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It's Official, Jesus Doesn't Heal Cancer

"The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority made a no-brainer of a decision earlier this week when they determined that a church billboard reading, “Jesus Heals Cancer,” violates advertising standards.

Thank you, Captain Obvious!

According to The New Zealand Herald:

The [ASA] complaints board acknowledged the church had no intention of causing offence with the billboard and instead wanted to provide a message of hope.

However, it upheld the complaints, ruling the advertisement had “neither been prepared nor displayed with the due sense of social responsibility required” and therefore breached the code of ethics.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Simeone on May 4, 2012 at 7:26am

Thank you for sharing this. I really like getting my day started with a good laugh.

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on May 4, 2012 at 7:31am

Now, how do we get them to apply a sane standard like this to billboards in the US?

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on May 4, 2012 at 7:35am

"A message of hope"?!? More like "a wild, arrogant, unverifiable statement, whose hope is false and presumes a completely undemonstrated capacity." Jesus never so much as cured a hangnail, never mind cancer. The fatuous theists who want to promote this bilge had better learn that if they want to make such irresponsibly bold statements, they'd better be able to back them up with evidence.

Oops, "evidence." Never been a good concept for them...

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on May 4, 2012 at 9:12am

Well, if Jesus doesn't heal cancer, exactly what does he do? Next you'll be saying he doesn't heal amputees either.

Permalink Reply by Michael OL on May 4, 2012 at 9:54am

One thing that always confused me was the question of why divine intercession in prolonging life would be desirable.

If I believed in a heaven, wouldn't I wish to get there as quickly as possible? I mean, why bother with the trappings and travails of ordinary life? Cancer would be a ticket to get into heaven early.

So wouldn't a better billboard be, "Jesus sent you cancer because he loves you!"

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on May 6, 2012 at 7:28am