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John 3:16 Ad Airs Unexpectedly during Super Bowl
The Christian Post ^ | Feb. 07 2011 | Nathan Black

Posted on 02/07/2011 2:15:55 PM PST by wmfights

Millions of Super Bowl viewers got a dose of Scripture Sunday night when a Christian group’s John 3:16 commercial was unexpectedly aired.

Just before the fourth quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers game, the 30-second biblical spot popped up to the surprise of football fans in Washington, D.C. It also aired in Birmingham, Ala.

Within those hours, the Look Up 316 website that the commercial advertised drew so much traffic that it was difficult to load the web page.

“The LookUp316.com website hit totals are soaring ...,” Larry Taunton, executive director of Fixed Point Foundation, the group behind the ad, tweeted.

The commercial was rejected to run nationally by Fox Sports for containing too much “religious doctrine” and for being too offensive.

Notably, the commercial features no preaching but simply encourages curious viewers to look up John 3:16.

In the television ad, a group of friends are watching a football game in a living room. They cheer when one of the players on defense tackles his opponent. Then a closeup is shown of the defensive player’s eye black where he has painted “John 3:16.” One of the viewers asks his neighbor what that means. After the neighbor shrugs, the viewer offers to look it up for them on his cell phone.

The commercial concludes with “LookUp316.com: A Message of Hope.”

For curious viewers, the website offers a simple explanation of the verse’s meaning, starting from why the world isn’t quite right to Jesus Christ giving his life for everyone and him being the only hope.

Well aware that more than 100 million viewers tune in to the Super Bowl game and that the special commercials are an event in itself, Fixed Point Foundation sought to use that platform to share “the most important message the world has ever heard.”

“Few people have the chance to say something truly meaningful. And, more often than not, that opportunity is wasted,” the Birmingham, Ala.-based organization said. “Even our biggest media and cultural event, the Super Bowl, is chock full of million-dollar clutter. Massive amounts of money are spent talking about trivial things – like beer and potato chips.

“What if you used that opportunity to do something great?” That is, say something meaningful.

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. John 3:16

The mission of Fixed Point Foundation is to promote a confident Christianity in the public square by fortifying the minds of Christians and challenging the faith of skeptics.

The Packers defeated the Steelers, 31-25.


TOPICS: Charismatic Christian; Evangelical Christian; Ministry/Outreach
KEYWORDS: ads; christians; evangelism; fox
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To: trisham

Sometimes. I usually ignore them, but then they persist. So, sometimes I point out that if its a natural disaster in the states then its a natural disaster in other countries, too.


41 posted on 02/07/2011 3:59:11 PM PST by Netizen
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To: Netizen; trisham

There’s no such thing as a “natural” disaster. The earth was condemned when mankind fell from grace.


42 posted on 02/07/2011 4:06:15 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: DJ MacWoW
Islam is a form of government. It is a theocracy. The Founders would not have allowed it to compete with their Republic.

The Founders wouldn't have allowed it to have any more sway than say Christianity. They didn't like Theocracies period. Not Islamic nor Christian.

"In a letter to John Adams, written August 22, 1813, Jefferson says:

"It is too late in the day for men of sincerity to pretend they believe in the Platonic mysticism that three are one and one is three, and yet, that the one is not three, and the three are not one.... But this constitutes the craft, the power, and profits of the priests. Sweep away their gossamer fabrics of fictitious religion, and they would catch no more flies" ([Thomas Jefferson, to John Adams, Aug. 22, 1813 Jefferson s Works, Vol. IV, p. 205, Randolph's ed.] )."

John Adams Letter to François Adriaan van der Kemp (16 February 1809)
I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations. If I were an atheist of the other sect, who believe or pretend to believe that all is ordered by chance, I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.

John Adams Letter to Thomas Jefferson (4 November 1816)
We have now, it Seems a National Bible Society, to propagate King James's Bible, through all Nations. Would it not be better to apply these pious Subscriptions, to purify Christendom from the Corruptions of Christianity; than to propagate those Corruptions in Europe Asia, Africa and America! ... Conclude not from all this, that I have renounced the Christian religion, or that I agree with Dupuis in all his Sentiments. Far from it. I see in every Page, Something to recommend Christianity in its Purity and Something to discredit its Corruptions. ... The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount contain my Religion.

Makes perfect sense when added to the van der kemp letter! Jesus was Jewish and preached repentance and keeping the Commandments.

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."(-letter to Danbury Baptist Association, CT -- "The Complete Jefferson" by Saul K. Padover, pp 518-519 )

U.S. Constitution - Article VI Section 3
3. The senators and representatives before-mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. (http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/art6.asp)

I think you'll find that a lot if not most of the Founding Fathers were Deists.

43 posted on 02/07/2011 7:35:55 PM PST by Netizen
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To: Netizen
We are a Christian nation. We have never been a theocracy. That's a strawman from the left. The same with the Deist nonsense. I have no use for your lefty rhetoric.

Have a nice evening.

44 posted on 02/07/2011 7:45:23 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: DJ MacWoW; Netizen

We are a country founded on Judeo Christian principles. I suspect it could easily be proven that most in this country fail to live up to even the least of those principles today. Sad but true.


45 posted on 02/07/2011 7:51:54 PM PST by dubyagee (Thrilled to be here...)
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To: dubyagee
I suspect it could easily be proven that most in this country fail to live up to even the least of those principles today. Sad but true.

Gotta agree with that. The moral compass has cracked and broken.

46 posted on 02/07/2011 7:55:31 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: DJ MacWoW

At least I backed my post up with FACTS.

You have a nice night too. ;)


47 posted on 02/07/2011 8:02:05 PM PST by Netizen
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To: Netizen

I’ve debated people like you before. I have facts and links. The truth is why waste my time. It won’t change your opinion. And you certainly won’t change mine. What’s the point? I don’t engage in futility.


48 posted on 02/07/2011 8:15:25 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: Timmy

Don’t take Saran lightly.

He’ll wrap it all up and not move.


49 posted on 02/07/2011 8:24:26 PM PST by rbmillerjr (I will not, under any circumstances, vote for Mitt Romney....none.)
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To: Netizen

“I think you’ll find that a lot if not most of the Founding Fathers were Deists. “

Prove it. I enjoy watching people twist about stating the untruths they’ve heard in public school.


50 posted on 02/07/2011 8:30:36 PM PST by rbmillerjr (I will not, under any circumstances, vote for Mitt Romney....none.)
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Comment #51 Removed by Moderator

To: F15Eagle

Then it isn’t just me.


52 posted on 02/08/2011 5:38:43 AM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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Comment #53 Removed by Moderator

To: F15Eagle

Absolutely. Same style.


54 posted on 02/08/2011 1:50:30 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: KarlInOhio
Ah yes Steve Vangorder!He's not the owner Jeff Schmidt is and I've met him very nice guy and very quite which is why I guess he puts his obnoxious general sales manager on tv.
55 posted on 02/08/2011 8:01:57 PM PST by bonehead4freedom
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To: wmfights

>Most Christians are not taking the time to learn how to respond to muslims.<

.
Sheesh, how do you talk to people who plan to kill you and make no bones about it?

What are you trying to say? Please explain.


56 posted on 02/10/2011 11:54:41 AM PST by 353FMG
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