Comedian burns Bible as cameras roll

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1261100.ece

Otto Jespersen, one of Norway's most controversial comedians, has caused another stir by burning pages from the Bible in the heart of a conservative West Coast city.

<snip>

Now some flames have thrust Ålesund into the headlines again, after Jespersen lit a fire in the center of town. The burly, middle-aged Norwegian seems to have a thing for fires: He's perhaps best known for an American flag-burning stunt on national TV three years ago, to protest the US-led invasion of Iraq.

[NMMNG]

1. Let's see how all of the wingnuts react

Specifically the wingnuts who denounced those who rioted when a Koran was allegedly flushed down a toilet at Gitmo.

[Codeine]

2. As stupid as the wingnuts are

I still don't forsee mass rioting, worldwide denunciations, and burning of embassies.

[NMMNG]

4. I'm sure you're right

Most likely there will just be more whining about "the war against Christianity" :cry:.





edited because I was spelling like a fweeper :dunce:

[LiberalPartisan]

7. Buy "war bonds"

Read the Da Vinci code....LOL

[Vexatious Ape]

5. Not enough time on their hands

Our wingnuts won't protest like the Muslim wingnuts simply because our wingnuts are too busy with their jobs, NASCAR, high school football concerns and all sorts of BS. Muslim wingnuts have a lot more time on their hands for frivolous protests since the unemployment rates in most of their countries are through the roof.

[gator_in_Ontario]

6. don't forget

gay marriage! I'm doing my part to keep freepoids distracted!

[leesa]

11. That's because no one arbitrarily invades their countries and murders

their citizens with bombs and missiles every year or so. Tends to make Muslim countries touchy.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

20. right. certainly not when nascar's heating up anyway

n/t

[Igel]

16. They'll be upset at the intentional disrespect, that's

about all. Mostly because that's the way the discourse has gone; they'd have not burned the Bible pages otherwise. Their point may be different; I'm not going to take the time to read it all, their point isn't relevant to what I'm writing.

The medieval notion that the paper is holy is, well, medieval. Only intellectual relics buy that--there are a few such backwards idiots among most American Xians, but those that have gotten even to the 18th century in their thinking keep them in check. They wouldn't be able to mount a decent protest even if they were all bused into one city. Ahem.

Granted, you get weeping Marys and cloudly Jesuses just like you get fishy or tomato-based Allahs (the first two being images, the latter being text), but that sort of ridiculous obscurantism among the weak-minded is fairly endemic and different from bibliolatry.

It'll be taken by some as part of "the war on Xianity" by some; not entirely unjustified, some people would like to battle Xianity, but the assumption there's a war is mostly unjustified. And therefore, the assertion will not be widely accepted as part of "the" war on Xianity. A few pundits will pontificate. It'll get scant mention in a bunch of sermons, with the practice, not the perpetrators, denounced.

Of course, possible comparisons with other, purely hypothetical situations are strictly verboten, and will be peacefully, albeit violently, punished.

[Nevernose]

39. God already hates Sweden, why not Norway?

From the daughter of Fred Phelps, I give you:
http://www.godhatessweden.com/

[darkmaestro019]

3. Marilyn Manson called, dude.

He said to tell you you're welcome for the idea(s) but that your lack of eyeliner is really detracting from the spectacle. ; )

[symbolman]

8. I LIKE this guy

Takebackthemedia.com did a radio bit on our show where we flushed a bible down the toilet to protest the flushing of the Koran by torturers in Iraq..

Always thought it would be fun to have a "Not Neccessarily THE Flag" Burning show as conceptual art (tho I'd be arrested I'm sure) by burning flaglike prints that were derivations of the OFFICIAL American flag.. a half an inch too much Blue.. maybe an extra star, red stripes a quarter inch bigger than the white stripes, things like that..

Be a real show, getting eaten by lions soon after would be a drag..

Keep up the good work neighbor :)

[kurth]

9. It's ok to have a party and burn Bibles - Baptist Standard

"The most generally acceptable solution appears to be either burying or burning the old Bible.

One method would be to take the old Bible to a remote place and bury it where it will likely not be trampled on. Burning the Bible could follow the rules of respect for the destruction of an old American flag by burning.

An interesting idea might be to contact your church and see if the church would be interested in having a ceremony. The church could announce the ceremony and ask the congregation to bring all their old Bibles together and have a time of celebration..."

http://www.baptiststandard.com/postnuke/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=16

[Ezlivin]

10. Hotels even supply free bibles for burning and for rolling papers

Huh, you didn't know? Open the drawer on that cheap nightstand every once in a while....

[The Sushi Bandit]

21. LOL!!!

[melm00se]

35. the Bibles in

hotel rooms are provided, generally, by the Gideons.

http://www.gideons.org/

they also provide Bibles to many other locations, including domestic violence shelters.

(yes, I travel too much, saw the Bible, was bored and looked up their website)

[BiggJawn]

12. I did that YEARS ago, but not on Teeee-Veeeee...

When I finally came to grips with the irrationality of it, I gathered up every Bible I owned, excepting Mom's FC book, and put the charcoal lighter to them.

Then I waited for the lightning bolt that was supposed to come.

[jus_the_facts]

18. Ha....I did the same for the same reason......

....except I just ripped my KJV to shreads and threw it in the trash where they all belong. :hi:

[goforit]

13. Quite frankly, Jesus may be laughing with relief.

[0007]

14. We need more folks like Otto. He rocks!

[mitchum]

15. Bible pages make suitable rolling papers in a pinch

[CAG]

17. I'm not a freeper by any means, but I don't see whats funny about a book-

burning. Some of these posts that follow the original make me sick.

I am a christian, but this isn't my point at all. I didn't think us open-minded democrats condone burning books, whether its the bible, mein kampf, war and peace, wealth of nations, Man Coulters how to talk to a liberal, Sean Chickenhawk Hannity's Let Freedom Ring, or any other book.

The fact that a comedian did it makes it no better; he's still conveying a message.

[brentspeak]

23. Thanks

I feel the same way.

Don't worry -- most of the people here praising this guy for burning a Bible are likely not Democrats. They just post here because DU has a larger audience for them to tick off.

[kysrsoze]

36. Yeah, not sure why we have such hardened religion haters

These same people who laugh at burning the Bible would likely be mortified if someone burned the Koran. Although I believe it's fully within your rights to burn anything, be it a book or flag, it doesn't mean you're not an idiot for actually doing it.

[Raine]

26. Me either

I think burning ANY book is disgusting. :mad:

[Hatalles]

33. Agreed.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

19. If Otto Jespersen is pissed...

...so am I!

[brentspeak]

22. Comedian, huh?

Gee, burning a Bible...real funny...ha...ha...

NOT

[HEyHEY]

24. Had he burned the Koran would we all be saying how much we like him?

I'm not religious, but I knows hypocrisy when I sees it.

[joshcryer]

25. Highly unlikely...

...he'd be denounced as an agitator.

And Muslims would riot.

[Raine]

27. I agree

often the hypocrisy here is as thick as it is over at the freep site. :-(

[KittyWampus]

40. Thank You very much for your statement.

[Pavulon]

28. Well thats it

i'm off to burn their embassy and kill this mans family...

umm not.

[Zynx]

29. Was there actually a point to all of that?

[fshrink]

30. Well, the US constitution has been burned

on TV several times since 2000. Barely figuratively.

[Quantess]

31. this is comedy?

I'm missing the humor. :hangover:
It isn't making me laugh.
Lighting a fire in the middle of town sounds equally unfunny.x(

[BrightKnight]

32. nothing funny about book burning - n/t

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

34. This is the typical

look at me, look at me, I'm doing something dangerous, just to jumpstart a career or restart one, which ever it is, I've never heard of the guy so I don't know. Anyways if he thinks he's a comedian why didn't he tear out the pages roll them up to make a joint and smoke it, I knew a guy in high school who did this, then he said 100 hail marys, now that's being a comedian!

[robcon]

37. If the guy had balls...

he'd burn a Koran.

[Endangered Specie]

38. Well, you know what this calls for...

:evilgrin: