Editorial: Billboard offensive on all levels

Weeks ago on a sunny Sunday someone knocked on my door.

A smiling, religious-foursome inquired if I'd like to return to the happy state that existed prior to Eve handing Adam the braeburn.

Unfortunately for them, I too have Adam's weakness for braeburns, and could only wish them good morning.

That said, I have absolutely no issue with their frequent visits to my doorstep. The sentiment's an endearing one, and besides, the right to worship goes hand in glove with our citizenship.

Equippers Church in Taradale this week utilised an altogether different freedom by erecting a billboard stating "Jesus Heals Cancer".

They exercised the freedom to offend. Without which, of course, there can be no freedom of speech.

Offence was inevitably taken. A mother of a 3-year-old boy with leukaemia was "disgusted" at the billboard. As were others who rang the newsroom this week, many of whom could barely contain their rage.

Let's face it, if taken as a simple boast, it's not a bad one. Membership comes with serious health benefits.

But not happy with just a bold statement, the church then proceeded to qualify it by adding a tally of six, symbolising parishioners who were all "healed" of cancer.

What I do know, going by the Ministry of Health's latest figures, is that 8566 Kiwis died of cancer in 2008. Notwithstanding the six saved at Equippers, divine intervention it seems, is a rare thing.

Equippers' pastor, Earl Joe, said the billboard was simply a "statement of our beliefs". Which, of course, is a no-brainer. Faith in an omnipotent being presupposes such powers. That is, Equippers' parishioners already knew this. Explaining the billboard to a packed church on Sunday would be preaching to the choir.

So the question remains, who were the intended recipients?

The only possible answer is this was a straight-out recruitment drive. Which is where it starts to stink.

I hasten to add I have absolutely no doubt the church believes the claim. This is no con job. But I also hasten to add that leaders of this "contemporary Christian church" know full well there are no atheists in trenches. Extend your flock by all means, but do so without targeting oncology outpatients.

There's no doubt the billboard has rankled not only with atheists, but fellow Christians whose belief systems are otherwise loosely aligned.

Subscribing to dogma under such grotesque pretences is the opposite of faith. It's anything but the stuff of sincere conviction.