Biblical bedroom poster sparks row, Islamic World News, NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic World News

Biblical bedroom poster sparks row

WELLINGTON: A church billboard showing an apparently naked Virgin Mary and Joseph in bed together has sparked the ire of conservative Christians

in New Zealand.

On the poster a sad-looking Joseph lies next to Mary, whose face is turned heavenwards under the words: “Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow.”

The billboard was erected outside the St Matthew-in-the-City Anglican church in Auckland on Thursday. St Matthews’ vicar, Archdeacon Glynn Cardy, said the billboard was meant to challenge stereotypes about the way Jesus was conceived.

In the bible, the Virgin Mary becomes pregnant after an angel appears to her and tells her she will give birth to the son of God. Cardy said the billboard was meant to challenge literal interpretations of the Bible. “It is intended to challenge stereotypes about the way that Jesus was conceived and get people talking about the Christmas story,” he said.

Conservative Christians have criticised the billboard as offensive. Auckland Catholic Diocese spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said the poster was disrespectful to the church. “Our Christian tradition of 2,000 years is that Mary remains a virgin and that Jesus is the son of God, not Joseph,” Freer said. “Such a poster is inappropriate and disrespectful.”

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Catholic–Muslim Dialogue that can change the world, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Catholic–Muslim Dialogue that can change the world

After all the Common Word events thus far, there has been a spirit of warmth and a belief in future co-operation. There were two historic meetings prior to the signing of the actual document – the first at Yale University last July, which focused on Evangelical Christianity. The second event was at Cambridge University and engaged with the Anglican Communion directly. At that event the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, met with figures such as the Mufti of Egypt and Dr Ali Goma’a.

Make no mistake – these events are making history. But we also have to ask: What is the need for a Common Word? Is this really the discussion of our time? Dialogue between the West and the Muslim world is vital for a variety of reasons, political, economic, cultural and historical. But one may ask further – is the West really a Christian West? Or are we characterising the West, which is arguably post Christian, in a way that does not bear much resemblance to reality?

http://newageislam.com/catholic%E2%80%93muslim-dialogue-that-can-change-the-world--/islam-and-the-west/d/1054