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Loading ...UK: Anti-Gay ad violated standards
12.03.2008 4:47pm EST
(London) Britain’s advertising watchdog has banned the re-publication of an ad that condemns homosexuality.
The Advertising Standards Authority said the ad violated its industry standards by vilifying gays.The ad had been placed in the daily New Letter, a Belfast publication, and bore the headline: “The Word Of God Against Sodomy.”
The ad was sponsored by the Sandown Free Presbyterian Church and appeared days before Belfast’s Gay Pride parade.
Below the headline, the ad stated: “The act of sodomy is a grave offence to every Bible believer who, in accepting the pure message of God’s precious word, express the mind of God by declaring it to be an abomination.”
In a response to an investigation by the ASA the church said that it could not be held responsible “if readers were offended by the message of the Bible.”
The News Letter told the ASA that it was aware the ad was likely to be controversial but agreed to publish it on the basis of free speech.
In its ruling, the ASA said that the ad went too far and many readers were likely to find it unacceptable. The ASA ruled that the ad should not appear again in its current form.
Sandown Free Presbyterian Church pastor Rev David McIlveen, however, is not repenting.
McIlveen said the ruling was “setting a very dangerous precedent.”
“By determining that portions of the Bible have breached advertising standards on decency the ASA is taking the view that the printing and publishing of certain biblical texts is indecent,” he said in a reply to the ASA.
“This is an offence to every Bible believer.”
McIlveen also rejected an ASA recommendation that it seek regulatory approval before publishing future ads.
“Censoredagain” – I’m sure the UK won’t miss you.
Chris-This may be so, but the fact still remains that the UK is not a free country and the fact still remains that the UK is not a free country because its subjects subscribe to leftist and stateist ideology which is by said ideology’s nature not congruent with freedom.
“This may be so, but the fact still remains that the UK is not a free country and the fact still remains that the UK is not a free country because its subjects subscribe to leftist and stateist ideology which is by said ideology’s nature not congruent with freedom.”
censoredagain – I really don’t know where you’re getting your information (or, indeed, which orifice you are talking out of), but it’s clear you know nothing about the UK.
1. The UK is a free country and its citizens enjoy much greater freedom than those in many US States.
2. To say that the UK’s “subjects” subscribe to an ideology is utter nonsense. The UK has a diverse political system with many different ideologies. The current government is centrist, and while it has attempted to implement some policies that would encroach on individual freedoms, the public has made it perfectly clear that such policies are not welcome.
Now, I’m sure you have many good reasons, in your mind at least, for not travelling to the UK. I would suggest you add “ignorance of the nation and its people” to your list.
For the record, while I find the subject matter of this advertisement repugnant, I find the decision to ban it even more repugnant. In fact, I believe the decision to be illegal as it violates the Human Rights Act 1998 and, in turn, the Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
This was a revolting advert, but as it did not actively incite hatred or violence, but instead imparted an idea, it should not have been banned. Fortunately decisions like this are uncommon in the UK as we like to avoid censorship. Instead, I suspect, this was a kneejerk reaction by individuals fearing that if they allowed the advert it would open the door to seeing nutjobs in the UK like many of you see in the US, spreading hatred and bigotry to all who will listen.
Sadly, however, while free speech doesn’t ACTUALLY exist, if you are going to embrace the IDEAL of freedom of speech then you need to ensure that you impose only those restrictions necessary for the safety and security of society and its citizens, and the communication of repugnant ideas does not fall within that scope.
isaac-
You points would be more believable if you did not use an ad hominem attack as their prelude.
I have no problems conceding ignorance when lack of knowledge exist and being human there are many times when lack of knowledge exist; I freely admit ignorance about knowledge of the UK and its people. But I am aware of the UK’s Asbo regime that is in place; which threatens jail time for actions that neither harm property nor individual/s. Asbo’s being one of my major concerns but it is only one of many reasons to perceive the UK as a restrictive state.
Lets not forget Gateway Pundit’s words,”They were yesterday forced to look elsewhere to live — after top brass warned them against inflaming racial violence near the Queen’s Windsor Castle home.” just by renting a home Near one of QEII’s. I admit it was military brass not Parliament in this case but it does say something about the government in general.
Whales golfer Torrence 19 gets jail time for possession of a cigarette lighter in the shape of a gun.
Lets get this tid bit from the UK Commentators web site
“The government has been accused of trampling on individual liberties by proposing wide-ranging new powers for bailiffs to break into homes and to use “reasonable force” against householders who try to protect their valuables.
Under the regulations, bailiffs for private firms would for the first time be given permission to restrain or pin down householders. They would also be able to force their way into homes to seize property to pay off debts, such as unpaid credit card bills and loans.”
And the UK is a free country…. when one is not even secure from the intrusions of government in ones own home!
I will also concede that the US is moving more and more in that same direction. Both governments are stateist governments when the people are not citizens but property of the government.
Oh and then there is the arrest of Paul Ray… But I think the Asbo’s top everything. St. George is thrilled with the laws out of London.
Just because something is the bible doesn’t mean it isn’t offence or hateful. Religion is constantly used as excuse to be both offence and hateful. If you then take a shot at religion your accused of making an attack on free speech. Beleiving something doesn’t mean it’s right, doesn’t mean I have to believe the same thing, and in no way does it mean that I have to take whatever abuse you dish out.
The bible is full of inappropriate passages including incest by believers, prostitution of children by believers, mass murder of entire nations by believers and many many more heinous acts of evil. The whole book is an X rated Grimm Brothers fairy tale.
i think that this is a bunch of crap!!!! the bible says contradicting things the whole way through. it states that “thou shalt not lay with a man as he would a woman.” then later states “we can not help who we love.” Anybody else smell a big pile of irony?
Those who adhere to the premise that the Bible is “infallible” , ignore verses like “suffer not a witch to live.”
The Bible is a mythology book and a propaganda tool – nothing more. It most certainly is NOT the “word of God” – what a bizarre and disturbed belief.
“This is an offence to every Bible believer.” – Rev David McIlveen
The bible is an offence to rational and fair minded individuals.
People (religions) use the “freedom of speech” line to deflect their PROFANITY. Profanity is not free and preaching homophobic hate is not free. It is PROFANITY. Why do we let the bigots define what they do and disguise it . Because it is in a Bible doesn’t mean it isn’t PROFANE. That’s why society won’t allow certain statements or ideas that are profane, to be aired publicly. What the church’s and homophobes are doing is well defined under the dictionary’s definition of profane.
It’s just funny that it really is all about sodomy with these people. So lesbians are okay, but what about all those straight people that ‘SODOMIZE’?? Oh, we don’t hear about them-but ALL those gays are out there sodomizing in pure lust as we speak. I can’t even believe the word sodomy is politically correct.
The Bible makes a great door stop.
I’m a “Bible believer”
it doesn’t offend me
that self-important reverend does NOT speak for all “Bible believers”
There is no such thang as ‘gay sex’ there is only sex. There is no straight sex / gay sex. There is no sex act that is specifically gay, as anyone with the equipment can do about anything even what is being alluded to above.