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Gay Jesus cleared by ASA

by Whaleoil on February 5, 2013
St_Matthew_in_the_City_Jesus_gay_Christmas_billboard

Via: thehoopla.com.au

As you may recall, St Matthew-in-the-City Anglican Church in Auckland erected a billboard depicting a baby Jesus in a manger with a rainbow coloured halo, and the words “It’s Christmas.  Time for Jesus to come out” on it.

A complaint was lodged with the Advertising Standards Authority.  

The Chairman of the Authority has ruled that there are no grounds to proceed with the complaint

It was of the view that the advertisement, which it commented was prepared by
a Christian church to promote debate within the Christian faith, as opposed to a
deliberately offensive advertisement by an outside party for commercial gain, had
been prepared with a due sense of social responsibility to consumers and to society
and was not in breach of Basic Principle 4 of the Code of Ethics”.

So it appears that advertising that may be offensive to the general public is ok, as long as it was created with a “due sense of social responsibility” by insiders to the issue and targeted at insiders to the issue.

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  • superCalo

    st mathews in the city : you bore me with your deliberate controversy

  • LesleyNZ

    The word “Standards” in the ASA needs to be changed to something else or left out. Of course they would say this. The ASA membership is interesting – who pays them? http://www.asa.co.nz/asainc.php The Very Reverend from St Matthews in the City will meet his Maker one day and will be required to explain his actions on earth. Till then just ignore the billboards. And that guy Pat. There is a difference between religion and Christianity. He too will meet his Maker one day…… as we all will.

    • Bunswalla

      There is no “maker” Lesley and certainly not one that cares a jot about you, about St Matthews in the City, or about how many homosexuals there are. As a side note, why did your “maker” make homosexuals? Seems a bit odd.

      You were made by a sperm and an egg, like all of us. That’s all there is. And afterwards? Nothing. Best to enjoy life while we’re here, IMHO.

      • LesleyNZ

        Either you believe nothing made something out of nothing or you believe something made something out of nothing. My Maker didn’t make homosexuals – He made human beings – male and female.

        • Rodger T

          Who/what made your “maker” ?

        • unsol

          And you have that on whose authority Lesley? Got any proof that God did not create people with a natural predisposition to be attracted to the same sex?

          My God made my brother, cousin & friends who they are – gay & lesbian and proud of it.

          And my God does not make mistakes.

          But my God does take a firm stand against those who declare their judgment “righteous” when in fact it is nothing of the sort…..Matthew 7:1-5 & James 4:12 ring any bells?

          The only things that are consistent in the bible is that you must love God & love your neighbour. If you fail to do one you fail to do both and you it would seem, are failing the very standards you declare to hold yourself to.

          When it comes to same sex attraction & relationships, loving the sinner but hating the sin is an oxymoron and is bound to ensure you end up in a whole heap of trouble at the pearly gates.

          You have no business declaring your faith as law Lesley. You are not God and God made you judge of no one.

  • grumpy

    What is this growing obsession with all things homosexual???
    If we want this rammed force fed, we may as well go the The Standard or the Aids Foundation…..

    • LesleyNZ

      Because – Grumpy – homosexuality is soon to become compulsory for us all.

      • grumpy

        Well, after all these years they’ve got it up to just under 2% so I don’t think it will catch on – do you?
        Anyway, Whale just seems to want to aim his blog at that 2% so his very impressive stats might start taking a hit. Oh wait – there’s also David Bain…..

      • Rodger T

        I hope you have a nice dress picked out then Leslie,something that will show off your pearls in all their splendour. : )

        • LesleyNZ

          You are so funny!

      • dotcom

        “soon to become compulsory”

        You mean it hasn’t already become compulsory?  Phew.

  • Andrei

    LOL that video.

    In all the years that I have been going to Church, all of my life, on and off, I have never ever heard homosexuality discussed, not once that I recall.

    We do funny things in our church, like praying, singing hymns and taking communion perhaps, We might be considered obsessed by the outside world but it is not about “homosexuality” and that’s a fact.

    Still some people live in their own silly little fantasy worlds and if it tickles their fancy to believe that people really get up early on Sunday morning to gather together just to talk about homosexuals so be it

    • Rodger T

      And yet ,once again here you are,not talking about homosexuality.

      I`m only yanking ur chain,Andrei cos` you make it so easy.

  • tarkwin

    Saint Matthews is just a wannabe ad agency in drag. Boring.

  • metalnwood

    I didnt watch the video and my only information is from taking the ad itself at facevalue.

    I wouldnt say that it offends the general public. The public, in general, are not chistians.

  • Blair Mulholland

    “St Matthews in the City – We’re sort of a Christian church, but we don’t actually believe in it.”

    They should give up the pretence and just do what the folk in Islington are doing: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/03/atheist-church-sunday-assembly-islington

  • phronesis

    I think you will find that the wording of the ruling is a deliberate attempt to justify a future decision against a similar advert with mohammed in the place of jesus.

  • unsol

    Very interesting video WO; imagine the outrage & horror if historians etc could prove Jesus was gay.

    “advertising that may be offensive to the general public is ok, as long as it was created with a “due sense of social responsibility” by insiders to the issue and targeted at insiders to the issue”

    Given most people in NZ are not religious, that our society is generally considered to be very secular & that most people don’t care about LGBT issues one way or the other then it is unlikely such billboards will offend most people. So I think their standard stands.

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