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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFlorida church's marquee reads, "Christmas — Easier to spell than Hanukkah."
Church signs roll the dice getting hip with quips
December 24, 2013
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) Pastor Mike Butzberger insists he only had holiday spirit in mind when his Florida church's marquee read, "Christmas Easier to spell than Hanukkah."
But after a passer-by told him she found the message offensive and a local television station inquired about it, the Lighthouse Baptist Church preacher hustled to blunt any uproar by begrudgingly changing the sign to: "Jesus Loves You."
"By no means would I as human or Christian ever put anything on the sign with the intention of hurting or insulting," Butzberger told The Associated Press from his church in North Palm Beach, Fla. "The purpose of the sign is to draw people to God, which is, in our 'business,' what we're selling."
Welcome to the challenge for pastors eager to update the age-old practice of luring in worshippers with messages on marquees out front of the church. Long the place for Gospel quotes and Christmas Eve sermon hours, now the signs are often clever, pithy or funny. But pastors are finding that joking about religion is serious business, and it's easy to cross a line.
http://www.nujournal.com/page/content.detail/id/430146/Church-signs-roll-the-dice-getting-hip-with-quips.html?isap=1&nav=5032
bullwinkle428
(20,629 posts)Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)Jesus was a Jew...He celebrated Hannukah.
He is going to be very unhappy with whoever at the "Lighthouse Church" thought they would be cute.
I suspect there may be some extra time in the simmering oil pool for whoever that was.
Aristus
(66,382 posts)I don't know how many this pastor knows, if any, or how many of them live in Florida.
Some of us mastered spelling in our childhoods, pastor...
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)Coyotl
(15,262 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)Fundies never have a good sense of humor. Trying to be cute just leaves them looking dumb.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)virgin babies
pipi_k
(21,020 posts)about difficult spelling, "Xmas" is even easier than "Christmas"
madinmaryland
(64,933 posts)T Roosevelt
(4,105 posts)In Florida of course:
"Are women a blessing or something else?"