Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. – First Amendment to the United States Constitution

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. – 1 Corinthians 6:12 – English Standard Version

A Florida “pastor” yesterday announced that he had called off his scheduled burning of a bunch of Korans after proclaiming that he had a deal that would move the abomination known as the Cordoba House away from the site of the 9/11 terror attacks.  However, the Muslim cleric in charge of the Ground Zero mosque quickly denied to ABC News that he had agreed to move his project.

Pastor Terry Jones was upset and said that the denial was “very disturbing” .  He told ABC News’ Terry Moran that the promise of a deal by Florida imam Muhammad Musri led him to drop his plan to burn Korans Saturday on the ninth anniversary of the terror attacks.

Jones said in an interview airing tonight on ABC News’ “Nightline”:

We were promised from the imam here.  In the meeting, there were several people who can confirm that. We find that very devastating. If that [denial] is true, that would mean the imam lied to us.

Imam Muhammad Musri said he was clear on Thursday when he told the Rev. Terry Jones that he could set up a meeting with planners of the New York City mosque, but insisted he never promised to shift the location. Jones announced after the meeting — with Musri at his side — that they had a bargain and that he would call off the Koran-burning for Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, later said that Jones wasn’t confused or misled and that “after we stepped out in front of the cameras, he stretched my words” about the agreement. The imam in charge of the New York Islamic center and mosque project also quickly denied any deal was made.

Musri said Jones had instead caved into the firestorm of criticism from around the world and that his announcement might have been a ploy to try to force Muslim leaders’ hand on the Islamic center. “After we stepped out in front of the cameras, he stretched my words” about the agreement, Musri said.

Jones said later that he expected Musri to keep his word and “the imam in New York to back up one of his own men.” Musri said he still plans to go ahead with the meeting Saturday.

According to the Florida Imam, moving the mosque is not why Jones canceled his threat.  Instead, according to this character, Musri, he relented under the pressure from political and religious leaders of all faiths worldwide to halt what President Barack Obama called a “stunt.” Musri said Jones told him the burning “would endanger the troops overseas, Americans traveling abroad and others around the world.”

Musri said:

That was the real motivation for calling it off.

In reality, Jones had never invoked the mosque controversy as a reason for his planned protest at his Dove World Outreach Center.  Instead, he proclaimed that the Koran is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims.

President Barack Hussein Obama (peace be unto him) urged Jones to listen to “those better angels,” saying that besides endangering lives, it would give Islamic terrorists a recruiting tool. Defense Secretary Robert Gates even called Jones personally to ask him not to burn the Korans.

Jones’ church, which has about 50 members, most of whom are relatives, is independent of any denomination.  It follows the Pentecostal tradition, which teaches that the Holy Spirit can manifest itself in the modern-day.

The cancellation also was welcomed by Jones’ neighbors in Gainesville, a city of 125,000 anchored by the sprawling University of Florida campus. At least two dozen Christian churches, Jewish temples and Muslim organizations in the city had mobilized to plan inclusive events, including Koran readings at services, as a counterpoint to Jones’ protest.

Jones claimed at the news conference that he prayed about the decision and concluded that if the mosque was moved, it would be a sign from God to call off the Koran burning.

Jones said, before he figured out that he was double-crossed:

We are, of course, now against any other group burning Korans.  We would right now ask no one to burn Korans. We are absolutely strong on that. It is not the time to do it.

In a related story,  the owners of the property that is scheduled to be turned into the Ground Zero Mosque, have turned down a lucrative offer from Real Estate Mogul Donald Trump to purchase the site.

Wolodymyr Starosolsky, a lawyer for the investor in the real estate partnership that controls the site, says Trump’s offer is “just a cheap attempt to get publicity and get in the limelight.”

In a letter released Thursday by Trump’s publicist, the real estate investor told Hisham Elzanaty that he would buy his stake in the lower Manhattan building for 25 percent more than whatever he paid.

The letter said:

I am making this offer as a resident of New York and citizen of the United States, not because I think the location is a spectacular one (because it is not), but because it will end a very serious, inflammatory, and highly divisive situation that is destined, in my opinion, to only get worse.

Trump also attached a condition to his offer: He said that as part of the deal, the backers of the mosque project would have to promise that any new mosque they constructed would be at least five blocks farther away from the World Trade Center site.

So, there you have it:  a bunch of publicity hounds seeking their 15 minutes of fame.  Yes, it is legal for “Pastor” Jones to burn Korans.  Yes, it is legal for Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and the Cordoba Initiative to build a Victory Mosque at Ground Zero.  But, is it noble?  Is it respectful?  Is it helpful?  NO.