Pastor Apologizes for Offensive Sign on Koran

A North Carolina pastor on Wednesday apologized for posting a sign outside his church that suggested the Koran should be “flushed” in a toilet.

A North Carolina pastor on Wednesday apologized for posting a sign outside his church that suggested the Koran should be “flushed” in a toilet.

Creighton Lovelace, pastor of Danieltown Baptist Church in Forest City, wrote in a statement that he “did not realize how people of the Muslim faith view the Koran – that devoted Muslims view it more highly than many in the United States view the Bible.”

Lovelace had displayed a portable sign that read, “The Koran needs to be flushed,” and sparked a firestorm of criticism from Muslim and Christian leaders across the nation – including members from his own denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention.

According to the Daily Courier, Lovelace had initially refused to apologize, telling journalists that he knew the sign would be offensive because it is the truth.

However, after several days, Lovelace reversed course and said his intentions had been to “exalt the Bible and its teaching,” not to “insult any people of faith.”

"Now I realize how offensive this is to them, and after praying about it, I have chosen to remove the sign. I apologize for posting that message and deeply regret that it has offended so many in the Muslim community,” he wrote in his statement, according to the Courier.

Lovelace also said his church sign’s message has been replaced with a new one that reads “Jesus said, ‘I am the way.’”