"Hell is other people," said Sartre, presumably with 20-year-old Robert Gladwin in mind:

A baptist church was at the centre of a police probe after a sign which suggested non-Christians would 'burn in hell' was investigated as a 'hate incident'.

The offending sign at Attleborough Baptist Church in Norfolk, pictured burning flames below words which read: 'If you think there is no God you better be right!!'.

This was alongside a notice assuring visitors to the church that they "can always be sure of a very warm welcome". Which suggests they're not blind to the playful and lighthearted side of eternal damnation. But that was before Master Gladwin passed their way:

Robert Gladwin, 20, said: 'It is my basic understanding that Christianity is inclusive and loving in nature.

'The message being displayed outside of the church could not be further from the often uttered phrase 'love thy neighbour'.'

Mr Gladwin said he was 'astounded' when he spotted the poster by chance as he was walking home.

He said: 'I was just astounded really. We live in the 21st century and they have put that message - that non-Christians will burn in hell - up to try and scare people into joining their mentality.'

So, following the police investigation, Pastor John Rose has taken down the hate crime and replaced it with a poster saying "God loves you" above a picture of a meerkat with the speech bubble "Simples".

As to the "often uttered phrase" that Master Gladwin has often heard uttered, if you "love thy neighbor", you would surely not want him to roast in hell for all eternity and so would encourage him to seek salvation, no?

On the other hand, if you "love thy neighbor", then you wouldn't turn him into the coppers and get him put in the registered hate offenders' database just for putting up a poster you don't like, would you?

But then I'm not a police-certified theologian like Robert Gladwin...

Mark Steyn then goes on to ask a pertinent question:

Which raises the question: What if Pastor Rose had kept everything in his hate-crime poster exactly the same - the licking flames, the attempt "to scare people into joining their mentality" - but had merely replaced the word "God"?

If you think there is no Global Warming, you'd better be right!!

Would that also be a hate crime?

What if it had been Moslems carrying signs which said, "EXTERMINATE THOSE WHO SLANDER ISLAM" and "BEHEAD THOSE WHO INSULT ISLAM"? Because in England they do.

http://www.steynonline.com/6365/four-alarm-fire