I drove past the above advertising billboard recently and thought it was an obvious topic for a blog post. I enjoy a good laugh about religion, and think we miss a lot of Jesus’ jokes in the gospels because we are often too precious. Sometimes, however, I think something is beyond a joke – a good rule of thumb is, would you make the same joke about Jews or Muslims… I don’t think the above billboard would pass. Jesus, I am sure, would have had a quick, witty response, but I realised that a blog post would just be further advertising. In this case free. There’s no such thing as bad publicity…
Hell Pizza director Warren Powell said:
“I do not see how it could possibly be disrespectful to anyone’s religion.”
[Hello, earth to other planet: isn’t that an allusion to a satanic pentacle where Christians normally put a cross?]
He said, “First of all, we’re acknowledging that Jesus Christ may have been on Earth for a limited time.”
OK. So that’s what was meant by that obscure line. I was trying to see how it fitted in with our resurrection belief – but it’s actually just based on someone’s idea that if a person isn’t on YouTube then he might not really be historical. Profound.
Anyway. St Matthew’s in the City in Auckland might be close to Jesus’ response:
Christmas 2009 St Matthew’s billboard was controversial with a God-was-a-hard-act-to-follow-for-Joseph image. What was fascinating was that many of the same people who complained about that St Matthew’s billboard a year later lauded St Paul’s Symonds Street Christmas video. The irony, of course, is that both the billboard and the video were produced by the same people – parishioners of St Paul’s. God does have a sense of humour.
I saw that one too. I love the “Answer” to it! I realise that Hell’s Pizza is only trying to sell their fabulous pizza but there is a limit. Sometimes we Christians are too quick to take offence at the wrong things but not quick enough to register offence when it truly is offensive. This may be one of those times.
I think we are on the same page, Sr Therese.