FOREST CITY — The pastor of a Rutherford County Baptist church apologized Wednesday for posting a sign in front of his church that read: “The Koran needs to be flushed.”
The sign was posted last weekend in front of Danieltown Baptist Church, located on U.S. 221 in Forest City, an immediately sparked intense debate about religious tolerance.
The news story was picked up by regional and national media outlets, sparking a national re-sponse to the sign.
On Tuesday, the Rev. Creighton Lovelace, pastor of the church, declined to apologize for the display despite the outcry of protest.
On Wednesday, when contacted by a broadcast news reporter with The Associated Press, Lovelace backed down from that stand.
Lovelace said that in posting the sign he meant to affirm and exalt the Bible, not insult Muslims.
“When I posted the sign in front of the church, it was my intent only to affirm and exalt the Bible and its teaching. It was certainly not my intent to insult any people of faith, but instead to remind the people in this community of the preeminence of God’s word,” Lovelace said, according to a copy of an AP transcription of the pastor’s statement.
“Now I realize how offensive this is to them, and after praying about it I have chosen to remove the sign early, and I apologize and deeply regret that it offended so many in the Muslim community,” the statement continued.
Lovelace said the church sign’s message has been replaced with a new one that reads: “Jesus said, ‘I am the way.”
The Rev. Lovelace did not answer phone calls to his house Wednesday night, but he a copy of his statement was later delivered to The Daily Courier.
“For someone to put that sign up — the person just didn’t understand — didn’t take into consideration what putting up that sign means,” said Seema Rielley, a Muslim who first saw the sign last Saturday. “I don’t think it should be posted on a sign in public viewing on the highway to create a hostile environment for me.”
Lovelace said earlier that he did not consider flushing the Koran an act of desecration.
“Well in my viewpoint, under what is desecration — desecration is taking something which is holy and causing it damage — and so in my opinion since the Koran is not holy, therefore there is no desecration,” said Lovelace.
When Lovelace was asked then whether he considered before he put the sign up that there might be some consequences or that some people may be angered, he said he was aware of the likelihood of angering some people.
“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 Monday. “If we stand for what is right and for God’s word and for Christianity then the world is going to condemn us and so right away when I got a complaint I said “well somebody’s mad, somebody’s offended, so we must be doing something right.””
AP Transcript of Pastor’s Statement
“I firmly believe that the Bible is God’s word and that it is indeed the only divine revelation from God. I also firmly believe that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation available to mankind. Today, I believe these truths more than ever before.
“When I posted the sign in front of the church, it was my intent only to affirm and exalt the Bible and its teaching. It was certainly not my intent to insult any people of faith, but instead to remind the people in this community of the preeminence of God’s word.
“When I posted the message on the sign, I did not realize how people from the Muslim faith view the Koran — that devoted Muslims view it more highly than many in the U.S. view the Bible. But now I realize how offensive this is to them, and after praying about it I have chosen to remove the sign early, and I apologize and deeply regret that it offended so many in the Muslim community.
“I remain committed to the proclaiming of the gospel of Jesus Christ and renew my commitment to proclaiming that message in the true spirit of Christ’s love.”