By Brook Sabin
The Catholic Church and family groups are outraged by a billboard, which was put up this morning by a church in central Auckland.
St Matthew in the City has been known for its controversial campaigns, but some say this year’s sexual theme has gone too far.
The story goes that about 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, the Virgin Mary had just given birth to Jesus. But just whether God’s sperm was actually involved has been widely debated.
Present day in central Auckland, a billboard playing on that has just been put up, the implication of which needs to explanation.
“That’s just playing on those who think about God as being a. male, and b. impregnating Mary in a very literal kind of way,” says Archdeacon Glynn Cardy.
Revd. Cardy says the point is not to offend, but promote conversation.
“I think that most Christians have a sense that the conception of Jesus was a special act, and how that came about – whether Joseph was the dad or some other party was the father – who knows.”
The catholic church says it knows exactly who was responsible, and is outraged.
“It really is not raising significant discussion,” says spokeswoman Lindsay Freer. “I think it’s bringing the Christian message of Jesus into some kind of derision.”
The billboard, designed by M & C Sattchi, was not the only concept – an earlier design was rejected because it was “too much in your face”, according to Revd. Cardy.
“They had a neon sperm coming down, and joy to the world.”
The campaign follows news of a very different campaign last week, in which an atheist group raised $20,000 to run messages on New Zealand busses which read; ‘There is probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy life’.
But whichever way you look at this one, it is set to provoke debate about what the ‘essence of God’ really is.
3 News