IN THE face of international outrage, Terry Jones, the idiotic pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, backed down from his plan last year to burn a copy of the Koran to mark the anniversary of 9/11.
But earlier this month, one of his church cronies – pastor Wayne Sapp – went ahead and barbecued a Koran … and in doing so unleashed a wave of attacks on Christian churches in Pakistan.
Pastor Sapp rails against the 'abomination' of homosexuality. Click on pic for video and report.
According to this report, the third church to be attacked in Pakistan in the space of a week since the Florida burning was the Catholic Church of St. Thomas in the military district of Wah, about 45 km from Islamabad.
It’s not only Islam that Sapp hates. He doesn’t much care for “fags” and “queers” either, and last year he attempted to save Gainesville from being turned into “Homoville” by launching a campaign against an openly-gay man, Craig Lowe, who stood for election as mayor.
Sapp declared:
The world don’t need another homo!
The Gainesville electorate disagreed, and Lowe won.
Meanwhile we learn here that another loopy US Christian – Dr Jim Garlow – believes that African Americans are “saving” America from the “bondage” of gay marriage:
Isn’t it interesting that the African Americans that were brought here against their will, coercively, in bondage, in chains, in a horrific experience called slavery. They were forced here and they end up being in state by state, many cases, what has saved us from the bondage and enslavement that would come upon us if gay marriage actually passed in a state. California being a prime example where the African Americans saved us from the bondage we would have faced.
Hat tip: BarrieJohn
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
March 30th, 2011 at 10:25 am
Did the death cultists in Pakistan actually need an excuse to burn another church? After all, if not encouraged by the state, the destruction of infidel places of worship is heartily condoned. Another reason why Western countries should have a re-think about stuffing Pakistan’s leaders’ Swiss bank accounts with aid.
March 30th, 2011 at 10:29 am
To be fair to them, they did put the Koran on trial before burning it.
“Pass me that black hat; I shall be needing it later.”
March 30th, 2011 at 10:59 am
These people really do need their heads banging together.
March 30th, 2011 at 11:46 am
“The world don’t need another homo.”
Wasn’t that a Tina Turner hit? I feel a (gay) parody coming on.
Seriously, what is the difference between this guy’s video and the ones with the Islamic nut jobs with balaclavas and RPGs.
March 30th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
I’m sorry, but as much as I find ritual burning of a book to be a stupid stunt, I cannot in conscience accept that the idiot ‘unleashed’ the crazies in Pakistan. There is simply no parallel between burning a book and burning buildings – except that fire is involved of course.
March 30th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
This pastor has, through his own actions, put peoples lives in danger. Surely a court could charge him with something?
March 30th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Has anybody got the slightest idea what Garlow is babbling on about? How does he think Afro Americans saved states like California from the ‘bondage’ of gay marriage? By voting against it? If so, how the feck does he know who voted for what? Unless, of course, god has tipped him off as to who put their crosses (no pun intended) in which boxes.
March 30th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
toney e – yes, but from his point of view, they’re probably not worth worrying about. They’re not Americans and they’re probably not ‘real’ Christians. Not of the White Anglo-Saxon sort, anyway.
March 30th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Other thoughts. Did the church burning occur before or after the koran burning? How did the death cult savages know about the koran burning?
March 30th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
As well as being demented Pastor Sapp is a vicious clown. You would have to plumb serious depths in this man’s psyche to touch on the source of his aggression. I suspect, as is the case with so many fundies, repressed sexuality lies at the heart of it. There is no sense in him. Twisted, ignorant and raving. Yuk!
March 30th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
I don’t know who I find the dumbest, this idiot of a pastor or the dumbfucks in Pakistan. I don’t agree with burning of books, any books BUT at the same time, they are only books. This man is a demented moron who shouldn’t be allowed out without a minder. On the other hand, when will the crazies in the muslim world learn that, just because THEY don’t like the idea of burning a koran, this doesn’t mean that the rest of us have to abide by their stupid rules.
I just wish the whole lot of them, from all sides of the religious arguments, would just FOAD!
March 30th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Ah that wonderful country Pakistan. The voice of the OIC on the UN Council for Human Rights. On the verge of receiving 445 million in aid from the affluent UK and untold amounts from the USA. Where free speech can get you murdered and the murderer treated as a nation hero. Why couldn´t the police or military stop this? Well we know from the recent murder of a politician, they were probably involved.
March 30th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
“When people thought the earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.” – Isaac Asimov
Use that rational brain. There is a difference in fact and morals between burning a book you own and burning another person’s church. There is a difference in fact and morals between making an anti-gay video and killing homosexuals. Christianity (having benefited from western secular thought) is wrong and bothersome. If it weren’t for the systematic sheltering of child rapists Christianity wouldn’t have much to answer for. But Islam is evil.
March 30th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Let’s see…Person ‘A’ burns a koran in USA.
3000miles away, person ‘F thru Z’ burn a church for allah.
looks like all-ahs has the same accuracy as ye-WOW-Way…
meaning they can’t even get the punishment in the same country as the crime! much less the person who did it.
Boy I hope no all-ah-ists or ye-WOW-way-ists reads this comment cuz the spelling alone might cause 5 places to be burnt.
March 30th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Regarding Tony E’s comment – I’ve no time for christian pastors and homophobes – but his actions did not put people’s lives in danger – peoples’ lives were put in danger by those who set fire to the churches.
March 30th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
What, no black lesbian and gays over there?
March 30th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
I want to know why the Islamic bearded mobs always shout about “Admiral Akbar” before murdering the innocent.
Mr Lucas – the net is closing in, you weird little bullfrog man.
March 30th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Quite a few instances of the word ‘bondage’ there.
What’s the betting the pastor is found coming out of a gay S&M club at some point in the future?
March 30th, 2011 at 10:22 pm
He must be so proud. Because of him there are now Christians who can legitimately complain about persecution.
March 31st, 2011 at 12:50 am
Great Satan:
I kind of half agree and half don’t. Yes the responsibility for the acts is on those who commit them, but, he very probably knew the what the likely reaction would be, and did it anyway. I’d say he’s partly but not wholly responsible.
As a check, would we say the same (that it’s not his fault at all) if thugs in his area start beating up homosexuals, citing his comments as ‘proof’ that they’re justified, or would we take the position that he’s a person of some authority (a pastor), and should therefore be held responsible for what should be the obvious consequences of an authority figure making hate-speech?
March 31st, 2011 at 1:31 am
From a purely clinical point of view, if muslims burn all the churches, and the christians burn all the mosques, it’s win-win. Unless you consider that those useless buildings could house homeless people. Maybe we can confiscate the synagogues.
Let’s face it, the burning of the Quran was a deliberate act of war, a spit in the face, to an opposing brand of insanity. The message was that “we do not fear you, because the true god is with us”. While a rational person realizes that a book is a stack of processed wood pulp with some ink on it, religious people are not rational. But, as we sit back and watch the loonies settle it amongst themselves, the evidence continues to mount that a world free of religion is the only one that will be at peace.
Marcus asked:
“How does he think Afro Americans saved states like California from the ‘bondage’ of gay marriage?”
I did some research, and came up short, but at the time of the prop 8 referendum, the pundits gave the credit for the overturn of the court decision allowing gay marriage to the black vote. But, while black guys are preserving their image of bravado, masculinity, and machisimo, here’s what they are in private:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.....ual_slang)
I’ll say it again, gays can grease this issue past any legislature if you stop trying to steal the word “marriage”. Give the fundies their holy fucking “word” and define your own relationships outside religious institution.
NeoWolfe
April 1st, 2011 at 9:37 pm
It is well known that Islam does not allow representations of God as this constitutes idolatry. This isn’t actually written anywhere in the Koran but that’s a separate matter – many Muslims get a total bonk-on over images of God, witness the Danish cartoons debacle.
So how the fuck is worshipping a book any different to idolatry?
How fragile is their faith that something so modest is a threat? How thin-skinned it their God that he takes offense so easily? Why does an immortal require flesh and blood humans to fight on his part?
And isn’t it weird how the idea of an attack on the perfect authority of an all-powerful patriarch offends these primitive mysogynists? I reckon the engine that drives this show is to be found in their domestic circumstances and pathetic need to be the big man at home, reflected in their need for their own big man to look after them.
April 2nd, 2011 at 8:10 am
As à direct consequence of Sapp’s actions, aSwedish UN official, lawyer of International law, was killes by the Talibans.
April 2nd, 2011 at 11:34 am
Why perform an act that will invoke outrage?
Fly the halfwit out with the rest of his trash congregation to Pakistan and see if he has the balls to burn it there. If he hasn’t got the avocados then maybe he should abstain from performing an act that has resulted in the death of innocent people.
He flipped the first domino. He is responsible for the actions of the murderous thugs in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
April 2nd, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Its all kicking off now – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worl.....a-12944851
beheading UN helpers etc
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl.....s-killings
Of course – the people resonsible for these murders are the people who commited them.
Not the dick in the US who is clearly a retard.
Some days I just wished they all dropped their BS pretences and Islam and christianity just went at it and they killed eachother off as both ideologies stink up the planet.
April 2nd, 2011 at 9:58 pm
Who is the real idiot, a man who burns a book written by a racist murderer or the idiots who kill people for it. These fools killed people who are not even from the US much less Florida. Lets do the wise thing and put blame where blame deserves.
April 3rd, 2011 at 2:21 am
Ingrid said:
“As à direct consequence of Sapp’s actions, aSwedish UN official, lawyer of International law, was killes by the Talibans.”
I disagree. He and several others were killed as a result of religious hatred. Sapp’s actions were the result of religious hatred. And this has been happening since written history. Sapp thought that his god was bigger and tougher than all the other gods, and never once considered the consequences of adoring his god. And the killing will continue.
How do you do that a’ thing? I need that when I write in Spanish. Do you need a different keyboard or is it software?
NeoWolfe
April 4th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
In a liberal democracy we all have freedom of speech and freedom of action within the law. Even bigots have those rights. Most of us would exercise some restraint to accommodate the sensibilities of others and maybe wouldn’t agree with the American pastor’s actions. Nevertheless he has done nothing wrong. He has broken no laws.
So lay the blame for what is happening in Pakistan at the door of the perpetrators. They are the criminals here. It is not exactly news that Islamists have a well-developed persecution complex. For some, anyone who doesn’t follow their brand of Islam is a provocation – witness the killing of Christians and other non-believers (and each other) for years in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran etc. There is nothing to be gained by appeasing these people or deflecting the blame.