The Jason Bond Show

May 24, 2005 12:59 PM

Church sign sparks debate FOREST CITY, NC -- A sign in front of a Baptist church on one of the most traveled highways in the county stirred controversy over religious tolerance and first-amendment rights this weekend. A sign in front of Danieltown Baptist Church, located at 2361 U.S. 221 south reads "The Koran needs to be flushed," and the Rev. Creighton Lovelace, pastor of the church, is not apologizing for the display. "I believe that it is a statement supporting the word of God and that it (the Bible) is above all and that any other religious book that does not teach Christ as savior and lord as the 66 books of the Bible teaches it, is wrong," said Lovelace. "I knew that whenever we decided to put that sign up that there would be people who wouldn't agree with it, and there would be some that would, and so we just have to stand up for what's right."
posted by jasonbondshow (29 comments total)

Religious nutbars show hate and intolerance. Film at ele--er... all the time, really.

What is wrong with these people?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:02 PM on May 24, 2005

Hey, at least they're finally being honest about what they believe. JC is the only way into heaven, you know. Everyone else goes to Hell. At least they're being consistent and courageous in their beliefs. Unfortunately, not too bright.
posted by billysumday at 1:04 PM on May 24, 2005

At least they're being consistent and courageous in their beliefs. Unfortunately, not too bright.

Or rather consistent and courageous in not being too bright...
posted by iamck at 1:09 PM on May 24, 2005

"...sparks debate..."? It's sad that this even debatable. This should be sparking outrage. I thought we were beyond this.
posted by darkness at 1:11 PM on May 24, 2005

AFAIAC, the bible needs flushing as well, both testaments. ;-P
posted by mischief at 1:11 PM on May 24, 2005

Ahhh, we are such a subtle and nuanced society...
posted by pwedza at 1:11 PM on May 24, 2005

"About Friday or Saturday we will have a new sign," he said. "It should state to some effect 'Where are your treasures? Are they at the flea market or are they in heaven?'"

Lovelace said that he does not have anything against the flea market that recently opened up down the street from the church.

Am I wrong in getting the impression that this is really about a flea market that maybe has some Muslim vendors?
posted by maryh at 1:12 PM on May 24, 2005

Google "Creighton Lovelace" and get a look at some of his other interest. This site is an example. Nobody detests this type anymore than other white southerners who are not of a like mind.
posted by Carbolic at 1:16 PM on May 24, 2005

For someone convinced of the Bible's superiority he displays a remarkable ignorance of what's in it. Or can he cite chapter and verse exactly where each of 66 books of the bible teach that Christ is savior? That'd be quite a trick at least as far as the old testament books are concerned.
posted by George_Spiggott at 1:16 PM on May 24, 2005

Ah, I was wondering when mefi's daily "OMG! Teh X-tians are evil!" thread would make its appearance.
posted by unreason at 1:16 PM on May 24, 2005

unreason :

Well no one seems to be out there playing whack-a-mole.
posted by MrLint at 1:18 PM on May 24, 2005

When she saw the sign on the side of the highway Saturday she felt angered and threatened.

Good golly, I'm in Canada, and I feel angered and threatened. To bad this pastor guy doesn't give a crap about what other people think. I could live quite easily without this type of person.

unreason, Xtians aren't evil just some of the people practicising it. This dude with the sign isn't evil, just misguided in the worst way. And lacking common sense.
posted by ashbury at 1:20 PM on May 24, 2005

from Carbolic's link:

"We support the concept and intent of the movement known as Christian Exodus. The statements of Faith and Purpose as well as the Plan of Action are doctrinally sound, fit into the values and principles of the Southern mind and are a true expression of the dream for the American Republic expressed by the founders."

southern mind == mind gone south
posted by quonsar at 1:20 PM on May 24, 2005

Or maybe he is evil . . . I don't know.
posted by ashbury at 1:21 PM on May 24, 2005

It's sad that this even debatable.

True. When will people learn to respect the first amendment?
posted by Cletis at 1:21 PM on May 24, 2005

Lovelace: 'Well somebody's mad, somebody's offended, so we must be doing something right.'

I guess the thread is doing something right too, eh, unreason? If you don't want to see idiots like this criticized then get them to stop being idiots.

What a weak-ass excuse to be a pissy bastard. You can bet Lovelace would be whining unstoppably if a mosque put a sign up about flushing a bible.
posted by Dipsomaniac at 1:21 PM on May 24, 2005

FACT: Pretty much every Christian believes that if you don't believe in the Christian God that you will eventually be tortured for all eternity.

FACT: "The Koran Needs To Be Flushed" is one of the core beliefs of Christianity.

There is NOTHING wrong with this sign that isn't wrong with Christianity as a whole. If you have a problem with this sign, either have a problem with Christianity as well or live as a hypocrite.
posted by glider at 1:23 PM on May 24, 2005

Interesting story and all, but dude, wtf is up with your post title?
posted by mkultra at 1:23 PM on May 24, 2005

As an undecided cultist, it's stuff like this that makes it really hard for me to decide which invisible man who lives in the clouds I want to live in mortal terror of!
posted by MaxVonCretin at 1:24 PM on May 24, 2005

Carbolic writes "Google 'Creighton Lovelace' and get a look at some of his other interest."

Nice find. Here's another one. This guy is a racist nutjob, big into the neo-confederate successionist movement. He's probably a self-appointed "reverend", preaching out of his living room to a bunch of like-minded troglodytes. That sign sure is high-class....
posted by mr_roboto at 1:25 PM on May 24, 2005

unreason, Xtians aren't evil just some of the people practicising it.

I was engaging in the time-honored tradition of sarcasm. My point was that about once a day now, this kind of thread shows up on mefi, and it's basically an excuse for another round of Christian bashing, usually with the same people saying the same things again, and again, and again.

If you don't want to see idiots like this criticized then get them to stop being idiots.


Bullshit. I never said that I didn't want this clown criticized. My point is that that isn't the point of this kind of mefi post. The point is to engage in the same pointless "Let's call all Christians stupid" wankery that certain mefiers love so much.
posted by unreason at 1:26 PM on May 24, 2005

Well, at least they're not burning crosses.
posted by AlexReynolds at 1:26 PM on May 24, 2005

MaxVonCretin: it's stuff like this that makes it really hard for me to decide which invisible man who lives in the clouds I want to live in mortal terror of!

It's best to be mortally terrified of all of them. The League of Invisible Supermen in the Sky is a jealous League of Invisible Supermen in the Sky.
posted by palinode at 1:28 PM on May 24, 2005

Cult: a religion you're not in.
posted by telstar at 1:29 PM on May 24, 2005

I never said that I didn't want this clown criticized. My point is that that isn't the point of this kind of mefi post. The point is to engage in the same pointless "Let's call all Christians stupid" wankery that certain mefiers love so much.

Maybe you should ask the submitter what the point of his post was, instead of playing the persecution card. The post looks fine to me - I don't see the submitter engaging in any wholesale condemnation of Xtianity. Would a post concerning a sign on a mosque about burning the bible raise your ire about Muslim persecution?
posted by Dipsomaniac at 1:30 PM on May 24, 2005

Yeah AlexReynolds, that I was thinking. They could've gone out and and, say, hanged a few Muslims. Nope. Instead you get this sign which is just a publicity statement.
posted by nixerman at 1:31 PM on May 24, 2005

unreason:My point was that about once a day now, this kind of thread shows up on mefi, and it's basically an excuse for another round of Christian bashing, usually with the same people saying the same things again, and again, and again.

Yes. And one of those things that gets said again and again and again goes something along the lines of "Ah, I was wondering when mefi's daily 'OMG! Teh X-tians are evil!' thread would make its appearance".

This particular thread had remained pretty on-topic -- straight on its nutjob target -- until that first defensive comment. Then you announced that you were out there and ready to take the bait whenever somebody wanted to start Xtian-bashing....

Maybe this is MeTa fodder.

Anyway, this Creighton guy is a whack job. I love it when whack jobs have names like "Creighton Lovelace" (as opposed to, say, "Joe Smith") so it's easy to Google all the whack job stuff they've written:

"We are trapped by our own Constitution, which in 1868 was adopted under bayonet point by the Unionist Carpetbaggers and Reconstructionists"

Wow. I hope there aren't more than about a dozen of these guys left.
posted by gurple at 1:32 PM on May 24, 2005

"Well, I thought about it and I said there may be people who are offended by it but the way I look at it, Jesus told his followers that if the world hates you, don't feel bad because they hated me first," said Lovelace.

Jesus said wha...?
This guy deserves to be roundly mocked, particularly by Christians.
posted by maryh at 1:36 PM on May 24, 2005

This particular thread had remained pretty on-topic

Oh? Let me quote a few pearls of wisdom:

" AFAIAC, the bible needs flushing as well, both testaments. ;-P"

"southern mind == mind gone south"

Yeah, I can see that this thread's been a model of good taste.
posted by unreason at 1:37 PM on May 24, 2005