ABC’s Nightline has just invited me to debate Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations about religious tensions in the United States, as exemplified by controversy over the proposed Ground Zero mosque  and the Florida Qur’an-burning (now apparently canceled). The Nightline Twittercast is scheduled for Monday, September 13, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, 11:30 Central.

I will participate from ABC’s studio in Chicago. Mr. Hooper will be in Washington, D.C. The ABC host, Vicki Maybrey, will run the discussion from New York. Here’s the main Twittercast page. And here is an example of a recent episode.

Nightline encourages viewers to Tweet in questions, and so do I.

Now Imam Rauf says if only he had known the sensitivities involved in his proposed mosque near Ground Zero, he might not have gone ahead. Does this now mean that he is going to withdraw his controversial plan? Well, no.

The problem, you see, is those darned Muslims around the world. If Imam Rauf does the decent thing and moves his mosque elsewhere, he cannot be responsible for the rioting and mayhem that will ensue among followers of the “religion of peace.” So, as much as he regrets it, he’s going to be forced–forced, mind you–to go ahead with it.

Right.

Why is it that no matter what is done in America regarding the “religion of peace,” the answer is always the same? A bozo pastor announces that he will burn the Qur’an and everyone from the president on down pleads with him to forgo his First Amendment rights. Why? For fear of what the Muslim “street” will do, even to our well-armed and well-trained troops (as if the fanatics weren’t already doing whatever they could to kill them).

Meanwhile, an imam says he will build the offensive mosque near Ground Zero, not because he is celebrating what Muslims did on 9/11, but because if he doesn’t, the Muslim “street” will erupt at the perceived provocation.

I have a few questions. If the Muslim “street” is so easily provoked, does Islam deserve its title as a “religion of peace”? Here’s another question: If all these high-profile people can convince a two-bit, penny-ante pastor to halt his stupid plan out of fear for what the Muslim “street” may do, what message will that send to the “street”?

My guess is that it will signal that we are afraid, and that the threat of violence can work, and that America is easily cowed. Is our nation now going to weigh every decision based on what the “street” would do? That would be a dark path to walk indeed.

Yes, the bozo pastor should rethink his foolish plan to burn the Muslim holy book. But even if he does come to his senses, it’s really too late. The damage has been done. The “street” apparently has veto power in America.

By Kevin McCarthy

The publicly held debt as a share of GDP will exceed 60 percent this year. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), debt will reach 90 percent of GDP by 2020. The interest on this debt alone will be $916 billion annually, meaning that one in five tax dollars will be dedicated to making interest payments. By 2022, interest payments on the national debt will exceed yearly defense spending, and by 2037, yearly interest expenses will be double those of spending on defense — this is the same year the Social Security trust funds are expected to be exhausted.

Here’s my discussion with John Blok of Moody Radio Florida about the president’s faith, and whether and how it matters.

By Mitch Daniels

Ronald Reagan enjoyed telling of the elderly Blitz victim rescued from her demolished London flat in World War II. A fireman found a bottle of brandy under the ruins of her staircase and offered her a nip for her pain. “Leave it right there,” the matron ordered. “That’s for emergencies.”

A look around the American economy suggests that it’s time to break out the brandy.

President Obama may have hit upon some decent proposals now, finally. But if he has, why did he have to burn through 20 months and trillions of taxpayer dollars to get here? It’s a bit late to come up with a “new” plan now. If he knew the right thing to do all along and didn’t do it because of ideology, fire him for putting his ideology above the country. If he didn’t know, fire him for incompetence. Employees have been fired for squandering a lot less of the company’s wealth than he has.

The free Beth Moore Bible Study is now available for your personal use. Go here for other free studies.

By Stan Guthrie

Why the Sexual Left Defends the Indefensible.