Terrible Church Billboard!

[Marcia]

This billboard was in front of a church in New Zealand.

A billboard at a New Zealand church depicting a downcast Joseph lying beside Mary in bed and the heading "God is a hard act to follow" provoked more than the intended reconsideration of the meaning of Christmas.

The sign was defaced by a paint-wielding vandal just hours after it was erected Thursday outside the St. Matthew-in-the-City Anglican church in Auckland, and triggered passionate and sometimes angry debate on talk radio and the Internet.

Church vicar Archdeacon Glynn Cardy said the billboard was intended to challenge stereotypes about the way Jesus was conceived and get people talking about the Christmas story.

"This billboard is trying to lampoon and ridicule the very literal idea that God is a male and somehow this male God impregnated Mary," said Cardy, who described his church as having very liberal ideas about Christianity.

"We would question the Virgin Birth in any literal sense. We would question the maleness of God in any literal sense," he said.

On the billboard - painted to mimic the fresco style commonly used in church murals - Mary and Joseph are in bed side-by-side. Joseph is looking down. Mary, looking heavenward, appears sad. The caption reads: "Poor Joseph. God is a hard act to follow." <more>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121700071.html

The minister doesn't accept the conception by the Holy Spirit.


Here is a more recent and lengthier article on it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/28/AR2009122802142.html

 

[Revmitchell]

The minister doesn't accept the conception by the Holy Spirit.

Then he is not a minister of God much less a Christian.

 

[Mexdeaf]

S-I-C-K!:tear:

 

[Johnv]

The church in the OP categorically denies the virgin birth. Since the virgin birth is a core scriptural doctrine, and not a nonessential, the church must be categorically considered apostate.

BTW, has anyone seen a picture of the billoard in question? I was unable to find a photo.

 

[Aaron]

. . . The sign was defaced by a paint-wielding vandal . . .

That's no more vandalism than was Christ's cleansing of the Temple. A First-Century Headline would read ". . . Worship interrupted by whip-wielding vandal . . ."

 

[Johnv]

That's no more vandalism than was Christ's cleansing of the Temple.

Disagree. Two wrongs do not make a right. Offensive as someone might have found the billboard, it's private property, and Christians have no business vandalizing peoples' private property.

 

[annsni]

The church in the OP categorically denies the virgin birth. Since the virgin birth is a core scriptural doctrine, and not a nonessential, the church must be categorically considered apostate.

Absolutely right. That's just disgusting.

 

[Scarlett O.]

I am the queen of cynicism and can usually boast that nothing shocks me about this world we live in.

But this certainly took me off guard.

Sick. Perversion of the Truth. Wicked.

We can only pray for those who support this. They cannot be Christians.

 

[Aaron]

Disagree. Two wrongs do not make a right. Offensive as someone might have found the billboard, it's private property, and Christians have no business vandalizing peoples' private property.

What if it were a picture of your wife with a deprecatory slogan about her virginity (or lack thereof)?

 

[Magnetic Poles]

What if it were a picture of your wife with a deprecatory slogan about her virginity (or lack thereof)?

That is defamation, and unrelated to this. Does free speech not apply to critics of Christianity? Just because we may find something offensive to our sensibilities doesn't give us the right to become vandals ourselves.

 

[just-want-peace]

That is defamation, and unrelated to this. Does free speech not apply to critics of Christianity? Just because we may find something offensive to our sensibilities doesn't give us the right to become vandals ourselves.

Bolded mine

Horror of horrors -- I find myself in agreement with MP!!

(You are mellowing MP:thumbs

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Bolded mine

Horror of horrors -- I find myself in agreement with MP!!

(You are mellowing MP:thumbs

Every dog has his day, JWP!
Peace, bro.

 

[Marcia]

The church in the OP categorically denies the virgin birth. Since the virgin birth is a core scriptural doctrine, and not a nonessential, the church must be categorically considered apostate.

BTW, has anyone seen a picture of the billoard in question? I was unable to find a photo.

Yes, the picture was in the Wash Post article and I found it online.

 

[Aaron]

That is defamation, and unrelated to this. Does free speech not apply to critics of Christianity? Just because we may find something offensive to our sensibilities doesn't give us the right to become vandals ourselves.

As expected, MP would deprecate one's love for Christ as "sensibilities," and marginalize blasphemy as an offense thereof.

My point was to coax Johnv's true heart into the light, but MP obliged and that is just as well.

 

[SaggyWoman]

Wow.

 

[Marcia]

The church in the OP categorically denies the virgin birth. Since the virgin birth is a core scriptural doctrine, and not a nonessential, the church must be categorically considered apostate.

BTW, has anyone seen a picture of the billoard in question? I was unable to find a photo.

Go to this link:
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...mages?q=billboard+mary+and+joseph&gbv=2&hl=en


http://images.google.com/imgres?img...images?q=billboard+joseph+and+mary&hl=en&um=1If that doesn't work, type in billboard mary and joseph in Google images and it should be there.

 

[Marcia]

That is defamation, and unrelated to this. Does free speech not apply to critics of Christianity? Just because we may find something offensive to our sensibilities doesn't give us the right to become vandals ourselves.

I agree about the vandalism, but the main point of this thread and the articles is the billboard. It suggests that God literally had relations with Mary (something the Mormons believe, btw).

If this billboard had been put up by atheists, Muslims, or some other unbelievers, it would not be half as offensive, imo. The fact it was put up by professing Christians in front of their church is inexcusable.

 

[Tom Butler]

I am the queen of cynicism and can usually boast that nothing shocks me about this world we live in.

But this certainly took me off guard.

Sick. Perversion of the Truth. Wicked.

We can only pray for those who support this. They cannot be Christians.

Scarlett, I'm convinced that not to far in the future, this will be considered tame compared to what we'll see then. It's going to get worse.

 

[Marcia]

Scarlett, I'm convinced that not to far in the future, this will be considered tame compared to what we'll see then. It's going to get worse.

I agree, Tom. I think this is just a foretaste of the terrible rebellion against God and embracing of Babylon (metaphorically speaking).