Church Bashing Ad

A number of news commentators have characterized the UCC's mean-spirited, church-bashing, race-baiting ad, "Night Club," as "all about tolerance." What a novel use of a word!

The ad shows two bouncers outside the entrance to a church manning a velvet rope. A gay couple comes up to the rope seeking to enter the church and they are turned away. Then a white, heterosexual couple comes up and they are let in. The camera then shows those who have been turned away, a multiracial mix of straights and gays. A voice over then says something to the effect that the UCC is the only church that follows Jesus' example in welcoming everyone.

Of course, it is true Jesus does invite everyone to come to him. He is extravagant in his welcome, as the ad claims. However, in explaining himself to the religious hypocrites of the day, he said he had not come for the righteous but to "save sinners." He challenged the crowd to judge the woman caught in adultery but then turned to her and said, "go and sin no more." What the UCC leaves out of their ad is their view that any use of the word "sin" or the biblical concept behind it is itself unwelcoming. The UCC's Jesus is half-a-Jesus who never addresses or deals with sin. Apparently his only mission was to make people feel good about themselves, no matter what. I am curious what their view of the purpose of the cross is. Does he accomplish anything a good dose of prozac couldn't do?

As for the "tolerant" implication that all other churches are racist, this is outrageous! It is absolutely true that the Congregational church, expecially in Connecticut, has a stellar history of civil rights activism. This was a center of abolitionism and integration. The UCC is justly proud of that heritage. And, they are certainly right to assert that as one of their historical distinctives. But, it is a libel to imply that other churches today are turning African Americans and others away and barring entry into church. This is a slander.

As an aside, this is the same denomination whose representative, Davida Foy Crabtree, says, "we take the Bible too seriously to take it literally." I'm curious what their correspondence with the networks refusing to show their ads looks like. Do they write letters seeking to persuade the networks to change their position? Do they seek to explain the intent of the ads? What if the networks take these letters too seriously to take them literally and freely read into them any meaning they choose? Does the UCC get upset? ... Why?