STEPHEN “Birdshit” Green has launched an on-line petition, calling on the BBC’s Mark Thompson and Jonathan Thoday, producer of Jerry Springer: The Opera, to waive the £90,000 court costs awarded against him after his abortive attempt to prosecute the two men for blasphemy. In a cruel twist of fate, at the top of the signatures section of the petition is a link to a site selling … Jerry Springer: The Opera.

But so far, alas, the petition ain’t going too good. As of this morning it had fewer than 700 signatories – and of that lot, a good number used it as a message board to say some rather unkind thing about this good Christian gentleman.

Here are some samples:

• Bankrupt Stephen Green - he is a homophobic arsehole who got what he deserved.

• Pay it yourself you w@nker

• Pay up you religious freek (sic), we don’t pay our licence fee for you to take the piss. You’re a disgrace of a human being.

• I AM NOT SIGNING THIS PETITION! People are free to protest about whatever they like but to then use the court of law to engage in a very pathetic court case and then ask to be excused from paying the costs shows that Stephen Green is actually mentally subnormal and an arrogant ego tripper! Shame on you Mr Green! The Wages of Bigotry ARE Bankruptcy!

• As you reap you sow. You deprived Maggies, a cancer charity, of £10,0000, in your bigoted crusade against free speech. I am so glad your god is rewarding your efforts with your bankruptcy, and hopefully a special place in hell in due course. To be clear, I am only signing your odious, medacious, self-serving and thoroughly corrupt petition to make that point.

• Green is NOT a victim in this case, as some signatories are suggesting. He initiated a vindictive court action that badly backfired, and this ghastly bigot, who has had no qualms about using blackmail and intimidation in pursuit of his dubious aims should face the full consequences of his actions. For this vile individual to beg now for goodwill and justice - concepts completely alien to him - is sickening in the extreme. Hit him, and hit him hard!

Of course, there are many messages of support too, although at least two are a wee bit confused regarding the BBC’s attitude towards Christianity:

• I’m sure the BBC will do the honourable thing and waive these costs. The BBC is an organisation dedicated to God and it has promised to uphold good values of standards of decency.

• I ask that BBC officials exercise tolerance to all points of view, particularly changing their apparently anti-Christian stance, and also that they acknowledge that much of their broadcasting is not representative of public taste.

You can read all the comments here. Oh, and feel free to add a message of your own.