Apparently the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ is too controversial for British cinema goers.
The advertisement below was passed uncut by the British Board of Film Classification, as well as receiving the go-ahead from the Cinema Advertising Authority.
However, the Digital Cinema Media (DCM) agency, which handles British film advertising for the major cinema chains refused to show the advertisement because it believed it would risk upsetting or offending audiences.
In a statement, DCM said it had a policy of not accepting political or religious advertising content in its cinemas. Really?
It said that “some advertisements – unintentionally or otherwise – could cause offence to those of differing political persuasions, as well as to those of differing faiths and indeed of no faith,” and that “in this regard, DCM treats all political or religious beliefs equally”.
Even outspoken atheist and biologist, Richard Dawkins has come out in defence of the advertisement saying: “If anybody is ‘offended’ by something so trivial as a prayer, they deserve to be offended.”
The Church of England has also come out with an unusually strong response to the banning of the advertisement, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (who appears in the ad) saying that he found the decision “extraordinary”.
“This advert is about as offensive as a carol service or church service on Christmas Day,” he said.
“Let the public judge for themselves rather than be censored or dictated to.”
Check out the advertisement for yourself and let us know what you think.
The banning of the ad only goes to show how much Christianity is now despised by our politically correct cultural elites and media. Being Christian is clearly a counter-cultural, indeed ‘subversive’ act in our current climate. And for that, I am in fact, rather pleased.
Links:
Richard Dawkins says UK cinemas should screen the Lord’s Prayer