He placed a letter on the alter then shot himself. In his letter he lashed out against same-sex marriage and a future Islamist takeover of France.
CNN Link
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
The guy was a right-wing extremist wackjob, and frankly, I can only hope that other right-wing extremist wackjobs follow his example.
Committing the act of suicide in a Catholic church promoting a message of bigotry sure makes an interesting statement, doesn't it?
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Yeah, he's ensuring that he'll burn in hell forever right next to the people whose marriages his suicide was supposed to be a religious and moral protest against.
Takes "cutting off one's nose to spite one's face" to bold new levels of eternity, doesn't it.
Let it never be said that I sympathize with bigotry, but suicide is a tragedy no matter the person.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
John Donne has a point, of course, but I'm thinking that some deaths are significantly less diminishing than others.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
At least he no longer has to live in a world with gay marriage.
Let it never be said that I sympathize with bigotry, but suicide is a tragedy no matter the person.
Personally, I never considered Hitler's fate a "tragedy". As for this man, I don't know him, so I cannot speak of his fate either way. Either he was mentally ill and could have been cured, which could be a tragedy. Or he was mentally (or physically) ill and this was his only relief. Or he was extremely dangerous and could have harmed many others rather than himself.
Yeah, he's ensuring that he'll burn in hell forever right next to the people whose marriages his suicide was supposed to be a religious and moral protest against.
And the Muslims! Homos and Muslims are his new neighbors. For ETERNITY.
How Poetic!
Maybe he was gay, and he felt he was going to hell anyway so he decided to at least go as a Martyr.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
From what I've read of his obituary and blog entries, he felt situated between a rock and hard place. On one hand, he found the rising Islam in France repugnant but encouraged by the prospect of those Franco-Muslims repealing the same-sax marriage law within 15 years. On the other, he couldn't deal with all the other attendant repeals of fundamental human rights that would likely ensue in his construction of Islamo-France.
I'm hardly an apologist. But, I find it sad that a 78-yr old would feel that life had left him no other option than to take his own life to rise awareness of what he believed to be his nation's plight. As our legislators in this country grapple with immigration reform, I at times wonder what impact an influx of Sharia law adherents would have on our national psyche.
Nevertheless, I ain't trying to go out like that ya'll. We can all agree to disagree and call it a day.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
If sharia law was really on the rise in France, gay marriage wouldn't be legal there, would it. And we already know what the fear of sharia law is doing to this country -- creating the conservative wackjob Tea Party loons who I can only hope start killing themselves in churches forthwith.
Better they kill themselves than kill others. Too harsh? Too bad.
Better they kill themselves than kill others. Too harsh? Too bad.
Preach it Roscoe.
"If sharia law was really on the rise in France, gay marriage wouldn't be legal there, would it."
@roscoe
I was careful to lay it out as his construction, not mine. It seems that he saw suicide as the lesser of three evils which include marriage-equality and a theocratic France ruled by Sharia adherents in 15 yrs or so. According to his thinking, an Islamic-led repeal of marriage equality would be a short-term gain but permanent installation of Sharia law unbearable. Forgive me for pointing out the obvious; he was a bigot on two counts.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Yeah, fair enough. Still not feeling any sympathy for the wackjob. The best that can be said about him is that he only killed himself.
I'm not feeling any sympathy either. It's that I'm old now and am tired of fighting this battle and that one over ideology. As long as no one (including a gov't) attempts to use physical force against me or coerce me into doing something against my will, the s.o.b. can believe whatever. And as corny as it sounds, I can guarantee you that the universe has spawned a few thousand nutjobs since Dominique Venner decided to off himself. Good riddance to bad trash and please keep his disciples the f*ck away from me.
To paraphrase Macbeth, "He should have died thereafter."
Great, now you cursed this thread!!
A Catholic committing suicide?
Might as well have gotten gay married, since he's suffering the exact same fate in the eyes of his own church.
At 78 years old, how many years did he have left?
You're right, though. Suicide is a sin, and to do it in (arguably) the most famous cathedral outside the Vatican, is a weird statement.
Irony at its finest.
Most martyrs are killed by others, not themselves.
Don't worry all that jazz. I went out the back door, spun three time spit and knocked to gain admittance, the thread is safe.
Drama Queen
I feel bad for all the tourists in Notre Dame. Seeing a guy blow is brains out across the alter has to put a damper on your vacation!
^ That was very Hannibal.
Anyway, who said Suicide is a sin. Jesus?
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