Anglican Church defends Christmas billboard campaign showing some in bed together.
New Zealand church caused uproar billboard showing the status of Mary and Joseph, is half-naked under the covers.
In an unconventional take on the Christmas story, desperately seeking billboard depicts Joseph and Mary into heaven with the headline, which reads: "Poor Joseph. God is a difficult act to follow."
St Matthew-in-the-City church said it would inspire people to talk about the Christmas story.
But within five hours of climbing billboards in the heart of Auckland was a man standing in his picture of the car roof, the ugly image.
Archdeacon Glynn Cardy said the church would oppose a fundamentalist interpretation of the birth of Christ.
"What we are trying to do is get people to think more about what Christmas is about. It is a spiritual man of God sending sperm, so the baby is born, or the power of love in our core as seen in Jesus?"
Cardy said the man threatened to tear the billboard, but 20 different e-mails and phone calls he received "about 50% said that he loved her, and about 50% said it was too offensive.
The Catholic Church joined in the attack, accusing the Anglican Church of irreverence.
"It's flying in front of our 2000-year-old conviction," said a spokesman for the Catholic Church, Lyndsay Freer said.
The conservative Family First organization said that the Anglican Church is the biblical story of the debate from the public eye. "To children and families with billboard concept, the road is completely irresponsible and unnecessary," Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said.
The complaint was filed in New Zealand advertising watchdog, Advertising Office, but the card is wrongheaded.
"I see no reason why anyone should object deny others the joy of billboard."
New Zealand church caused uproar billboard showing the status of Mary and Joseph, is half-naked under the covers.
In an unconventional take on the Christmas story, desperately seeking billboard depicts Joseph and Mary into heaven with the headline, which reads: "Poor Joseph. God is a difficult act to follow."
St Matthew-in-the-City church said it would inspire people to talk about the Christmas story.But within five hours of climbing billboards in the heart of Auckland was a man standing in his picture of the car roof, the ugly image.
Archdeacon Glynn Cardy said the church would oppose a fundamentalist interpretation of the birth of Christ.
"What we are trying to do is get people to think more about what Christmas is about. It is a spiritual man of God sending sperm, so the baby is born, or the power of love in our core as seen in Jesus?"
Cardy said the man threatened to tear the billboard, but 20 different e-mails and phone calls he received "about 50% said that he loved her, and about 50% said it was too offensive.
The Catholic Church joined in the attack, accusing the Anglican Church of irreverence.
"It's flying in front of our 2000-year-old conviction," said a spokesman for the Catholic Church, Lyndsay Freer said.
The conservative Family First organization said that the Anglican Church is the biblical story of the debate from the public eye. "To children and families with billboard concept, the road is completely irresponsible and unnecessary," Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said.
The complaint was filed in New Zealand advertising watchdog, Advertising Office, but the card is wrongheaded.
"I see no reason why anyone should object deny others the joy of billboard."
