I hope that Rapport never again publishes an article on corruption or bribery being wrong. Apparently this newspaper subscribes to the belief that money is more important than honesty or integrity. As for Rapport's readers, go figure . . .

Met die Deon Maas sage het Tim du Plessis die knieg gebuig voor Mamon (die geldgod ) en voor die verkrampte Christen fundementaliste . Hy het sy beginsels as redakteur en kamp- vegter van vryheid van spraak verkwansel vir n pot happy-clappy klomp snot. Wat n skande !!!!!!!!

Was the editor having a few drinks when this page was proof-read and signed off? Or do editors not sign off pages anymore? What happened to "the buck stops here"? Or is that just an old fashioned work ethic?

Rapport, pathetic ethics, skat!

Absolutely! Where was the editor? Why fire Deon Maas (can't say I'm a great fan but that's another story)if all he did was what he does so well! Create controversy. Nee a Tim jong - dis glad nie mooi nie. Ek is 'n Rapport leser net so terloops.

I don't like Deon Maas very much, from what I've seen of him on Afrikaans Idols and that dreadful egotistical late night show on KykNet, but he did not deserve to be fired or 'burnt on the stake' like witches in the mediaval ages, like Rapport's editor, management and readers have done to him.

Shame on you all! As a half-Afrikaans chick who can tace my heritage back 400 years with some egte regte Boere bloed, it's this verkrampte attitude that makes me ashamed of that very heritage and gladder to embrace my more tolerant British ancestory.

It's that intolerance and hatred that got us into trouble in 1948 and in this age of enlightenment and knowledge I'm horrified that the media, who are supposed to be the most outspoken, have stooped this low.

You should resign Tim du Plessis. You have lost the respect of your peers.

Funny, I find "liberal" english folk much more verkramp.

In such a debate one should resist the temptation to judge the actions of some in a group (or language group) as representing that whole group.

Someone asked if the editor did not read the column before publishing. Fact is he did, and even commented possitively on the new column in that same edition of the newspaper, so he has no justification in firing Maas.

The irony of course is that the message of the article was tollerance for different views and beliefs, and the following action just proved how little tollerance some people have.

Are all types of discrimination fair? Are all types of tolerance acceptable?

Can I discriminate what is good and evil? If I then choose good, do I not then choose rightly? Or are we condemned by 'the liberal enlightened masses' when we discriminate against evil? Should we just then accept evil and the consequences thereof if we do not discriminate wisely against it?

Should we also then tolerate everything? Is it acceptable to tolerate murder, rape, torture, corruption and violence? Have we become stupid, stuck up Afrikaners for not tolerating evil and standing up for what is good?

There is definitely a place for discrimination and intolerance in many instances. The humanistic minds must not pretend that they can prescribe to us, who believe in Holy God and His righteous statutes, concerning morals. Where has humanistic dogma led us? It led us into a stinking moral toilet with their abortion-on-demand and homosexuality mentality.

By the way, the Bible doesn't teach live and let live! God should then apologize to all the rapists and sodomites who He exterminated in Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from heaven! The Bible teaches that you should submit to Holy God and obey and only worship Him or you shall be destroyed by the coming judgment. Simple

Catch a wake up!

a key factor of christianity is the fact that you can choose to accept it or not. and not judge others for not doing so

Though I won't shout too loud for Tim du Plessis' resignment he should have had the balls to back Deon Maas, stood his ground and offered his resignation if his verkrampte Naspers bosses so demanded.

The only "economical factor" that came into play here was Tim du Plessis' pay cheque.

His actions shows that Rapport's skipper is not equipped to steer his ship through the often murky waters of the world.

i have known Deon for many years. He is provocotive but not evil. Tim du Plessis seems however to be influenced by evil greed and the devil took his backbone.

Christianity is only for the greater good, it doesn't stand for any kind of evil. The reaction to the Deon Maas article showcased that Christianity is and never will be a silent religion. We will stand up for what we believe in.

Open mindedness is having respect for other people's expressions and making an attempt to understand their message independent from your own preconceptions.Maas did not rally up against the entire body of Christianity as people have dramatically stated it.
As Christians this could have been an opportunity to engage with the meanings of satanism to a society and why the concept of satanism is so profoundly offensive to Christians.
The lack of silence and constant action by Christians in the name of their religion is perhaps their greatest pitfall ; people want to be listened to and respected.
I dare say that if suicide were not such a mortal sin someone may have stepped into the Rapport building and blown everyone up - "for our own salvation in a lost society".
We need to engage with people not behave like omnipotent,omnipresent omniscient terrorists.

No quality newspaper in the Western world would have published the adolesecent nonsense written by Maas. The piece lacked substance, structure and thought. Just imagine The (London) Times, The Guardian or The Telegraph publishing anything closely resembling an apology for the freedom of Satanists to apply their religion, particularly when it was as badly written as this particular contribution!

Having published the drivel, however, Rapport's Editor became co-responsible. If Maas was fired, Tim du Plessis on the very same basis should have resigned.

Rapport should have never employed Maas in the first place. It’s people like Maas that gives journalists a bad name. His only ambition is to shock people and draw attention to himself and his many inferiority complexes. That’s not journalism; any teenager can do the same.

As far as I know - and Deon may correct me on this - Maas has never professed to be a "journalist". All he did was write an opinion piece that a minority of people could not handle.

Your point therefore is meaningless.

What a really sad, no SICKENING, turn of events.

A small minority of Christians who still believe they can manipulate the Afrikaans press actually manages to get Deon Maas fired!

I give up!!! My small-minded Afrikaans brothers: Please wake up and smell the roses! Whether you like it or not, Deon had a valid point. And whether you agree with it or not, the people he wrote about really exist.

Please give them an opportunity to live their live the way they want to. You do not have to allow them to convince you to change your lifestyle. All that is required is for you to "Live and let live", exactly as your bible teaches you to!

Wragtig man, ons leef ion die 21ste eeu!

Everyone just loves to use that saying but let's face it boys and girls, the buck never stops anywhere near the top in media24. Points in case: Tim du Plessis and of course good old Patricia Scholtemeyer. They should add Pass The Buck and Dodge The Bullet to the codes of conduct they dish out to new employees. Tim du Plessis can dodge all he wants, but the fact is that he slipped up badly and instead of writing long justifications and making statements about not bowing to any pressure from top management and protecting the people who sell Rapport, he should just have the guts to admit he was wrong. Obviously too much to ask as that would mean taking the bullet/being the buck's last stop.

If the Media24 management gave Tim du Plessis an ultimatum he could understand only too well one should perhaps not judge him too harshly as the previous Media24/Naspers editors who made a principled stand and resigned rather than giving in to commercial and political pressure were soon forgotten and did not exactly receive the "injury to one is an injury to all" support from their colleagues that a junior trade union member would have expected from his/her co-workers (come on, name two Fairlady editors who resigned rather than give in to management pressure!)

As Christian mother of a rebellious metalhead/Goth daughter, I also would like to comment. Deon Maas did not approve of satanism, and he made a valid statement. Our rigid religious mentality causes much heartbreak and often turn these young people away from Christianity. Instead of judging them, why not reach out and try to win them over by showing them the love of Jesus Christ in our own attitude? Many of these satanic-looking young people are hiding away great pain and insecurity. With their looks they only try to scare the world away. I know!!!

Deon Maas, jy is nie regtig so 'n laer graad se maroon om te dink ons Afrikaaners gaan terug sit en kyk dat jy iets soos satanisme laat goed lyk nie. Jy het duidelik nie genoeg beleef om sulke twak kwyt te raak nie, wat wou jy bewys? Maar Tim du Plessis is maar net so 'n groot sondebok, jy moet ook gelooi word. Dat iemand wat veronderstel is om te weet wat die lesers wil lees, nie sy oordeel kon gebruik het nie,laat 'n mens wonder wat nog kom. Moenie ons AFRIKAANERS onderskat nie, julle is nie die regering nie. Rapport is op die ou einde ook net nog 'n besigheid wat afhanglik is van ons lesers. Sterkte manne! Wat ookal gebeur, sal julle verdien.

spel net reg as jy wil gatte skop. Dis AFRIKANERS, een A om mee te begin en een A in die derde lettergreep.

Gatskop reken hy het n mandaat om namens ons Afrikaners te praat. Sy moer. Ek is nie een van daardie skynheilige verkrampte Afrikaners wat elke keer n ereksie kry as die De La Rey liedjie speel of as die Happy-clappy kerkbrigade hulle pinkboekies uit die kot uit gooi nie. Ek het gelukkig n verstand gekry en kan vir myself dink. Aan al die Deon Maas Verskrikte imbesiele wil ek net se " Baie dankie vir julle obskure opinies, maar hou dit vir julle self ek wil nie deel wees van julle vrot asem brigade nie!"

How can you propagate a "religion" where human sacrifice is part of the "church" rituals?? Maas must go look for attention somewhere else. Decent, law abiding citizens of this country does not want to hear his drivel.

commenting on this forum actually read the article in question? get a life, he did not propogate satanism, he was making a point about religous freedom and freedom of speech and tolerance.

Then why mention satanism in the first place? There are many (socially acceptable) religions that could be used as examples of tolerance. But no, Maas had to sensationalize his story with something as despicable as satanism. Can you blame people for getting upset?

Get real, the guy is hired - and obviously fired in this case as well - because he is someone who stirs up controversy. Whether it is about satanism or about the girls he slept with at university - refer to a previous column used in BY. Readers then flood the newspaper in question with thousands of sms's and both the newspaper and the service provider whose sms number it is, are left smiling all the way to the bank. Commercial interests indeed.

I think rather that Rapport should apologize for its role in allowing this article to be published instead of just dumping the journalist.

However, if I write a column stating that having sex with babies is not wrong, it is just another way of expressing my sexuality, what do you think the public reaction would be? I'm not saying that I do it, but ag shame, how can we discriminate against such people? I mean, baby rapists are not wrong/ evil, they are just misunderstood.

The poor misunderstood satanists. All they want to do is worship the devil, drink virgin blood, crucify the neighbourhood cat, sacrifice young children while raping them and cutting their little hearts out at the same time. Shame, give them a break. It is so unfair for society to judge and condemn these people. Let the satanists move into your townhouse complex, but when felix the cat suddenly disappears, you know where to go.

Deon Maas se doel is om mense te skok en hy geniet die aandag wat hy kry as hy dit doen. Hy glo hy is liberaal en het dus die reg om te sê wat hy wil.
Is hy dan simpel genoeg om mense met ander waardes as hy, as verkramp te veroordeel om dat hulle opstaan en sê dat hulle genoeg van sy opinies gehoor het en nie daarmee saamstem nie?
Hoe nou Maaskaas? Is jy dan al een wat op opinies geregtig is? Is dit slegs die sg. liberales wat op opinies geregtig is en as ek van jou verskil is ek verkramp? As jy regtig so liberaal is, waarom is jy nie liberaal genoeg om die konserwatiewe persoon se opinie te respekteer nie. As jy oorweging skenk aan 'n ander se opinie en nie net jou eie nie, sal jy weet dat vir elke aksie daar 'n teen reaksie sal wees. En Deon, ek respekteer die feit dat jy opstaan en jou dinge sê waarin jy glo. Maar as jy goed sê net om mense te skok, het dit nie veel waarde anders as om sensasie te kry nie. Of jy nou in Satanisme glo of nie, jou sensasie het jy elk geval gekry.
Ek self het nie deelgeneem aan die veldtog teen Rapport nie want ek koop al die afgelope 10 jaar nie meer Sondag koerant nie, maar ek is verbly deur die feit dat die mense opstaan en hulle uitspreek teen Satanisme want hulle het dit vir hulle GOD gedoen. Dankie tog nie almal is so apaties soos ek gedink het nie.

DITTO!!!

Tim should have been fired, neglecting responsibilities, he wanted sensation....