The Gainsville preacher who named September 11th "International Burn a Qur'an Day" and threatened to burn thousands of Muslim holy books before deciding against it last-minute is in New Jersey to pick up, in the words of Bob Barker on The Price is Right...A BRAND NEW CAR.
Here's what went down, according to Nj.com:After much bru-ha-ha, Jones upheld his end of the deal and kept things quiet on September 11, and in turn, Benson stayed true to his word as he handed Jones the keys to a 2011 Hyundai Accent earlier today.
Jones received the car from South Brunswick car dealer Brad Benson after Benson aired a radio advertisement poking fun at the controversial pastor, promising to give him a new car to use of a year if Jones promised not to burn a Quran.
If you sideline your preconceived ideas about appropriate punishment and reward, this is actually a good thing in a lot of ways. First, Jones is donating the car to a New Jersey woman's shelter for victims of domestic violence. Also, Benson is showing the world that a promise is a promise -- regardless of who it's to or what it's for. And now, the woman's shelter can put it to good use.
Andrea Koenig-Feldman, the Director of Development for Women Rising, the 105-year-old shelter accepting Jones's gift, said the offering was unexpected. "Literally the offer came in like two days ago," she said. She guessed that the organization, which has no religious affiliation, would either use the car for fund-raising or add it to their fleet of vehicles for transporting clients."We're always in need of funding," Koenig-Feldman says. "With the recession going on, our client base has grown quickly. A lot of people have a lot more simple needs...food and a place to live."
Coming soon: New Times talks to Terry Jones.
