Cinema ban on the Lord's Prayer

[Leafitout]

Surely if anyone finds this advert offensive they can choose not to watch it. I can't see the problem with showing it.

You can't really get up and move in a cinema without causing a kerfuffle and inconveniencing other people. Given that people are allowed to withdraw their children from prayers in school it's a bit disingenuous to claim that this ad couldn't cause offence.

On the other hand it's on the news, it's been shared on you tube, I imagine the C of E aren't too unhappy with the result.

Just wondering if people remember how cross Christians got about the "There's probably no God......" Bus campaign

And remembering that they were forced to put the word 'probably' in there because they couldn't actually prove that there is no God.

FFS. Business decides to stick by its existing, well known rules and declines to take an ad from another organisation - and the Church of England describe this as "chilling", and a free speech issue?

I hope that they'll now, in the interests of consistency, be willing to have Richard Dawkins in to do a reading in their Christmas services. After all, to refuse him access to the pulpit would have a chilling effect on free speech, wouldn't it?

(Not a Dawkins fan at all btw, he's obnoxious and offensive. But, y'know CoE, if you wanna twist the free speech argument like that, you need to be prepared for Mr D.)

On the other hand it's on the news, it's been shared on you tube, I imagine the C of E aren't too unhappy with the result.

Very true, we are talking about it, which we wouldn't be had it just been shown without fuss.

Personally, as an Atheist, I am glad that we got a mention in the 'people who might be offended'. We have to spend so much time tiptoeing around other people's made up nonsense so we don't offend them but no one gives a shit how atheists feel.

And remembering that they were forced to put the word 'probably' in there because they couldn't actually prove that there is no God.

They weren't "forced" - they did it because it's technically correct. Nobody can prove a negative. The probably will have to stay there until somebody proves there "is" a God (so no time soon then). If religious folk were as conscientious there'd be an awful lot more "probablies" or more accurately "possiblies" and "maybes" in religious adverts too.

pip you could say that about any organisation.

They weren't "forced" - they did it because it's technically correct.

They weren't allowed to run the advert without the probably, in my book that is forced. Yes they can't prove a negative, but no one can prove the positive either can they.

Hissy - why don't "we" get more active about children having religion pushed at them? Who is "we"? I campaign, I am a member of the NSS, I liaise with the local council and MP etc

Plenty of us taking action.

I'm happy for an organisation to have rule prohibiting religious or political advertising and adhere to those rules.

However, advertising consumer goods, as a concept is not politically neutral as it promotes capitalism

Therefore, I think hackmum's post is the closest to the mark.

I can understand and have some sympathy with the cinema company saying 'no religion or politics', either because they don't want to judge which ones cross a line or risk legal action. Boris Johnson caused a stir when accepting bus adverts from an atheist group and then not from a religious group subsequently.

What I don't agree with is saying no adverts from a religious group because mentioning Christmas or the Lord's Prayer will offend those of other faiths. This is just used to promote secularism. It was notable that the BBC had a humanist to discuss this, not someone of another faith.

The way in my view to recognise that there are people of other faiths in the UK is to be positive and seek to support other religious festivals or days of observance, even if that is just to ask a person you know of a different faith about the festival or wish them well.

but no one can prove the positive either can they

It doesn't matter if it's God, fairies at the bottom of the garden, or a flying unicorn. You can prove something exists (by observing/measuring it), but you can't prove something doesn't exist.

And no, they weren't required to add "probably" to be allowed to run the ad - the word was always in the ad. I was one of the people who crowd-funded it from an early stage, so I know that for a fact.

Have people missed the memo that it's Christmas season. You know celebrating the birth of Christ. I don't really care for consumerism being advertised at the cinema. The fake promise that if you only drive that car or wore that perfume, your life would improve. However I except not everyone had the same views as myself.

but you can't prove something doesn't exist.

Though people (Richard Dawkins for one) have (scientifically) calculated the odds of God existing, and they're vanishingly small.

You can't scientifically calculate the odds of God existing. That's one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read.

AndNowItsSeven "Have people missed the memo that it's Christmas season"

ooh I'm afraid I might have. Could you tell me about it please?

Okay lets for a minute imagine there is a god. If there is and he allows the things to happen that do in the world then he is clearly a bit of a dick. If he has no power to change those things then he isn't all powerful so why worship him?

So he is either fucking useless or a total dick. Take your choice.

...and wasn't it calculated that "Jesus" must have been born in the spring?

You can't scientifically calculate the odds of God existing.

Of course you can. You can calculate the odds of anything so long as you state your assumptions. You might think the assumptions are ridiculous - maybe you should look up the calculation and see which ones you disagree with. I think it's in his book "The God Delusion" but may be online somewhere too.

I don't think arguments about the existence of god belong on this thread. Surely the discussion is about the decision made on the cinema ad and how best to ensure that respect applies across the board with many views.

Have people missed the memo that it's Christmas season. You know celebrating the birth of Christ.

Not all of us. We celebrate Christmas as a time of trees, sparkly lights, kindness and family. Oh Santa Clause and presents too of course, along with winter itself. And booze.

It's a bloody lovely tradition and makes winter more bearable.

We talk about the nativity story the same way we talk about any other work of fiction.

Have people missed the memo that it's Christmas season. You know celebrating the birth of Christ

For many people it is not Christmas season and we are not celebrating the birth of Christ! It's simply unacceptable to push it onto us in a public place.

And to PP who complained that banning religious adverts promotes secularism - well, secularism is the only acceptable stance in public imo. Religion is a private thing and I don't want to be exposed to it.