Jesus, Budweiser Billboard Defaced - advertisement with Jesus as a pitchman for Budweiser beer

nbc13 ^

[chance33_98]

Jesus, Budweiser Billboard Defaced
Display Was Part Of Artscape
Larry Frum, Jr., Staff Writer 

POSTED: 7:46 a.m. EDT August 6, 2002 UPDATED: 7:47 a.m. EDT August 6, 2002

BALTIMORE -- Is it art or an advertisement? A billboard in a Baltimore neighborhood is drawing fire from people and paint cans alike.

The artist believes it's art, but it looks like an advertisement with Jesus as a pitchman for Budweiser beer. The painting shows Jesus holding a bottle of beer.

Sometime Sunday night, someone tried to whitewash the message by splashing paint all over the painting. The person who threw the paint left behind the can and a mess.

The billboard was part of Artscape, the downtown Baltimore art festival held last week. It was designed by a New Jersey artist and has been the source of many church discussions recently.

WBAL-TV 11 News in Baltimore couldn't find anyone who agreed with its message. One person said, "People are getting killed in accidents because of beer. But they got Jesus holding a beer up and that's not right."

However, most people also agreed that splashing white paint on the billboard was not the answer. One resident said, "Anybody can do the art they want to. If you don't like it, you should say so, but you shouldn't just destroy it.

Late Monday afternoon, the city removed the billboard. They say, not because some people find it offensive, but because it was covered in paint.

[Bobby777]

He did not authorize His likeness being used to give the impression that he drank Bud, either.

I agree ...

[mykej]

" It was NOT fermented. "

Why are we told to serve the good stuff first, and leave the plonk til later when our guests won't notice it?

I'm also wondering how they would have kept it from fermenting. I don't think they would have had much choice in the climate they were in.

"yes, there WAS fermented wine, but remember that you're reading translations of translations. In sum, the wine that Jesus drank was NOT fermented "

So everybody else drank wine and Jesus, the *human* incarnation of God, didn't? Was His liver constantly performing the miracle of Cannan in reverse? (Mine does this too, but very, very slowly, taking hours to convert wine to water. But I'm not perfect.)

I don't have a problem believing Jesus could be without sin and still have an alcoholic beverage now and then. Why do so many people seem to think this?

[mykej]

"No. He is the Son of God, deserving of our respect, not disrespectful jokes."

If God doesn't have a sense of humour explain the platypus.

Heck, that might prove the drinking question too.

[RightOnline]

Oh, just stop it. Fingers tired? It's not that hard. Do you know the difference between grape juice and wine? Guess what? So did the ancients. Do you think that maybe.......just maybe........that translations to English didn't distinguish between "wine" that was non-fermented (i.e. "grape juice") and fermented wine (i.e. "wine")?

Damn, but some of you folks are boned-hard-up to hear yourselves talk or insult Jesus. Give me a freakin' break......and EDUCATE yourself before posting.

[Dakmar]

I'm sorry you feel that way. Absurd humor is not to everyones liking. I just thought your claim about non-alcoholic wine was a bit absurd also.

[metalurgist]

Amen brother. And when you have to haul all those loaves and fishes to the multitudes, is it Ford or Chevy?

[Joshua]

"So would a billboard of Jesus hawking non-alcoholic beer be ok?" Sarcasm is something best left to professionals. Like me. No offense, but you suck at it. "

Actually I thought that was funny

[RightOnline]

See #42.

[RightOnline]

Well, different strokes...........

[WKB]

Putting Jesus in a bottle of pee is art so this is news! Give me a break

[keithtoo]

Wait a minute! Why cant the guy who defaced the painting claim that his paint throwing was "ART".

Artistic license is a broad term, right?

[Jorge]

The Son of Man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! (Whole Chapter: Luke 7 In context: Luke 7:33-35)

It's pretty clear here that He was drinking wine or He would have rebuked them for false accusation ...

Did He rebuke them for calling Him a glutton?

[Dakmar]

Re post #42 - I'm not going to go into whether or not some of the remarks meet the good taste test, that's entirely subjective. As far as grape juice fermenting quickly in that climate, without refridgeration, it most certainly would. Also, unpastuerized grape juice would be crawling with bacteria after only a few hours. It was common in the ancient world to drink beer or wine, it was simply a lot safer. If I remember correctly, there was a passage about not drinking water in foreign lands, but that may have been in the Canterbury Tales, it's been a long time.

[Dakmar]

Thanks, I'm still planning on keeping my day job, though ;^)

[RightOnline]

"- I'm not going to go into whether or not some of the remarks meet the good taste test, that's entirely subjective."

Your sloppy "science" aside, let's focus on the above, shall we?

What say we all pick on.......oh.....hmmm.........your best friend.

I say he's a gay, sloppy drunk. Likes young boys and goats. Probably why you like him. Tries to keep a girlfriend for the "image", but they dump him after one date due to bad hygiene. He's also a pathetic, pathological liar.

Now......how about I tee off on your father or wife?

What's the matter? Not funny???

If you don't get the hint, get the hell off this Forum.

[Bobby777]

I did a follow-up post just a few down ... He was eating and drinking, in contrast to John the Baptist who lived apparently on no prepared food ... take a look at my post and you'll see my follow-up a few posts down ...

[mykej]

"Do you think that maybe.......just maybe........that translations to English didn't distinguish between "wine" that was non-fermented (i.e. "grape juice") and fermented wine (i.e. "wine")?"

How about this: (from http://home.vol.com/godsword/question_was_the_wine_at_canna_alcoholic_or_grape_juice.htm)

I will conclude then that the men at the wedding feast who had been drinking the wine prior to the wine that Jesus made, were drunk.. I will then ask what kind of wine were they drinking that made them drunk? To quote from the headwaiter in verse 10 "good wine". Now what kind of wine did the same headwaiter declare that Jesus had made? "Good Wine". In both places the same 2 greek words are used.

Now notice that the headwaiter had expected for the servants to bring out the "poorer" wine, why? Because after the men had become drunk, they would not know the difference between "good" wine and wine that was "poor" in quality. But he was surprised that the groom would waste good wine on men who no longer would know the difference.

So what can we conclude from this?

1. The wine they were drinking was fermented (it made them drunk).

2. It was the same kind of wine that Jesus made, which was fermented.

[AnAmericanMother]

Hang on a sec. I know some of my hardshell Baptist friends say that the wine in the Bible was "fruit of the vine" and therefore not fermented, but that can't be right in view of what the bridegroom's steward said at the Marriage at Cana in John 2 - to the effect of "everybody else serves the good wine first, and then when the guests are drunk and don't care, the rotgut. But you have saved the best for last." The Greek word in John 2:10 is methuo, which means drunk, intoxicated.

And surely what Jesus and the disciples were drinking at the Last Supper was wine . . . "fruit of the vine" is traditionally fermented (it didn't keep otherwise).

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I didn't say anything was wrong with being a Southern Baptist...In fact, my best friend is a Southern Baptist. We actually discussed this not to long ago.

Did people get drunk at these weddings on this unfermented wine?

[Dakmar]

I will pray for the salvation of your wicked heart and soul.