For shame

Tonight NBC News broadcast a report from Jacksonville, Fla. about an arch-conservative Baptist who preaches hatred against Islam. The report (which on their website is unfortunately only available in video) said that Jerry Vines, leader of a Baptist megachurch in the Florida city, calls Islam a religion of murder and Mohammed a pedophile. It included statements from shamefaced members of other area Baptist churches disavowing Vines, as well as local Muslims stating they were afraid the villification would lead to violence against them. Well, it's a free country, and you can be as big an asshole as you want, as long as you don't actually suggest going out and shooting someone. But it made this Christian want to fly down to Jacksonville and stand in solidarity beside the amazingly subdued Muslims.

Coverage in the Jacksonville area is apparently nonexistent. A search on Google News turned up only two stories referring to Vines' statements: a neutral-to-positive piece on Pat Robertson's site -- appalling -- and a negative editorial in the liberal Christian magazine Sojourner.

Update: I found more links using the normal Google search:

• Biblical Recorder, 14 Jun 02: Vines calls Mohammed a 'demon-posessed pedophile'
• St. Peter's News, 16 Jun 02: Vines declines to apologize
• WTLV News, 12 Jun 02: Local reaction over pastor's controversial comments
• UCC Press Release, 19 Jun 02: NCC leader condemns Vines