Member Since: 8/22/2009
Posts: 50,646
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WEST END - Officials at Beulah Hill Baptist Church in Moore County want to make one thing very clear: They do not think Beyonce and Jay-Z's newborn baby is Satan.
The Rev. Curtis Barbery says church leaders have been inundated at home and work by callers from across the country wondering about a photo circulating online that appears to show the church's sign with the phrase, "Beyonce had her baby. Satan is on Earth."
Callers, apparently learning about the sign from celebrity gossip websites like TMZ.com, have been so numerous that officials at the church had to turn off the phone at one point, he said.
"Most of the people weren't angry, they were just wanting to know what we meant," Barbery said.
Only problem is, the picture is a fake, Barbery said, adding that the church has no quarrel with baby Blue Ivy Carter or her parents.
"Listen, Satan was here a long time before her baby was born," Barbery said. "We would never imply that anybody's baby was Satan. We're not in that kind of business, condemning people."
The story reported by TMZ quoted the church pastor as saying he discovered the sign had been vandalized on Tuesday after receiving complaints.
Barbery said in an interview Wednesday the website misquoted him - he didn't know anything about the sign until a TMZ reporter called him.
TMZ, meanwhile, stood by its story, saying it was certain the pastor made the statements it attributed to him.
Barbery said Wednesday that he believes somebody most likely doctored a photo of the church's sign and posted it to the Web.
"It's never been on our sign because our sign stays locked and the same phrase has been on it since Thanksgiving," Barbery said. "Only one man has the key to it."
For the record, Barbery said the sign reads, "Jesus is the reason for the season."
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