Announcement
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JANUARY 18th 2005
BRITAIN: ADVENTISTS JOIN IN PROTEST OF 'BLASPHEMOUS'
TV SHOW
Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom ....
[ANN Staff]
Britain's 24,000 Seventh-day Adventists were
among many in this nation of 60 million who
saw little humor in a recent television portrayal
of a controversy between Christ and Satan.
Instead, they saw blasphemy.
A British Broadcasting Corporation telecast
of "Jerry Springer -- The Opera,"
taken from a hit musical stage play in London's
West End, reportedly featured an obscenity-laden
"shouting match" between a diaper-wearing
actor portraying Jesus Christ and another portraying
Satan. Such imagery, and language, didn't sit
well with many of Britain's Christians, including
Adventists.
"Many of our members are disappointed that
the BBC seems to be lowering its standards with
respect to foul language and, arguably, blasphemy,"
Pastor Cecil Perry, president of the Adventist
Church in Britain, wrote in a letter to the
BBC. "Some of our leaders and ministers
would have liked us to write to all of our members
to ask them to complain individually to the
BBC. However, we have resisted this approach
as we do not want to give the program more publicity
than it deserves."
"The program was blasphemous and deeply
offending to Christians at large," John
Surridge, communication director for the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in Britain, wrote in a complaint
letter. He added that if the Islamic prophet
Mohammed had been mocked in a similar way Muslims
would have been deeply offended.
Along with protests from Adventist church leaders
and members, 50,000 evangelical Christians demonstrated
outside BBC offices across Britain, according
to Christian Today, a local news service.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has long promoted
religious tolerance and understanding among
peoples. It founded the International Religious
Liberty Association, IRLA, which, for more than
100 years, has worked around the world to promote
freedom of belief and respect among peoples.
Source:
Adventist News Network |
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