With Anglicans like these, who needs Unitarians.
This is bad folks, so if you are prone to fainting or complaining in the combox, read no further.
We have multiple layers of offensive here. First, let’s start with the obvious. The billboard. St Matthew-in-the-City Church in Auckland erected a billboard. Not much commentary needed, just don’t scream at me for posting it.
The suggestion is obvious and offensive. Within hours someone painted over it. Good.
Not content to let the billboard speak for itself the offender, Archdeacon Glynn Cardy, decided to double down. Cardy refers to the Incarnation as God as “sending down sperm.”
The church’s vicar, Archdeacon Glynn Cardy, said the aim of the billboard had been to lampoon the literal interpretation of the Christmas conception story.
“What we’re trying to do is to get people to think more about what Christmas is all about,” he told the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA).
“Is it about a spiritual male God sending down sperm so a child would be born, or is it about the power of love in our midst as seen in Jesus?”
“Hark the Herald Angels sing, the spiritual male god has sent down his sperm.” Is this really what people think Christmas is about or is it just what heretical morons say they think. Heck, it doesn’t even rhyme and we know how us unthinking rubes like rhymes. Personally, I am more in the “Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled,” camp.
It seems to me that we need to have a term for the such self-loathing and heretical Christians. Something that really conveys the adolescent and ridiculous nature of this type of absurd behavior. Of course, Milingoism comes to mind but it seems too obvious. Gnosticrucians has a nice ring to it but may be too esoteric. I suppose that for now I will just stick to jackass.
December 18, 2009 at 5:35 am
How about "Gnasticrucians"?
Or maybe simply "Gnastics," or "Gnasties"?
(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
December 18, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Joshua,
Given the vast ignorance you so clearly have manifested in your screed and your disdain for "human dignity and good comport", you must therefore be a Christian. Congrats.
Sadly, though, most Christians enjoy a sense of peace that seems to have eluded you. What ever you are doing spiritually is clearly not working. Anyone calling for the persecution of others based on creed, calling for the spiritual and financial rape of others, and childishly resorting to slander and rash calumny seems to be demonstrating that they are "ignorant and contemptuous of every concept of human dignity and good comport."
So sad, so pathetic. I will pray for you.
December 18, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Please don't feed the trolls.
December 18, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I wish there was a "like" button for this post–not, of course, for that billboard or its creators, but for CMR's take on it. "Jackass"…I like it…
December 18, 2009 at 6:20 pm
So, does this prove that God wore boxers instead of briefs? Just askin'…
December 18, 2009 at 7:33 pm
I went to the "church's" website, which bills itself as "a progressive Anglican church with a heart" (*vomit*). Yet unfortunately, were I an Anglican (*dry heave*) or any other Protestant (*slight vomit in mouth*) the sad fact is I would have absolutely nothing against that particular poster (*bazooka vomit*) since it is actually in keeping with their "theology" of Mary absolutely NOT being a perpetual virgin. So, really only Catholics and Orthodox would find this offensive. Maybe if any Anglicans (*nothing left now*) felt pangs of guilt, discomfort or conscience over this poster, it will force them to reconcile belonging to such an amoral church and bring them to the true faith.
December 18, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Incidently, this is almost exactly how my Jesuit theology teacher back in University explained Mary's perpetual virginity. He said something to the tune of, "If Mary and Joseph both knew that she were entrusted with, conceiving, carrying and giving birth to God without marital relations, would it be in the slightest way conceivable that after Jesus was born that they might say, 'OK, that was interesting. Now let's try it the normal way'?" This is so inconceivably ridiculous that it defies imagination.
December 18, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Progressive Anglican? Interesting. Sounds like a country club that does parodies of the Mass.
December 18, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Anon LOL! Only in THIS countryclub, the only ones they try to keep out are people with morals. "We simply can't have 'those types' around here, can we, Lovey?"
December 19, 2009 at 11:12 am
Heck Muslims would be offended by this!
December 21, 2009 at 7:11 pm
"God is a hard act to follow" is indeed throrughly and completely offensive.
However, the Church still teaches that Jesus was the Son of God and Son of Mary. This means that he got his X half from Mary (who was the spotless and sinless mother) and his Y half from God (or the Holy Spirit who is God).
The mechanics of this are unknown. But the reality is true as I have been taught it. Holy sperm is kind of a crude way of putting it, but God didn't plant an "alien" in Mary, he used her as the human material for his fully God, fully human, Son. "He was "conceived" by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary…"
If you have information that invalidates this (from Vatican sources), I'd be glad to hear it and be corrected in my mistaken knowledge of the incarnation.
December 21, 2009 at 8:12 pm
This article is funny but you can't disrespect God like that.
April 24, 2010 at 4:47 am
Gotta love the arrogant self-righteousness of Roman Catholics. The picture is offensive, even to "protestants" like me.