By: Don Caldwell
Is an appropriate level of behavior expected while being part of a religious group of people? Or any other group for that matter?
Excerpts italicized:
The star of an erectile dysfunction commercial in Australia was kicked out of her church until the ad comes off air, the Herald Sun reported today.
Libby Ashby told Melbourne-based radio station 3AW she had been "disfellowshipped" from her local congregation after appearing in the ad.
"They have said I would not be reinstated until the ad comes off the air," Ashby said, while not identifying which church she attends.
Ashby, a single mother, said she knew when she was filming the AMI ad that it was in poor taste.
But she said she had taken the job because of the money.
"It was against my better judgment to it. I don't like to offend people."
Should what we do in our personal lives be relevant to the communities in our parishes / congregations / church body? Does a church body have the right to deem you to be unfit to participate in their services? When priests’ deny politicians the Eucharist because of their stances on abortion, should they? Should they have the right to do so? In decades past, if Nazi war criminals had attended services, should their congregations have had the ability to say no?
(ORIGINAL LINK) Aussie woman kicked out of church over ED ad (video) - NYPOST.com
If we are not held accountable by our faith communities who will hold us accountable for our actions. I am not sure that it was pastorally prudent for that group to kick the person out of fellowship, and I would never feel it right for me for instance, if God willing I am one day ordained, to excommunicate someone, but still. As a member of a Church or assembled fellowship of Christians, we represent more than just ourselves, we represent the body of Christ, the question we ask here is, Do we really want Christ's toenail, or other part of his body in an ED commercial?
ReplyDeleteI agree....I like how some bishops refuse to give communion to politicians who support abortion..they do need to be held accountable, but excommunicating them (for lack of a better word) is not acting in love either....
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