ANGER OVER PTA CHRISTIAN GAY CURE BILLBOARD
A complaint has been laid with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about a Pretoria billboard that suggests that Jesus can ‘save’ people from homosexuality.
The billboard, promoting the Light of the Nations church, is located at the corner of Solomon Mahlangu Ave. and Bendeman Blvd. in Pretoria East.
It depicts a man ripping open his shirt as words with negative connotations – such as “drugs”, “lies”, “depression”, “porn” and “alcohol abuse” – fly into the air around him. Among the words, is “homosexuality”.
The pay-off line on the billboard, which reads “Whom the son sets free is free indeed”, suggests that the Church believes that one’s ills, including homosexuality, can be cured through the Christian faith.
Francois Joubert, a Senior Project Manager at Transnet Capital Projects, and his husband Werner Nieuwoudt spotted the billboard while driving past about a week ago.
Joubert has laid a complaint with the ASA claiming that the advert is offensive, dishonest and misleading “because it bundles homosexuality with other actions such as using drugs, having an extramarital affair, viewing pornography and having a divorce”.
Joubert said in his letter to the ASA that “all these actions are choices, [while] there is no acceptable proof that sexuality is a choice”, “is a disease” or is “something which can (or should) be cured”.
He added: “The advert uses discrimination against the LGBT community as a tool to bring people to their services and therefore perpetuates the Church’s hate against the LGBT community.”
Joubert told Mambaonline that when he saw the billboard he was “disappointed that people are still teaching such narrow-mindedness”. He said that the Church is using “hate speech to ‘do more business'”.
Dawie Nel, director of OUT, the Pretoria-based LGBT health and well-being NGO, condemned the billboard and applauded Joubert for laying the complaint.
“We agree with the complainant that homosexuality is not a disease. It was declassified as such [by the American Psychiatric Association] in 1973. Rather, not accepting your homosexuality becomes a disease and a problem,” Nel told Mambaonline.
He noted that “the issue of religion or Christianity condemning homosexuality is nothing new” but said that some enlightened religious leaders such as Archbishop Tutu are acknowledging that “this viewpoint alienates LGBT people from religion and negatively affects their mental health”.
Nel added: “There’s a small-mindedness and meanness underlying this [billboard]. It’s really regrettable.”
In a video to promote its ‘Men Only Connect Group’ on the Light of the Nations website, a voiceover says: “Forget the limp-wristed action. We don’t even know what mauve is. We like cars, bikes, planes, guns. We are manly men.”
According to the site, the Church was founded in 1986 by husband and wife team Dr. Deric Linley and pastor Belinda Linley and offers services in Pretoria, Polokwane and online, as well as a bible college.
Mambaonline contacted the Church for comment but had received none at the time of publishing this article.
Totally discussed with these people.
That a church trying to sell their product with sex through a hot guy with a six-pack on the poster, not to even talk about the “homosexuality” between all the “Porn”, “Drugs” and “Divorce”.
This is enough!
Gay and lesbian people getting killed by the week and then we promote stuff like this. Its time we make a stand and ask that Homophobia people also be killed. No more talking!
ITS ENOUGH!
THIS MUST STOP NOW!
Well done to the guys who reacted so quickly to this.
Its about time someone cures homosexuality.
LISTEN PEOPLE !!!!! JESUS SAID HIMSELF THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER SINED MAY CAST THE FIRST STONE SO YOU PEOPLE CANT JUDGE ONLY GOD CAN AND THE WAY I SEE IT IF YOU LOVE GOD AND YOUR GAY WHATS THE PROBLEM ? THERE IS NO SIN BIGGER THAN THE OTHER ! THATS WHY GOD SEND JESUS FOR US ! SO THAT ALL SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN !
No one is judging, even the bible says this is wrong for a men to sleep with another men.
Yah it does it also says that you should respect others and their choices ! and like i said before . . . THATS WHY GOD SEND JESUS FOR US ! SO THAT ALL SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN
oooh! does the pastor know that 6-pack body will go down well in the gay community?
I would’t buy a second hand car from a guy that looks like that, yet people buy their religion from such people, just crazy.
I wonder if the pastor has actually met a gay man when he says, “Forget the limp-wristed action. We don’t even know what mauve is. We like cars, bikes, planes, guns. We are manly men.” I know of at least 6 gay men who have and ride bikes – and a few more that enjoy the odd braai, sports and other so called manly activities.
I wonder who chose the photo of a beautifully pecced droolworthy sixpack guy for the ad-campaign. I wish to send him some mauve flowers so he has a reference of the colour.
what a set of dorks!
Spot on – some of the people I have met too – profess to be Christians but are so far removed – pure hypocrites
Over the years of my young life I have found a certain irony that some of the best Christians I’ve ever known were not Christians n some of the worst human beings I’ve ever heard of n seed r usually behind the puplit. Pastors Deric and Belinda Linley r a clear example of a gay n lesbian alliance gone wrong. Ur not fooling anyone! Everyone knows people who punt these homo cures are sociopathic closet cases n r the ones who really need Jesus. As a car adoring, plane liking, biker loving gun slinging Homo-Christian I can honestly say I am a real man. I won’t entertain some delusional super closet case who probaly has more gay porn on him that I cud ever own, telling I’m not a real man.
I just had a thought why don’t we test if these gay cures really work. Why don’t we send them some skin mags like a blue magazine or bad puppy n some porn movies. In order to fully determime if we were wrong about a cure. After all straight people don’t sexually react or gay porn (scientifically poven). Than we a post our findings on Utube… Or gaytube lol
Well done Francois!
Very sad, these two are…..living in there tiny little glass house….looking for follower’s……WE are the ones FREE and HAPPY. Message for them: Are YOU happy? REALLY? Pitiful little people! The price you are going to pay at the end of the day for doing what YOU have done to others and for doing what you are trying to do NOW is going to be painful. I hope you DO believe in GOD, cause your gonna need one…..
Oh joy! Now they also jumped on the band wagon! If there was no money involved in any church, i wonder if people would still do the effort to “cure” gayness……….MONEY IS A UGLY THING
just when i thought i’d seen it all…well most of it…….what a load of bollocks……these two would fit in just right between a pair of dogs legs
Publish their E-Mail address let’s see how they like hate speach !!!
Perhaps they should have asked “What would Jesus do?”
LMGA
how these people can live with themselves each day and think they are doing god’s will is beyond me. Why is it that the most hurtful and derogatory sentiments come from a place that preaches love and respect to all? Utterly disgusting. I cannot take seriously anyone who has such ridiculous notions about what makes a man. These people are ignorant in the worst possible way. Ps. is it just me or is that billboard designed to attract the eye of a gay man? justsaying.
Jesus was also persecuted for preaching the truth, so shows you these Pastors are doing something right…
Except he’s being persecuted for brainwashing people. Why do you have to have to give money to a church to be a loyal follower of God? Can’t you praise God from your own home? Why the need to gather? Don’t you like thinking for yourself? Don’t you know that the bible is constantly being revised and interpreted in different ways?
I’m giving the Word, you are giving your opinion…in Hebrews 10:25 the bible says not to forsake the gathering of the brethren and to admonish one another. the thing is when it comes to “religious arguments”, everyone has their opinion and standards, but in the end the Word of God is the FINAL AUTHORITY . According to your above statement you are clearly just looking for an argument and not the truth, consult the Word of God if u want true answers, that’s all!
LOL. You do realize the hypocrisy in your own posting right? You’re assuming that the Bible is the FINAL AUTHORITY based on your biased standard. Sorry to burst your bubble, sweetheart.
HAHAHAHAHA. This is such a riot. I love the way your primitive mind is incapable of even rational thought; otherwise, you would have realized how utterly stupid you sound right now.
These pastors have stated many times that homosexuals are welcome in their church. They have an unconditional heart for people, straight and homosexual, and they truly want to help them. I have sat in a service where they’ve said themselves that you should not judge homosexuals, that everyone has some sort of sin in their lives that they have to deal with, whatever it might be. If you would be patient enough to look at the picture above in context, you will see that it portrays the GRACE of God covering all challenges in life, including the challenge of homosexuality.
Have you ever heard the saying “Don’t kill the messenger”. These pastors are the messengers of God, and as a pastor they have the responsibility to deliver the TRUE message from God’s word. Having said that, don’t take up your frustrations up with them, take it up with God, because they are only preaching what He has said himself (through his WORD which is the Bible). They didn’t make the rules, He did! As a Christian and a member of Light of the Nations church I love all people of all races, that’s an unconditional agape love. As a Christian I am told by the Lord through His word that homosexuality is a sin (Romans 1:26-29), but I do not judge nor do I condemn homosexuals in any way, because that is what God’s Word teaches. I love all people including homosexuals very much. Grace covers all sin! I am reflecting the heart of my spiritual father – Pastor Deric Linley – in this response. That is the heart of Light of the Nations church, a heart to care for people!
God bless all of you!
Whatever helps you sleep at night, dear. Because there are never agendas in religion. (rolls eyes)
How dare you. You are obviously a subject of social conditioning, incapable of even basic rational thought, otherwise you wouldn’t believe such nonsense. Until you can PROVE that your “God” exists, do not force your religious views upon ANYONE. It is not for you to decide who is and isn’t a sinner.
That guys got killer abs.