Thank God For Sex
This is a church that is "brand new" and "just like you", whatever that means. Just as I've never had myself compared to a church, I've never heard of a church being compared to me.
But first and foremost, this is a hip place where you can learn all about sex, or at least praise the Lord for it. Those two on the bed in the flyer look like they're just about ready to get it on. Maybe they'll be some real show and tell going on at this church.
On the flip side of the flyer we can read some testimonials. One guy loved it because he could wear whatever he wanted! Enough of that having to wear a stuffy suit and tie protocol. A lady proclaims that her kids "had a blast!". Finally, there is a note from Pastor Ryan (that's his first name - no idea what his last name is), who invites us to "test drive" his church, "no church experience required". Ryan is sporting a casual striped shirt with rolled up sleeves. Looks a bit like local wingnut blogger Stefan Sharkansky.
Last summer my cousin was talking about her conversion from a Muslim to a Catholic. She described her church in the outskirts of London as being much like the one this flyer attempts to describe: youthful, hip, short on the old protocols and fast paced and exciting. And it is not surprising that churches have looked at such makeovers to compete with other forms of "entertainment".
For my part I can't help but view all of this as a terribly dishonest brand of marketing. Using a line like "Thank God For Sex" to attract people into a church that does not support a woman's right to choose an abortion is beyond the pale.
Posted at 2/12/2006 06:34:00 PM PT
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20 Comment(s):
Interesting that they chose not to emphasize wedding bands on the couple's hands.
His right hand is hiding behind is head, and her right middle finger is obscuring her right ring finger.
Weird, eh? You'd think a church would have those wedding bands jumping off the page at ya.
Oh, man...I can't wait to get my very own flyer.
Good catch Kari. Are these two contemplating a sinful coupling out of wedlock? Hmmmm...
Well, I don't know about yall, but I wear my wedding band on my LEFT hand.
But it's still a good point.
As the note below says, rather than posting an Anonymous comment please consider selecting Other and providing your name or nickname so others know who you are. Thanks.
I got this flier too. But being a Temple-goer rather than a churchgoer, I recycled it. I agree with you that it's pretty ridiculous.
I'm not one to mock other people's religions. But there's something about these churches that are more about hysteria, platitudes and empty entertainment that makes me want to mock Christianity.
I just have to remind myself that most Christians don't buy that crap.
Hi,
Odd that -- the ring thing (no pun intended!), that is. Also, is it me or is the woman trying to look at the man, and the man's averting his eyes?
Came across this while Googling my liberal student group's theme for 2006 university year -- 'Thank God for Sex!' I was rather shocked to come across this. (I should add we were focusing on other things -- this was a safe sex campaign for all sexual and gender identities, not a morality campaign, which that flyer you pasted seems to be.)
FWIW, the campaign I've put together is at http://www.scm.org.nz/go/254 if anyone's interested.
Thanks!
J
Ah. Re-reading your last paragraph, I should add that this advertising reminds me of another (and, in this case, new) Christian group on my university's campus. I agree that one should be up-front and honest about what they stand for, no smoke and mirrors, whatever their views. I'm regularly getting stares from the conservatives on campus for supporting abortion rights, but at least I'm not hiding; I always make sure my group's advertising is honest and not being deceptive. We hope.
Thanks again!
J
A woman's right to abortion? I want my right to murder! Not that I will use it, you understand, I just want my right to choose.
How do you differentiate between those things other than one is legal and one is not?
As you said: one is legal the other is not.
As I said, OTHER than that?
If legality equals legitimacy, since GW is legally the president, his power should not be challenged. Change is not necessary by the people. However, viewing your blog, I get the feeling that you are perhaps unhappy with the administration...
Is it maybe that when something is wrong, the legality/legitiamcy isn't really the issue? It's the morality?
Abortion is morally murder. It's only a government-given right, contradicting the God-given right of life.
Do you disagree?
Yes I disagree.
Curt answer. But that's your choice. May I infer that you disagree with my post in its entirety or just the third line?
If in its entirety, you would be insincere to continue publicly trying to change the existing order. It is the legitimate policy of the nation.
If just the last line, your reply surprises me with the entire blog as evidence of how much you have to say regarding the current administration and, it would seem, Republicans in general.
I would love to hear more. Especially how they differ or not.
Thanks for your thoughtful consideration.
I am sad that you are uninterested in engaging on this topic. For your own sake, please think long and hard about the difference between abortion and murder.
May God bless you. I will be praying for you Dan.
You may delete this post too now.
My humble apologies for the last comment in the last post. My post from last night did not appear in my browser. I don't know why. I assumed it was deleted and for this assumption I apologize.
I wonder if 'anonymous' knows that 75% of fertilized eggs never even reach the uterus, and that roughly 25% of established pregnancies end in early miscarriage?
If the demise of all of these early zygotes,embryos, etc. were considered 'deaths' akin to post-born passings, funeral parlors would be on every street corner, and land would be scarce, as cemeteries would cover most of it.
Has anonymous heard of the oft-ignored Catholic idea of 'ensoulment'? Of the views of other religions on when 'life' begins? About the concept of sentience? It's all a matter of subjective belief systems. Which is why an objective source had to settle the matter from a public health standpoint.
No reasonable person argues that a fertilized egg is not human, or is not biologically alive. The question, which has already been answered by the highest court in the land, is whether that stage of 'life'- pre-sentient by anyone's standard- is entitled to legal protection.
Answer: No. End of story.
BTW: Very much enjoyed the 'sexy' church ad. They steer clear of those here in the Midwest.
If you liked this flyer you might like a more recent one I received that I detail here: http://www.kirkdorffer.com/ontheroadto2008/2007/02/4-weeks-of-sex.shtml
I do find the church flyer alarming, as well as the conspicuous lack of wedding rings-- her left hand up by her neck clearly does not display one.
However, I'm not sure how you can claim to be troubled by the moral direction that this nation is heading while promoting abortion rights.
As a reply to Plain Jen... the difference between 75% of fertilized eggs never reach the uterus (if this is even a legitimate statistic or an estimation) and roughly 25% of established pregnancies end in early miscarriage and a woman electing to have an abortion is that fact that in the latter instance a woman is choosing to end the life of her child and the other is not.
I can very much doubt that an "objective source"-- who probably has opinions (and possibly an agenda from which to profit from their findings)-- was objective to begin with.
If we are going to argue that an unborn child, or if you would prefer embryo, has no entitlement to legal protection, then let's look at a possible scenario.
If a pregnant woman were walking across the street and were hit by a drunk driver and both mother and child were killed would the driver be charged for one count of murder or two? Two! And we've seen it tried.
The point is, the courts say that an unborn child does have the right to live... as long as the mother wants it to.
If that same pregnant woman walked across the street into an abortion clinic, had a "doctor" kill her baby, and walked out she would not be charged with anything. THAT is sad.
Because where do you draw the line? I know that partial-birth abortion has been thankfully rejected again, but if we continue in this line of reasoning that a woman has the final say as to whether a child lives or dies it is only a matter of time before some president down the line authorizes the motion... and at that point, what makes it worse than the young unwed couple in Winnemucca, NV who, moments after their baby was born, decided that they didn't want to raise it and had the father of the baby run over it in his car?
With partial-birth abortion, had they gone during labor to their doctor he could have aborted the baby as long as the head was still inside the vaginal canal.
So is it the first breath of air that is the sign of life? Is it the heartbeat? (which begins at 5 weeks after your last period started, conception typically happens in week 2!!... many women don't even realize they are pregnant yet)
Is it the brainwaves? (occuring at week 8)
Why don't we allow the Maker of Life to determine whether a baby lives or dies... He's a brilliant Creator and Sustainer of life... He has sustained yours thus far, how dare we make the choice to rob someone else of that right?
I serve a Mighty and Awesome God, and although He may sovereignly allow us to willfully choose which sins we desire to commit, we will have to answer for those sins. The Bible says, "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known." (Matt. 10:26)
Although God is All-powerful, able to do all things, it does not abdicate our responsibility to obey his commands.
The 6th commandment is "You shall not murder".
James 2:10 says "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."
I pray that you will not be people like those that Jeremiah spoke of when he said: "Here this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:
Should not fear Me?" declares the LORD... "But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the LORD our God'..." (Jeremiah 5:21-22a, 23-24a)
I pray that your eyes would be opened to the Truth, and your hearts would perceive and understand, to the glory of Almighty God.
"This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3)
We are encouraged to thank God for our daily bread but never to thank God for sex. I think good sex is a wonderful blessing and far too often the devil gets all the credit
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