Virgin Mary ad creates controversy.

Interesting article that I read in the Sun this morning. There's a church in NZ that stirs things up things up at Christmas time by putting up pictures that are thought provoking to say the least. This year it's a picture of the Virgin Mary getting news from a pregnancy test.

An ad in front of a New Zealand church is causing controversy because it shows a shocked Virgin Mary holding a positive pregnancy test.

Vicar Glynn Cardy took to the St. Matthew-in-the-City's Facebook page to say he received more than 200 e-mails about the ad.

"Huge amounts of projection," Cardy wrote giving examples of some of the e-mails, such as, "You make (Mary) look like a whore," "No one who is a virgin needs a pregnancy test," and his personal favourite, "You are destroying the fabric of society that gives rise to bigots and fanatics and then think it is OK to no longer follow rules."

www.torontosun.com...

It has apparently created a stir with people. In their own defense they claim:

"Mary was unmarried, young, and poor. This pregnancy would shape her future. She was certainly not the first woman in this situation or the last," they wrote.

When many parts of Christmas are "make-believe," it's important to remember the "real" story, they said.

"It's real. Christmas is real. It's about a real pregnancy, a real mother and a real child. It's about real anxiety, courage and hope," they wrote.

The ad, which looks like a painting and is on a billboard in front of the church, has no words on it.

"We invite you to wonder what your caption might be," they wrote.

So, is this modernizing the Immaculate Conception or is it truly offensive. Personally I like it. With the media these days making light of teenage pregnancy, see movies like Juno, I think it sends a message to todays youth.

Religious fanatics are usualy touchy about this sort of stuff. Though a modern day version of the the christian bible is long over due i think. Its not been re-written for quite some time, bet you the christian God would be quite the player in modern times running around "immaculate coneceptioning" all the young fine things around town.

reply to post by intrepid

So, is this modernizing the Immaculate Conception or is it truly offensive. Personally I like it. With the media these days making light of teenage pregnancy, see movies like Juno, I think it sends a message to todays youth.

Please google the immaculate conception... it is not the conception of Jesus in Mary's womb.. but is actually the conception of Mary in her mothers womb without original sin. I used to think the same as you..and many others do as well.. but in fact it is wrong.

I'm only correcting you because ..someone else will at some point.. and its better to understand the truth of where that term came from and what it actually means.

I think the add is silly.. and takes away from the true holiness of the miracle that happened to a virgin... putting teen pregnancy in the same category .

reply to post by gabby2011


Semantics. Words and phrases evolve. Like calling blacks, whites, Asians, etc. "races". We are all the same race but it's evolved that we accept each as a race now.

Secondly, let's not devolve this topic into something that it's not. It's not a religious vs Atheist thread. It's about the poster. Thoughts on that only please.

reply to post by intrepid


Well for it to work, it does suggest that Jesus would have been a man, that alone has some pretty far reaching theological implications. Dont think Catholics are going to like that very much.

In a post on the Auckland church's website, titled Mary is in the pink, Cardy and associate priest Clay Nelson write that to the Virgin Mary, her immaculate conception would have been "shocking."

reply to post by gabby2011


You might want to inform the priest of your knowledge of the immaculate conception.

That said, I don't believe the artist put enough emotion into the picture. Her eyes should either point to happiness or shock, but rather seem to be void of emotion. (sort of conflicts with the hand over her mouth)

Originally posted by intrepid
reply to post by gabby2011

 

Semantics. Words and phrases evolve. Like calling blacks, whites, Asians, etc. "races". We are all the same race but it's evolved that we accept each as a race now.

It is not just a matter of semantics. The Immaculate Conception is something totally different than the conception of Jesus. It's the conception of Mary in her mother's womb. You are using the term Immaculate Conception interchangeably for two totally different things.

And I'm not sure how you can introduce a subject that is rife with "religious" connotations and then request posters not talk about it's religious implications. Personally, I don't like it, but for what you would call "religious" reasons.

reply to post by Redux


OK, now do you have any thoughts on the poster?

reply to post by Redux


Why dont you like it though?

Just curious, as im not particulary religious myself i often find myself flummoxed by religious outrage.

Originally posted by intrepid
reply to post by Redux

 

OK, now do you have any thoughts on the poster?

I already posted my thoughts.

reply to post by Redux


Yip and a nods as good as a wink eh?

Originally posted by Ixtab
reply to post by Redux

 

Why dont you like it though?

Just curious, as im not particulary religious myself i often find myself flummoxed by religious outrage.

I'm not outraged by it (and I'm not saying that you are saying that I am, I'm just saying that to clarify). I don't like it I suppose because it takes something away from what really happened 2000 years ago - it points people in a different direction than what was meant by Jesus' conception etc. But at the same time, it doesn't perturb me endlessly because I figure that if someone is going to hear about Jesus, they will some other way. I don't know if I expressed that very well - not always good with words.

Edited to add: It takes a totally supernatural happening and makes it common.

But in the end, it's just my opinion. People are gonna do what they're gonna do.

Originally posted by Ixtab
reply to post by Redux

 

Yip and a nods as good as a wink eh?

Uh, say what? LOL.

I want that poster to be framed and hung in my room, I thinks that is brilliant.

Ahh....I see it in the picture now.
She is not upset, and she is not happy. She appears to be yawning.

Originally posted by intrepid
reply to post by gabby2011

 

Semantics. Words and phrases evolve. Like calling blacks, whites, Asians, etc. "races". We are all the same race but it's evolved that we accept each as a race now.

Secondly, let's not devolve this topic into something that it's not. It's not a religious vs Atheist thread. It's about the poster. Thoughts on that only please.

???..you ask me not to go off topic..yet you reply with a bunch of babble about races?? Who said anything about religious versus atheism ?..again you go off topic..

I merely replied to your op..and if you read it..I gave my response on the poster..as well as commented on your words of "immaculate conception".

All totally on topic.. reread my reply again..

But your response to me does exactly what you asked me not to do.. bringing in religion versus atheism.. which I never mentioned..

reply to post by vogon42

You might want to inform the priest of your knowledge of the immaculate conception.

Any ordained priest in the catholic church knows what is referred to by the immaculate conception.. it was after all introduced by the catholic church.

Now..as far as priests and leaders from other denominations.. they may have it confused as well.

reply to post by gabby2011


Wonderful.....but this is off topic. If your religious views differ with the priests please bring that up with them. (as I suggested earlier)

IF you have a comment on the PICTURE, that is what this form is for.

(please don't cloud up the thread.....it is simply not polite)

Originally posted by vogon42
reply to post by gabby2011

 

Wonderful.....but this is off topic. If your religious views differ with the priests please bring that up with them. (as I suggested earlier)

IF you have a comment on the PICTURE, that is what this form is for.

(please don't cloud up the thread.....it is simply not polite)

excuse me.. I did comment on the picture.. and you are clouding up the thread by lies..

My views do not differ from the priests .. and you have just clouded up the thread with your nonsense replies..

Can you READ?.. perhaps you would like to read my first post again..where I commented on the picture..

I think the add is silly.. and takes away from the true holiness of the miracle that happened to a virgin... putting teen pregnancy in the same category .

Isn't this site about denying ignorance? I've had with people who think they can admonish someone for doing the exact same thing they admonish them for..

So my advice to you would be don't reply to this post.

reply to post by Redux


So you do not like parody?