Controversial Billboards - I love them!

My friend just sent me a text with an amusing photo attached.  Despite the three menu screens and no small amount of finger trouble I went through to get to the picture I found myself chuckling at the image.  It was of a billboard outside of (and especially for) the St Matthew In The City Progressive Anglican Church.  I have downloaded it onto my computer and uploaded it onto the internet so that you, too, may enjoy the humour.*

Upon my reply to the friend about the style of the billboard he replied that the joke posted there last week was a good one too.  After sharing the picture with my flatmate and his sister we proceeded to use the fancy interwebs to find out if there had been many more.  Turns out there had:

(enlarge to read the small print on this one)

Unfortunately this last one was a bit too much for some devout believers. They were incensed with the idea that Joseph and Mary might be portrayed as being in bed together (!!). Well that's my take of the hatin' that followed. Maybe I have the wrong end of the stick. Either way, while most of the city chuckled and agreed, some felt the need to respond in a different way. Kiwis might remember the public outcry:

I seeing all these photos on the internet reminded me that I often pass by this very billboard - perhaps once a week or so.  I'll be paying more attention now which I think is their aim.  So: "Well done St Matthew in the city."


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* Since posting this the billboard has made it into the NZ Herald newspaper. (Again.)