Posted 6/12/2002 05:15:00 PM by Ocean Guy
No, this is not satire! First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida is the most influential congregation in this southern city. "The Rev. Jerry Vines, [senior pastor at First Baptist] speaking Monday evening at a Southern Baptist pastors conference in St. Louis, told several thousand people that many of this country's problems can be blamed on religious pluralism."

He confirms his enlightened and tolerant views by saying,.. "but I'm here to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that Islam is not just as good as Christianity"
The Florida Times-Union reports on his thoughts on Islam. Rev Vines also says:

"Islam was founded by Muhammad, a demon-possessed pedophile who had 12 wives -- and his last one was a 9-year-old girl. And I will tell you Allah is not Jehovah either. Jehovah's not going to turn you into a terrorist that'll try to bomb people and take the lives of thousands and thousands of people."

This kind of talk makes me uneasy at the support the religious right is giving to Israel and to the War on Islamists. It is simply proof that Islamofaschists don't have a monopoly on bigotry.