Distracted, yet again.

[pecunium]

I made the mistake, as I was thinking of writing some food porn (Nero Wolfe novels will do that to you) of doing some sidebar reading.

CBS has refused to air an ad by a church (the United Church of Christ). It was an ad about inclusion. It wasn't shrill, it wasn't accusatory, if anything it was too subtle
.
The debut 30-second commercial features two muscle-bound "bouncers" standing guard outside a symbolic, picturesque church and selecting which persons are permitted to attend Sunday services. Written text interrupts the scene, announcing, "Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do we." A narrator then proclaims the United Church of Christ's commitment to Jesus' extravagant welcome: "No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."

Still Speaking

So why did CBS refuse to air the ad?

"Because this commercial touches on the exclusion of gay couples and other minority groups by other individuals and organizations," reads an explanation from CBS, "and the fact the Executive Branch has recently proposed a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, this spot is unacceptable for broadcast on the [CBS and UPN] networks."


UCC Press release

The exuctive branch is against gay marriage, so a church which is for inclusion, and makes a very quiet ad about it (if you blink the reference to gays will slip right past you) is told it's too controversial.

I am becoming more nervous every day.

Comments

[texaslawchick.livejournal.com]

Seems to me that the United Church of Christ, while getting in a dig at the competition, is simply soliciting members. Television ad spots have traditionally been a place to solicit. It also seems to me that neither the government, nor NBC and CBS have any business telling the UCC (I feel like I'm back in Contracts class...) what is an appropriate message from the church. For whatever reason, we've made the decision that the government has to sanction unions before they're legitimate in this country, but that doesn't mean that the government has any business at all telling a Church how to preach.

I don't have a problem with the Lutherans kicking out that lesbian minister.* It's up to them what they believe and if her actions are inconsistent with their beliefs, than they shouldn't be forced to admit someone who they feel is unqualified for the job. It should go the other way, too.

And CBS's press release response was asinine. The ad says nothing about marriage. It says simply (and very subtlely) that gays and lesbians are welcome in the UCC pews. While the only reason I step foot in a church these days is to attend a wedding, there are a hell of a lot of other things that go on in those buildings than marriage ceremonies. It's ridiculous to suggest that the recruitment of a whole segment of the population to a congregation is inappropriate because Bush pushed an amendment of the constitution to exclude those people.

*Though I think the practicing/non-practicing distinction is rather silly, though I guess the Lutherans don't like it when you practice and you preach. Ha. ha. I kill me.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

bellatrys has the right of it, this is Political Correctness. CBS is saying they can't air it because the Powers That Be, disagree.

No argument that it violates some policy of the station (and with Equal Time dead, no compelling regulation to force them to let all churches advertise if one does). Nope, The Executive Branch has other ideas, and we won't be disloyal to that (liberal media my ass).

Which is sad, for us, because this is a topic which needs public debate. It's a policy issue being bruited about. One would think the justification for their license (to serve the public) would require them to air such a thing, were it so compellingly about the issue they say it is.

But they don't.

Fox is airing it, but not CBS.

TK