New Zealand’s ‘Mary and Joseph billboard’ creates controversy
December 15th, 2011 - 10:04 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattAuckland, Dec 15 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The church which caused an uproar in New Zealand two years ago for erecting a billboard showing semi-nude “Joseph and Mary” in bed has done it again this Christmas.
In what appears to be a follow up to the 2009 billboard image, the St Matthews in the City Church, Auckland has erected another billboard. This time, the billboard shows Mary holding up a positive pregnancy test kit. The church’s leaders admit that with the Christmas coming up, they want to use the occasion to ’spark thought and conversation.’
Pastor Glynn Cardy told reporters that, “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… This billboard portrays Mary, Jesus’ mother, looking at a home pregnancy test kit revealing that she is pregnant.”
The church says they intentionally skipped writing any texts over the image because they want the public to come up with their own interpretation. The church has erected the billboard outside the church and they plan to have it stand until the Christmas festivities are over.
Mary, the real one, gave birth to JESUS when she was still a virgin. She was engaged to Joseph but the Spirit of the LORD came upon her and she became pregnant before the two could marry. Joseph proceeded with the marriage.
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Tags: anxiety, billboard, christmas, christmas festivities, controversy, courage, home pregnancy test, jesus mother, joseph and mary, marriage, new zealand, pregnancy test kit, spirit of the lord, st matthews, texts, uproar, virgin