UK cinemas refuse to play Lord's Prayer ad in front of Star Wars

Liamario

Apparently they're infringing upon freedom of speech by not showing it..

Cabaal

Liamario wrote: »

Apparently they're infringing upon freedom of speech by not showing it..

Perfectly sensible decision, it's there cinemas they can show what they want.

If they want people to see the advert then stick it on TV or YouTube.

Absolam

If, as they say, their policy is not to accept political or religious advertising content in their cinemas (and I can't recall ever seeing such ads in the cinema) then I can't see how anyone can complain. Nor do I see how anyone has a right to free speech in someone else's cinema.

simdan

Seriously, what percentage of people want or expect to watch prayers when they go to the cinema? Probably zero point something..

Religion should not be allowed to be advertised at all.

Zamboni

They're probably not showing Daesh promotional adverts either in fairness.

frostyjacks

A little rich, considering the Christian themes running through the franchise.

Links234

frostyjacks wrote: »

A little rich, considering the Christian themes running through the franchise.

I... What?

There's certainly a lot of Buddhist themes running through it, and lets not forget that Star Wars was heavily inspired by old samurai movies, namely Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, but Christian themes? This is another one of those religious narcissism moments, the demand to see your faith reflected back at you in everything, especially when it's not there.

The Randy Riverbeast

People confuse freedom of speech with you must give me an audience quite a lot.

frostyjacks wrote: »

A little rich, considering the Christian themes running through the franchise.

The last vestiges of an evil empire who is trying to claw back some of the control it had? I suppose it has some stuff in common with certain groups.

The Randy Riverbeast

Links234 wrote: »

I... What?

There's certainly a lot of Buddhist themes running through it, and lets not forget that Star Wars was heavily inspired by old samurai movies, namely Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, but Christian themes? This is another one of those religious narcissism moments, the demand to see your faith reflected back at you in everything, especially when it's not there.

Theres a virgin birth in there but I'm sure anyone with a slight knowledge into religions would know that the idea has existed for a lot longer than Christianity but that is assuming a slight knowledge is had.

Eugene Norman

frostyjacks wrote: »

A little rich, considering the Christian themes running through the franchise.

I don't really see that (although it's in the matrix).

Cinemas are private property. No censorship here.

GLaDOS

Links234 wrote: »

I... What?

There's certainly a lot of Buddhist themes running through it, and lets not forget that Star Wars was heavily inspired by old samurai movies, namely Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, but Christian themes? This is another one of those religious narcissism moments, the demand to see your faith reflected back at you in everything, especially when it's not there.

And Dune of course, don't forget Dune

Links234

The Randy Riverbeast wrote: »

Theres a virgin birth in there but I'm sure anyone with a slight knowledge into religions would know that the idea has existed for a lot longer than Christianity but that is assuming a slight knowledge is had.

Oh yeah, I forgot that. But then again, that is from the prequels.

JohnnyChimpo

Zamboni wrote: »

They're probably not showing Daesh promotional adverts either in fairness.

Those mad ads the British Army used to do could probably double as IS recruitment videos though

The Randy Riverbeast

Links234 wrote: »

Oh yeah, I forgot that. But then again, that is from the prequels.

We've all tried to forget the prequels.

seamus

Tbh all of the major religions cross-pollinate so much that you could interpret the movies as being analogues for most religions.

magicbastarder

Links234 wrote: »

I... What?

eh, how about men in robes walking around spouting nonsense about supernatural forces?

Links234

magicbastarder wrote: »

eh, how about men in robes walking around spouting nonsense about supernatural forces?

That could be any religion!

Links234

Frostyjacks, you never answered, what do you want to get for Christmas?

Also, have you seen The Hidden Fortress? I'd really like to know.

expectationlost

do they allow such ads on british tv, then put it on tv people can switch it off if they want


whhat gets more eyes then a banned ad

Nodin

Links234 wrote: »

That could be any religion!

Think I read somewhere they were going to introduce a gay character/characters, so that'll narrow the spectrum somewhat. Unless they're a bad guy.

Osgoodisgood

The Most Reverend Justin Welby said he found the decision "extraordinary".
"This advert is about as offensive as a carol service or church service on Christmas Day," he said.
"Let the public judge for themselves rather than be censored or dictated to."


Welby and his peers from the other clubs just don't get it. People choose to go to a church service and do so knowing that they're going to be subjected to religious hocus pocus, in fact people would rightly expect nothing else and good luck to them. The "public" have made no such choice when going to the movies and the owners of the cinemas have every right to decide what they show their customers.

What is really offensive is the staggering conceit of the church that they believe their entitlement extends to a legal right to peddle their wares wherever and whenever they choose.

frostyjacks

Links234 wrote: »

Frostyjacks, you never answered, what do you want to get for Christmas?

Also, have you seen The Hidden Fortress? I'd really like to know.

I haven't seen Hidden Fortress, although it sounds decent. Ashamed to say I've only seen one Kurosawa film, the Seven Samurai. It was around the time of the Murphy's ad, I was curious to see what it was paying homage to.

For Christmas, I'd fancy one of those coffee machines that use the pods. I have a filter machine at the minute, but I'm thinking these new machines give a better brew.

Turtwig

It's very simple, their policy is not to allow to religious content. If they allow one they'll have to allow others. While this advertisement may indeed just be about a light Christmas advert, what if the next one is by a controversial fundamentalist group who'd they love to refuse but may get smacked with religious discrimination if they do? The approach they have taken is a pretty reasonable one.

Links234

frostyjacks wrote: »

I haven't seen Hidden Fortress, although it sounds decent. Ashamed to say I've only seen one Kurosawa film, the Seven Samurai. It was around the time of the Murphy's ad, I was curious to see what it was paying homage to.

For Christmas, I'd fancy one of those coffee machines that use the pods. I have a filter machine at the minute, but I'm thinking these new machines give a better brew.

Those Murphy's ads were the business, they even had an anime one that was made by the people behind Ghost in the Shell. You ever see that?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5I_UGnnr1Y

And the Hidden Fortress is well worth a look, I'd recommend it.

Hope you get your coffee machine for Christmas

vibe666

no surprise that a priest doesn't understand what freedom of religion and freedom of speech actually are.

he and his organisation are free to practice and preach their religion, but that freedom does not extend to forcing businesses to do their preaching for them, or forcing paying customers of a public business to sit through their proselytising 'adverts'.

i'm sure a lot of the people complaining about this would be the same people complaining if the shoe was on the other foot and there was a muslim prayer in a cinema.

Peregrinus

Well, interestingly enough, when bus companies in New Zealand refused to accept the "There's probably no God" ads a few years back, the Humanist Society of New Zealand (who had sought to place the ads) brought a discrimination case before the NZ Human Rights Review Tribunal. (They were not successful.)

So it seems it's not just priests who have a hazy grasp of what freedom of speech entails.

Penn

frostyjacks wrote: »

A little rich, considering the Christian themes running through the franchise.

magicbastarder

frostyjacks wrote: »

I haven't seen Hidden Fortress, although it sounds decent. Ashamed to say I've only seen one Kurosawa film, the Seven Samurai. It was around the time of the Murphy's ad, I was curious to see what it was paying homage to.

'ran' is one of my all time favourites.

robindch

Osgoodisgood wrote: »

The Most Reverend Justin Welby said he found the decision "extraordinary".

I'll accept it's "extraordinary" when religious leaders allow cinemas to show what they want within church buildings.

Cabaal

Peregrinus wrote: »

Well, interestingly enough, when bus companies in New Zealand refused to accept the "There's probably no God" ads a few years back, the Humanist Society of New Zealand (who had sought to place the ads) brought a discrimination case before the NZ Human Rights Review Tribunal. (They were not successful.)

So it seems it's not just priests who have a hazy grasp of what freedom of speech entails.

Why are you picking another country to make a comparison?

Lets stick with the UK shall we?...In the same country that this cinema story actually relates to we know that Atheist groups have no problem advertising that "There's probably no God" on buses,

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/06/atheist-bus-campaign-nationwide

Why you decided to pick another country with a different government and different laws for your comparison is rather odd I must admit, it must be just to suit your agenda

Now if you do want to look at other countrys then we know Christians get upset about Atheists advertising as we only need to look at Spain

buses in Barcelona bearing a Spanish translation of the British slogan will hit the streets, to the consternation of the city's Catholic hierarchy.

So its clear Christians have an issue with something they claim they should have freedom of speech on...funny that

In addition in Canada Christians also got upset with this advert



Now from a Muslim standard the advert is 100% accurate...but offensive to Christians, should Muslims do a cinema advert like this advert? Would all Christians be so ok with that do you think?

silverharp

Peregrinus wrote: »

Well, interestingly enough, when bus companies in New Zealand refused to accept the "There's probably no God" ads a few years back, the Humanist Society of New Zealand (who had sought to place the ads) brought a discrimination case before the NZ Human Rights Review Tribunal. (They were not successful.)

So it seems it's not just priests who have a hazy grasp of what freedom of speech entails.

Out of curiosity did said company take adverts from churches. If it was a level playing field I can't see that they would have had a case either