later he began to increasingly target Islam in his sermons. A congregation member reported that some members were afraid to attend services because they expected to be attacked by Muslims. "Terry Jones has a talent for finding topical social issues and seizing on them for his own cause," says Schäfer.

Read more:

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

[Enrique]

1. as soon as Petraeus, et al, got into it, you can't blame CNN

I don't know what CNN did before Petraeus made his comment, but once he did, it became a huge story and CNN and all other media have to cover it.

[Empowerer]

2. Petraeus et al didn't "get into it" - they were directly asked about it

in the midst of a media feeding frenzy. The media blew this up into a huge story long before they asked government officials their opinion.

And you can bet if Petraeus et al declined to comment, the story wouldn't have died. It would have turned into ANOTHER feeding frenzy - complete with a countdown clock - focused almost entirely on WHY they were ducking the issue.

[phleshdef]

3. Absolute horse shit. This became a national story before Petraeus spoke a word.

[opihimoimoi]

4. Xactly.... ;o)

[Empowerer]

5. This is the excuse the media always give whenever they blow up a story like this

They insist that it ONLY became a story because public figures commented on it - thinking we won't notice that the only reason anyone commented on it is that it had been turned into a major story and if they didn't comment, they would be badgered to hell and back until they did.

Of course, they also ignore the fact that officials comment on things all the time and, for the most part, the media ignores them to focus on whatever flavor of the day is suiting their fancy. Since when does the fact that President Obama commented about anything turn that into a major story in the press' eyes? For example, this week, he did more than comment about the economy and his plans for extending tax cuts for the middle class - he gave two major speeches and a network interview. That certainly didn't turn that into a major story - at least nothing even comparable to the Quran burning fiasco, on which he offered only one brief comment in response to a specific question about it during a much longer interview.

You're right - this "somebody mentioned it so we had to turn it into the story of the century" argument is bull.