ICC Note: According to reports, a cinema firm in the United Kingdom has denied a request from the Church of England regarding an advertisement which featured the Lord’s Prayer. The promotion was a part of the Church’s “Just Pray” campaign and was set to play before the upcoming film, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” However, after being cleared by two other firms, Digital Cinema Media rejected the ad, stating that it could cause offense to “those of differing faiths and indeed of no faith.”
By Heather Clark
11/24/2015 United Kingdom (Christian News Network) – A British cinema firm has denied the request of the Church of England to run an advertisement featuring the Lord’s Prayer, stating that the content might cause offense to some viewers.
The 60-second commercial, which features a variety of everyday citizens reciting the words of Christ, was to play next month before “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name,” the video opens, showing the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby walking contemplatively along a path, followed by man kneeling at a grave site.
“Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,” it continues, showing police officers on the street, and moving on to various other scenarios, from a man lifting weights, to a farmer, to those partaking in a baptism and wedding. “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”
The advertisement, which is part of the Church of England’s “Just Pray” campaign, was cleared by the British Board of Film Classification and the Cinema Advertising Authority, but Digital Cinema Media (DCM) rejected it because of its religious content.
“DCM has a policy of not accepting ‘political or religious advertising’ content for use in its cinemas,” it said in a statement. “Some advertisements — unintentionally or otherwise — could cause offense to those of differing political persuasions, as well as to those of differing faiths and indeed of no faith. In this regard, DCM treats all political or religious beliefs equally.”
