I nearly fell out of my chair when Diane Sawyer opened tonight’s ABC World news by asking “What would Jesus do?” when she opened a segment on a Florida pastor’s plan to burn a Koran on 9/11. Even General Patraeus weighed in.

“(CNN) — A Florida pastor told CNN on Tuesday that while his congregation still plans to burn Qurans to protest the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the church is “weighing” its intentions.

Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, who was interviewed on CNN’s “American Morning,” said the congregation is taking seriously the warning from the U.S. military that the act could cause problems for American troops.

“We have firmly made up our mind, but at the same time, we are definitely praying about it,” Jones said.

“We are definitely weighing the situation. We are weighing the thing that we’re about to do. What it possibly could cause. What is our actual message. What are we trying to get across.”

The planned action has drawn sharp criticism from Muslims around the world and from U.S. officials.”

But to Sawyer’s question “What would Jesus do”? I would say he most likely would approve. Just set the stage, Jesus isn’t the syrupy malcontent parodied on South Park. It’s notable that ABC, CBS, NBC or any other news outlet so outraged at this story barely covers an account when the name of Christ is desecrated. To Sawyer I would imagine it wouldn’t matter to her in the least what Jesus would do.

But again to the facts. According to the Bible Jesus Christ is the First and the Last, the sovereign king of the universe who created all there is and even at this moment holds all things together by his power. He is also – according the Bible – the Word which existed in the beginning with God, was God and is God and who said, “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me”.

Now people may not like that, or say “that’s your opinion”, but it’s what the Bible says about Jesus, whether you like it or not, or even believe it or not. You don’t have to believe it. But it’s nonetheless truth.

So again saying that is true, what would the sovereign God who commanded that we would have no other gods besides him say about burning a document that points to another god?

Not only would Jesus burn up a Koran but according to Scripture he’s coming back to burn up a whole lot more.

“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (2Peter 3:3-7).

In many places the second coming of Christ is marked by fire, whether of the elements, the earth and the wicked who will cast in the lake of fire. So again, “What would Jesus do?” Would he wink at a Islam or the Koran and say, “It’s alright, I didn’t mean that other god”, or ignore people following another prophet – Mohammed? It was Christ who said, “I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword” (Gospel of Matthew 10:34).

We can muse all we want. But this pastor – right or wrong in the eyes of man – is obviously following his own convictions and by all accounts the command of Christ.

UPDATE: Looks like there is agreement on this via the atheistic Chucky. The link is here. But it’s pretty much what I said here too.