“Fox Sports said they would not air it because they deemed it too controversial,” Taunton said. “I was stunned because the commercial is so tame. The text does not appear on the television screen, and no one reads John 3:16 aloud.”My "stupid quote of the day" award goes to Theodore Trost, who says:
The commercial depicts a multitude of fans watching a football game, and one player is tackled. The familiar bible verse is sketched in his eye black, and a couple of fans are struck with the idea to actually look up the verse for the first time. The commercial then refers viewers to a website, LookUp316, that explains the verse in detail, according to Taunton.
“The fact that the commercial gives you the freedom to look up the verse if you want to makes it your prerogative,” said Katie Naughton, a sophomore majoring in communication studies. “I’m kind of tired of our society trying not to offend anyone. I think it’s a really good way to spark people’s interest and plant a seed without hitting them over the head with the Bible.”
“Controversy may not be obvious if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and see it as a message of hope,” Trost said. “However, the ad is controversial in the way it treats people of other faiths. What about Muslims, Jews, Hindus and atheists? That particular verse excludes all of those groups from God’s love.”For those who don't remember and are too lazy to look it up. John 3:16 says
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.Gee, I guess telling atheists they don't have eternal life will be very upsetting to them. And of course saying the God loved the world excludes astronauts on the ISS.
I'm sure Fox will air many commercials during the Superbowl that some people will find "controversial" - for reasons of morality. I'm sure there will be lots of skin and stereotypes. Heck I just turned on Fox and within one minute saw a commercial with a mother justifying why she was shipping her child in a dog carrier to save money. Of course, it's not really about not controversy, it's about pandering the right people.
Posts
4 comments:
In this Animal Farm, yes, some ads are more offensive than others - especially the ones that speak to me AWOL conscience.
You're absolutely right.
Hey, Mike:
Thanks for the stupid quote of the day award. I assume that if you were to think about it even a little bit, you might see why people of other faiths might not appreciate the John quote the same way you do. Your own remarks exclude them from the possibility of everlasting life. And, historically speaking, those not worthy of everlasting life have been measured unworthy of this life as well -- as the history of the Jews in the west reveals. Of course, that sad history may simply be the result of misreadings of John's gospel. The commercial in question revels in a kind of Christian superiority that does little to foster tolerance among religious groups. Of course, there is a long line of Christian partisans who have been uninterested in fostering tolerance. My ancestors left Europe centuries ago to avoid those kinds of Christians and to build a nation built on other principles.
Peace, Theodore Trost
Hey Theodore, or perhaps anonymous posting as Theodore, You're welcome and thanks for confirming my choice of awards.
By your logic we should not tell people that vitamins exist because doing so excludes people who don't take them from the possibility of good health. Yep, ignorance is great, folks.
Saying that Christianity is a religion of superiority displays either an appalling lack of knowledge about Christ, or an appalling lack of sincerity. Equating Christianity with Nazism equally so.
Post a Comment