Methodist ad banned from Times Square

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle ^ | October 24, 2003 | Marketta Gregory

[ntnychik]

Reuters, the 152-year-old London-based media giant, has a

[ntnychik]

Open hearts, open minds, open doors. Message worth banning?

[Ingtar]

Reuters, the 152-year-old London-based media giant, has a “sterling reputation of integrity, independence and freedom from bias,”

Is there a point to reading further?

[gg188]

I guarantee that if CAIR or some islamofacist group wanted to put up a sign saying "Open hearts, oepn minds" there would be no problem whatsoever. In fact, the could out up a sign saying anything at all with no problem, I'm sure.

[Eala]

Reuters, the 152-year-old London-based media giant, has a “sterling reputation of integrity, independence and freedom from bias,”

It's a typo. The word that should have been in there is "starling." You know, that dirty bird that leaves messes everywhere...?

[WhiteGuy]

Its because the Methodists are a bunch of SPLITTERS!!!

Judean Peoples popular Front indeed!

[Restorer]

United Methodist Church. Can't have those right-wing fundy haters advertising in Times Square.

[LiteKeeper]

political, religious, pornographic, libelous or misleading.

It is terrible that these categories are lumped together. Unbelieveable!!!!

[Paul Atreides]

Reuters, the 152-year-old London-based media giant, has a “sterling reputation of integrity, independence and freedom from bias,” said Samantha Topping, director of media relations.

You really should have put an alert on this thread; I fell out of my seat, laughing.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

THIS is the funniest thing I have read today! Sad, but funny.

[potlatch]

Reuters and unbiased in the same sentence gives me a headache, LOL. Good post, C.

[Arpege92]

"Open hearts, open minds, open doors. Message worth banning?"

Absolutely....they need that billboard space for Calvin Klein underwear ads.

[AmishDude]

Yeah, that's the killer. The whole slogan is a slightly-less-than-veiled reference to gays in the church.

[Prov3456]

Actually, I'm a member of the United Methodist Church and this article makes me chuckle.

As an evangelical United Methodist, my views within my denomination have been discounted and ignored for years by the liberal hierarchy. (Why I'm still here is another thread.)

I chuckle now because the liberal hierarchy is on the receiving end of its own PC-positions on many theological and social issues.

I'm surprised that Ms. Fisher is surprised.

[pdlglm]

That "open hearts, open minds..." ad campaign always sort of gave me the willies. Didn't they have an early spot with someone coming on and saying something like... "who would have thought, a church that would accept me despite..." and then not finishing the sentence.

Just seemed like the UMC following the rest of the mainstream churches down "Episcopalian Way" to irrelevance.

[laweeks]

"I chuckle now because the liberal hierarchy is on the receiving end of its own PC-positions on many theological and social issues."

Can't disagree with you. I belong to a United Methodist church here in Ohio and got to listen to our "pastor" tell us that we shouldn't be so alarmed at the currently rewritten NIV versions (which was itself bad enough). Having read that the newest NIV bible has rewritten "Mary was with child" to "Mary was pregnant" so as to appease the pro-abort feminists (who don't go to church anyway), I can see how the UM Church is in freefall. They have a strong anti-gambling stance, but fail miserably to "Unite" on Biblical condemnation of homosexuality and abortion. I guess the 501C3 tax exemption has muted them along with Rueters. Let us pray!

[ntnychik]

Yeah, I'm kind of allergic to the touchy feelies. There's a big difference between my local Methodist congregation of good folks who love the Lord and extend His love to others, and the (dare I say) political hierarchy that thinks that an ad campaign will fill the churches.

[xzins]

As a mid-west methodist, the NY area methodist leaders are extremely liberal, democratic/socialist, and anti-life.

Glad to see this.

I'd hate to encourage any seeker to walk through their doors.

[The Grammarian]

I have to agree. No way should we be encouraging people to go to just any ol' UM church in a predominantly spiritually-dead area of our denomination.

As a sort-of aside, does anyone else find it odd that the New York area so famed for its liberalism is also the home to the "Burned-Over Region," where many, many revivals were held of old?

[xzins]

New York seems an odd place. But as a locus for early religious industry and the work ethic, it attracted those who believe in cash.

As the old saying goes, "God has no grandchildren."

[Held_to_Ransom]

As a sort-of aside, does anyone else find it odd that the New York area so famed for its liberalism is also the home to the "Burned-Over Region," where many, many revivals were held of old?

That's certainly overly simplistic. NYC is a very big town and while liberalism is rampant in the upscale parts, most of the town is not so upscale. I worked on Church buildings in NYC for many years, and in less upscale areas, every 'mainline white' liberal church that closed due to failing membership very quickly turned into a crowded and growing Church of some less socially ranked religion. They weren't necessarily wealthy, but more often than not they packed the building for services.

Christ's message didn't really count on Caesar and the money changers to carry on.