billboard shows mary & joseph in bed together

[Amby 490]

A billboard outside a church depicting Joseph in bed with Mary has caused controversy in New Zealand.

It shows a downcast Joseph lying beside Mary in bed under the heading "Poor Joseph, God was a hard act to follow."

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.

But it was defaced just hours after it was erected outside St Matthew's Anglican Church in Auckland, and triggered heated debate on talk radio and the Internet.

Archdeacon Cardy said: "This billboard is trying to lampoon and ridicule the very literal idea that God is a male and somehow this male God impregnated Mary.

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

But Auckland Catholic Diocese spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said the billboard implied the Virgin Mary and Joseph had just had sex and was inappropriate, disrespectful and offensive to Christians.

"We would see a billboard like that being used by an anti-Christian group to actually poke fun at the divinity of Christ," Freer told National Radio.

Many messages on the church website attacked the image: "This billboard and your 'sermon' is a sacrilege," posted one visitor, identified as Karen.

But another, Andrew M, wrote: "I for one think this is an excellent billboard. Challenging and thought-provoking. Just what it was intended to be."

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3608184.html?menu=

[Chica Yeyé 41]

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.

But it was defaced just hours after it was erected outside St Matthew's Anglican Church in Auckland, and triggered heated debate on talk radio and the Internet.

Archdeacon Cardy said: "This billboard is trying to lampoon and ridicule the very literal idea that God is a male and somehow this male God impregnated Mary.

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

Good for them

[Joseph & Ana 0]

Its not a sex, its a masculinity which is what God is. That was the standard. Like there were only black cars back in the early 1800's... However, the maker of the car decided to create more colors and more styles, so therefore, having a black car is not discriminatory against the white car. Just as God being masculine is in no way discriminatory against the women which he created.

God didn't have sex with Mary by the way. And Mary and Joseph did end up having sex and she wasn't a virgin forever. She had other children.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Oh boy...hmmm.

[Amby 490]

Joseph - please don't get this thread locked

[Nagishkaw 510]

Mr. and Mrs. Christ in the bed is not the answer to getting people to talk about the "Christmas " story.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

Joseph - please don't get this thread locked

The only way it would be locked is because of oversensitive PC BS and emotional irrational people.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Mr. and Mrs. Christ in the bed is not the answer to getting people to talk about the "Christmas " story.

I'm holding off on making any criticism of it for now. It certainly has a shock value to it and gets you to think.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

must be something in the water if it's intentional that's good writing

[Chica Yeyé 41]

must be something in the water if it's intentional that's good writing

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

u feel me sis man! the degree is unbelievable

[Nagishkaw 510]

For heaven's sake, all people have to do is pick up a Bible. It helps if they actually read it.

[BishopMnA 0]

Its not a sex, its a masculinity which is what God is. That was the standard. Like there were only black cars back in the early 1800's... However, the maker of the car decided to create more colors and more styles, so therefore, having a black car is not discriminatory against the white car. Just as God being masculine is in no way discriminatory against the women which he created.

God didn't have sex with Mary by the way. And Mary and Joseph did end up having sex and she wasn't a virgin forever. She had other children.

God is Spirit...doesn't mean masucline...but, I'll give you that...

Your wrong on the rest...

[웃 910]

I'm with Niels Bohr on this one; God doesn't exist. PERIOD. 110% positive.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

God didn't have sex with Mary by the way. And Mary and Joseph did end up having sex and she wasn't a virgin forever. She had other children.

Yes, she was...according to the Catholic Church.