"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first- rock'n'roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."

Many people were outraged. To them, the comment was not a statement regarding the decline of interest in religion, but a shameless boast about The Beatles' popularity.

Radio stations banned the playing of Beatles records, and instead broadcast notices of local Beatle Burnings, where angry fans could take their Beatle belongings to destroy them. Placards were made, displaying such messages as:

"Go Home Beatles"

"Jesus Died For You John Lennon"

A press conference was soon arranged, and John apologised and explained his comment. He was merely commenting on the teenagers of the day; rock and roll seemed to be more important to them than religion.