Facebook Page 'Prays' for Obama's Death?

April 23, 2010— -- For some, it's just a Facebook page intended to get some laughs. But, for others, it's a website so offensive, they think Facebook should take it down.

A page created by an anonymous user reads, "DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN."

As of Thursday evening, more than 950,000 Facebook users indicated that they "liked" the page and a steady stream of comments on the page's wall showed a relatively active membership.

But in response to the Facebook page apparently "praying" for the president's death, users launched at least three other Facebook page's denouncing the "prayer" site and lobbying for its removal.

More than 28,000 people have joined a Facebook group called "Petition to remove facebook group praying for President Obama's death," that not only asks supporters to join the group but report the "prayer" site as abusive.

Counter Groups Attract More Than 25,000 Facebook Members

"Stop Promoting HATE! (In response to the death prayer of the President)" has attracted more than 1,000 supporters and "5 MILLION AGAINST THE FRIVOLOUS OBAMA DEATH PAGE" has more than 900 supporters.

Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a statement that though the anti-Obama page "may be considered distasteful and objectionable to some," it doesn't violate Facebook's policies.

"We're sensitive to content that includes pornography, bullying, hate speech, and actionable threats of violence and we react quickly to remove content that violates our policies when it is reported to us," he said. "Facebook is highly self-regulating and leverages its more than 400 million users to keep an eye out for offensive content. We encourage users to report such content and we have a large team of professional reviewers who evaluate these reports and take action per our policies."

In September 2009, Facebook removed a poll asking if Obama should be killed after the Secret Service received a tip and contacted the company.

Other pages similar to this "prayer" page targeting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have not been removed.

Page Supporters Say It's a Joke

Some members of the anti-Obama site have posted that the page is not literally advocating the death of the president, but is merely a vehicle to express their views.

"I don't think anyone really wants him dead! We are just tired of our govornment and this sh**ty economy. So all you people our there freaking our, just Chill!!," wrote Cathy Larsen on the anti-Obama page's wall.

Kevin Scirrotto, another supporter of the page, told ABCNews.com in an e-mail that he joined "bc it's hilarious."

"It's a fb page. It's a joke," he added.

But members of the opposing groups say they think the page is anything but funny.

Desiree Kettler, a 27-year-old Facebook user from Chicago, said she learned of the anti-Obama group when a family member of hers, who identifies as a conservative tea-partier, "liked" it and the message popped up in her own Facebook Friend Feed.

Critics Say Page Perpetuates Hate

Kettler not only joined an opposition group, she wrote her family member an e-mail conveying her thoughts. Soon after, she said, her family member removed herself from the anti-Obama page.

"I think it's perpetuating hate -- something that ends up dividing us," Kettler said. "I think people can say what they want about our president, but to wish death upon him had crossed the line. I feel that Facebook is making a mistake in not taking this group down right away because it will send the wrong message that this kind of group is OK."

Other Facebook users don't think the site should take down the page, but are disheartened that extreme views can find such a visible place online.

"To me, it speaks to the divisiveness we've had in this country," said Sarah Seelen Donovan, a 64-year-old who lives outside Atlanta. "It concerns me that these extreme opinions are starting to become mainstream."

She was disappointed when her Facebook page told her that a handful of her friends had "liked" the page.

When she saw that other friends had joined the opposing pages, she decided to contribute her own two cents.

"I thought this is an excellent way for me to state how I feel about this in a calm, appropriate way," she said. "I don't think it's up to Facebook to take it down. I think it's up to people like me to join the other group to say to people, 'Stop the divisiveness. You may not like him, but he's our president.'"

But though the statements on the Facebook page may distress her, she said it's not up to Facebook to take it down. She said it's up to those like her to raise their voices in opposition.

"It's an ugly statement any way you look at it," she said. "I think it's meant to be humorous, but there are better ways. There are better ways to express that."