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John 3:16 -- 86'd from Final 4

3/23/2009 10:21 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Some religious dude brought one of those "John 3:16" signs to the Siena vs. Ohio State NCAA Tournament basketball game the other night -- but as soon as he put the sign up, some random security guard rushed in for the steal and ripped it down.

FYI -- Siena happens to be a private Catholic school. Apparently Jesus isn't allowed to attend away games.

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5. 3 cheers for the security guard. Those people walking around with 3:16 signs scare the hell out of me.

Posted at 9:38AM on Mar 23rd 2009 by south

Apparently NOT!

1818 days ago

Frag The Paps    

BL, so the Spanish Inquisition was not about Jesus? How about Father Junipero Serra, who brought Christianity to the native Americans. Wanna take a stab at how many people he had killed because they would not wise up and jump on the jesus bandwagon.
Freedom of Religeon is also freedom FROM religeon. Would anyone be a big fan if I sat in the crowd with a big sign that says there is no god and you are all stupid for believing a fairy tale? Peoples personal beliefs should be just that....personal. Keep it to yourself and nobody gets offended. It's when people say my god is better than your god that we get planes flying in to buildings.

1818 days ago


Dear Frag the Paps, again, that is their own agenda...you mention this Father Junipero--first of all he sounds like a catholic not a christian, only catholics have the arrogance to give the title Father-which is quite a difference from true christianity but putting that aside if you murder ppl in the name of Christ you do not truly follow Christ--I am having a hard time understand why its so apparently difficult for you to understand that-Just because these psychos say they are killing for Christ doesnt mean thats what they're SUPPOSE to do---That is contrary to God, and saying 'oh my God is better than your God' There is only one God-THE GOD-everything else is a conjured mythical non existent thing-ppl just cant except that because they want to do things their own way...but I have said what I wanted to and wasted enough time on here today....I'm sure it will totally disgust you Frags, but I will pray for you and anyone else who needs God's love.....Tootles.....

1818 days ago

California Dude    

So where is the ACLU on this? Freedom of speech is just that! That Security Guard should be fired, and he should be required to give a public apology, as well as he should be required to attend sensitivity training. I find it very odd that those folks posting on this board that they hate to have religion shoved down their throats find that this form of freedom isnât acceptable however when the tables are turned they get upset. What about tolerance? Oh I see itâs a one way street.

1818 days ago

Trey's pop    

Gee if that fat son of a bitch had his taser he would have really shown that evil Christian.

1818 days ago

Linda Mott    

If it was a Muslim sign in a Muslim school, they wouldn't dare. Christians, Catholics and Jews are all fair targets to the world.

1818 days ago


Like many others, I think that arena has a no signs rule. All signs are taken out not just the ones with religious statements on them. The signs block the view of other patrons. If he had printed that verse on a t-shirt no one would have bothered him.

1818 days ago

i love the 80    

this is what's wrong with this country right now. for all those people who say that person is a nut job, shame on you. it is in the bible about turning away from god. that and denoucning him is what will keep you people out of heaven. im glad he had that sign , it should not have been taken away, whatever happened to freedom of speech? its in the constiution after all. you people are all going to get a huge wake up call when jesus returns. and i cant wait to see it!

1818 days ago

i love the 80    



1818 days ago


I am sick of the Obama religion shoved into our faces. We need to go around ripping down all of his signs.

1818 days ago


If this guy had a John 3:16 t-shirt they wouldn't have asked him to cover it up. It's a sign thing. No signs. You didn't see any other signs in the stands during the game. No signs. I am Catholic. I'm not offended by the guy losing his sign. It wasn't because of content. No signs. Stop making this about religion. No signs. I think the security guard could have been a bit nicer in his removal of the sign instead of just snatching it out of the guy's hands. Holding up a sign that says John 3:16 is not pushing religion down anyone's throat if you don't know what John 3:16 says. What do you care? If someone held up a sign at that game that read : "I'm here, I'm queer, get used to it" then it would have been snatched down as well. No signs. I would be willing to bet though that had the latter sign been snatched in such a manner there would have been a lawsuit and a declamation for the firing of the security guard.

1818 days ago


this country is goin to hell !!!!

1818 days ago


Whatever to happened to freedom of speech and freedm of religion? He has every right to express himself any way he chooses! This is AMERICA! What do you want to censorship? You can flaunt you behind but not your faith? YOU PEOPLE SCARE ME! When you can silence someone by force or intimidation when does it stop! Boy is there a frightening double standard here sounds earily like communism. "I may not agree with what you say but I will fight to the death your right to say it." That is AMERICAN!

1818 days ago


If no one cares about this person's religion, then why all the uproar? I wish before it's too late - if that time has not already come - people would open their eyes to how the freedoms so many of our ancestors, friends and relatives fought to preserve are being quickly eliminated in the name of fairness and political correctness. If a guy holds up a JOHN 3:16 sign, then he's a religious zealot who should be suppressed immediately. But what if he shares a kindness or generosity? What if he offers mercy? What if he lives to serve others? What do you do then? These also are charges to those who follow Christ, but they are not actions solely enacted by Christians. How do you identify who's who? Maybe we should all be required to wear a symbol of our belief or carry a card identifying our belief system. Oh wait, that's been done, hasn't it? I don't think that worked out too well. The point is, regardless of your beliefs, is there not something you hold dear that government cannot take from you? If we, as Americans, don't soon put a stop to this abuse of power, we will lose the opportunity to do so. And these angry anonymous exchanges serve simply to starve mankind and feed the beast. God bless America!

1818 days ago

Say YES to Socialism!    

Jesus was a socialist... why aren't you?

Matthew 19: 16 - 21
17 And he said unto himâ¦if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love they neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All of these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

Luke 6:35-38

Matthew 25:34-46

1818 days ago

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