Stirring up more controversy!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/7832647.stm

You'll have to cut and paste it to read it.

A friend of mine posted this article on Facebook. I made the comment below.

Ok, here is where I differ from a lot of people. I know this was in England, but let's say it was here. Is it illegal? No. A Christian could pay for advertising on the bus as well. If they denied a Christian advertisement, then I would have an issue. There are the " -God" messages on billboards all across America. I am sure those offend someone. As much as I believe in Jesus and that He is the Son of God, and as much as I want everyone else to agree with me, that is not the world we live in. It wasn't the world Jesus lived in either. Want to talk about a billboard that there is no God, how about putting Him up on a cross for everyone to see Him dead. Christians get all riled up but denying the right to advertise like that could end up hurting more than helping. It doesn't make sense to JUST allow Christian advertising. What if it was advertising a mosque, or a temple? Would we be as offended? 

Not in that comment because there wasn't room...

We have to be careful what we ask for. If we ask for someone else's rights to be taken away, we are asking for our own to be taken away. I am not suggesting we sit silently and just ignore it. We should be out there spreading the Good News, being lights in people's lives, meeting their needs, living as Jesus would have us live. Jesus didn't sue the people for slander. He didn't try to take their rights to speak against Him away. He just affected people in a way that they could not deny his existence. As did his followers. God can provide open doors that we could never imagine from a seemingly horrible ad campaign like that. Are we looking for them, or looking for a way to shut them?

I think Christians get so offended at things like this because it is an eternal life and death matter. But shutting them up will never happen first of all, and I am not sure it is the most effective thing to do anyway. 

Some may think I have a double standard having read a previous blog about some political issues. But things that affect those that cannot fend for themselves I see as a different matter entirely. You may disagree with me, but... well, you have that right :).

By the way, I think it is great that the bus driver refused to drive the bus. He stood up for what he believes in. He has the right to do that. Just like they have the right to advertise what they believe.