St. Matthew Church in Auckland, New Zealand, last Friday installed a “GayDar” billboard to protest the Anglican Communion's ongoing discrimination of LGBT clergy.
“As used by the Anglican Church to assess potential priests,” reads the board,which features a cross as the “Gay-O-Meter.” Not surprisingly, local opponents took it upon themselves this weekend to desecrate the Church's advert and steal the aforementioned cross.
But St. Matthew's remains undeterred, and the congregation plans to repair the broken board.
“I'm not sure what the cost will be. We were able to recover the cross and I think it can be mended. So if that's the case, it won't cost too much,” said the church's spokesperson, Clay Nelson. “From our history with billboards, we're not surprised when someone decides to debate by vandalism. But that's not going to stop us. We're going to keep at it.”
St. Matthews has previously erected billboards challenging strict interpretation of the Bible, including one that showed a disappointed Joseph in bed with the Virgin Mary and the line, “Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow.”
That particular advert was meant to open people's eyes to the true meaning of Christmas. Said Archdeacon Glynn Cardy at the time, “Is it about a spiritual male God sending down sperm so a child would be born, or is it about the power of love in our midst as seen in Jesus?”
