I’m sure many of you have heard about the pastor in Gainesville who is planning the “International Burn a Quran Day” on Sept. 11.

Terry Jones, who is the pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., hatched the plan out of his certifiably insane head thinking that burning the Quran was some symbolic gesture that would effectively protest the fact that more than 3,000 Americans lost their lives on 9/11.

What an idiot.

There is nothing we can do to bring back those we lost that day, and burning the Quran will, according to myriad world religious, political and military leaders, cause more Americans to die at the hands of incensed Muslim extremists in Afghanistan and Iraq.

USA Today reported that the Vatican has denounced Pastor Crazy’s plan, calling it “outrageous and grave.” The Associated Press reported that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed, calling Jones’ protest a “disrespectful, disgraceful act.”

CNN reported that General David Petraeus also vehemently opposes the plan, saying it “could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars also condemns the “International Burn a Quran Day” Jones is calling for. In an editorial to CNN, they write, “burning a Quran will instantly undo everything good that America has done in the world.”

Even the King of the Crazy Right Wing himself, Glenn Beck, wrote on his blog, “It’s just like the Ground Zero mosque plan. Does this church have the right? Yes. Should they? No. And not because of the potential backlash or violence. Simply because it is wrong. We must be the better person.”

It’s nice to know that Beck is unconcerned with loss of American life over something as patently idiotic as this plan is, but I’m not going to split hairs with him. Suffice it to say that I think most reasonable Americans are concerned with the backlash and potential risks to American lives even if Beck is not.

Petraeus is our top commander in Afghanistan, so when he suggests that burning copies of the Quran on Sept. 11 might not be the best idea, it probably isn’t. His reason for opposing the plan makes Jones’ plan seem even more frivolous, petty and the product of a lunatic fringe.

Maybe this doesn’t bother everyone else, but it damn sure bothers me.

Why are people, even a small number of people like the members of Jones’ congregation, entertaining this plan as something that could be anything but supremely negative? It defies logic.

Our nation’s — and some of the world’s — leaders are doing everything but screaming at Jones to make him stop his outrageous plan, and all Jones can think to say is what he told CNN yesterday morning.

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

His conclusion, my bet is, will be that burning the Quran is “God’s will” or some other deranged nonsense.

Whether or not you believe in any god is your business, but most rational believers don’t claim they have a direct line to the almighty. Maybe that constitutes grounds to toss Jones into a mental ward until this thing is over, but one can only hope.

Despite the fact that I rarely agree with people like Hillary Clinton, she summed this whole debate up best when she said, “I urge people to respect other people’s faith and behave respectfully. I think such actions are a strong contradiction with all the values we stand for and fight for.”

After all, religious freedom was one of our country’s founding principles, but so was the responsibility that comes with living in a world of many cultures and religions.

I don’t dare to hope that Jones will listen to the voice of reason being directed at him from every side, but maybe just this once reason will prevail over the foolish and Jones will not descend to the level of the terrorists he says he so vehemently opposes.

Paul Thompson is a senior majoring in political science and international studies. His column runs on Thursdays.