“But national networks, saying the ads were too controversial, wanted no part of them. “
How on earth is the message that God loves everyone in the least controversial???
Oh wait, I remember. Some folk/churches want to restrict God’s love to heterosexuals.
Spare us from such ‘love’.

In the first place UUC is promoting itself with propaganda and lies, many churches as a matter of fact most churches are inclusive to homosexuals UCC in its eagerness to increase its membership demonstrates its willingness to deceive, not a attribute of Christ.

CKNUCK–I’m confused by your comment, there’s nothing about the UCC ad that’s a lie. There are many churches that are not accepting of gays. I believe the Catholics have been pretty clear about homosexuality as a sin. The Methodists, I believe have refused to admit homosexuals as church leaders, pastors. Episcopalians were the first to ordain an openly gay bishop. However, many churches accept homosexuals as sacred persons, but seek to reform them as they understand homosexuality as a sin rather than as love. So I don’t see what the UCC has done as being in any way propaganda or lies. Perhaps you can explain how the UCC is practicing deception to me? The notion that they accept all people isn’t a lie, and there’s absolutely no suggestion in this ad that others are NOT accepting (although that would be a valid point I think).

It’s a proven fact that the more liberal a Church becomes, the more it loses members. Christians want a Church that stands for something (i.e, Biblical principles).

Good for the UCC Churches. Christians want a Church that stands for something that resembles our Lord Jesus Christ, with love for all people who worship together. The others that don’t agree are not going to be forced to join.

ck
There are a whole huge lot of churches that will be glad to include homosexuals as long as they conform and change their entire perspective on life to bend to that churches particular variety of rules. We invite, welcome, and incorporate everyone and help them discover their own path with Christ. It’s not about rules, its about relationships; with each other, with God, and with humanity. And I’d be careful about the whole “lies and propaganda” assertion – that is a two edged sword that can swing around and slice the wielder too.
interpreter,
Its not all about numbers. We are strongest when we are open to the widest diversity. Not all our members are liberal. But we promote inclusion of everyone. So rather than close the door to those who challenge our perspective, we invite them to join us. Our guiding principle is that we treat each other with respect – the same respect that God shows all people. Recent research indicates that many of the megachurches have a small core and a large set of visitors and occasional worshipers. That is no different than anywhere else. We simply don’t include everyone who drops by now and then as “members”.
There is no doubt that the UCC is not for everyone. But we do tend to become home for people who feel they have become outcasts and left behind by their former church. Our openness makes some people uncomfortable. The joy (and for some the itch) is you never know who is sitting next to you in the service of worship, or working next to you in a mission project, or standing in line ahead of you in the pot luck. We don’t offer answers as much as help people refine their questions (and their prayers) – again, an itch for some folks. Our hope is that this new approach to publicizing our unique take on “church” will attract the folks who have no church home and are looking for God, Christ, and the Spirit.

Unfotunately, there are certain denominations who consider themselves the arbiters of all things Christian, including who is and isn’t one. High on their “Isn’t a Christian” list are both Catholics and gays.
Religion, like politics, does indeed make strange bedfellows.

So much for that “liberal media” BS.

jest most advertisement is deceptive, and these spots the moment they start shooting darts at other churches they show they are not holy. Like most smear campaigns they have unholy motives and adjectives. At the bottom of all smear campaigns lie evil intent.

It is apparent that at least in this case the media is correct, they are opposing religious intolerance. The UCC church is exclusively inclusive at the expense of demeaning anyone that is not aligned with their own views. Is it OK to stand for something, can you still say that you love all people all though you don’t agree with their lifestyle or type of ministry? Such hypocrisy! This is akin to someone making the blanket statement that unless I agree with them, I am prejudice, or non-loving, or non-accepting of them as a person. This is merely a man centered group that preach feel good messages that have no foundation.

“At the bottom of all smear campaigns lie evil intent.”
Please keep that in mind as you post about homosexuality and about liberals and about various other people you dislike.
“This is merely a man centered group that preach feel good messages that have no foundation.”
Every Christian church preaches a feel good message that has no foundation. Apparently the UCC is friendlier and more inclusive and less harmful in its version. And I see no problem with an ad that welcomes people to their church.
Now some here – cknuck comes to mind – are quick to criticize churches for this or that but woe be to any church which suggests other churches may have a problem.

I just got back from church where my pastor did not preach a “feel good message” He call led for a good look at who we are and to love the difficult. Does love call for us to accept inappropriate behavior? The church that does not accept homosexuals in its flock is as wrong as the church that elevates the behavior in leadership roles. Homosexuality is on the rise and so many people are directly touched by it. Love ones who are homosexuals should be loved and cherished but it is still a sin. Everyone that will be in either heaven or hell will have been a sinner. Only Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. The problem occurs when people because a sin is so prevalent and is socially acceptable no longer call sin sin and then go so far to call it righteous. I wonder when people justify homosexuality by saying animals do it if they will justify abortion with the fact that some animals kill their young. Sin is sin. It give me no pleasure saying this but when you lie about homosexuality the truth still has to be told. God will always send someone to tell the truth.

I don’t read the statement on inclusiveness to be a smear on anyone. It is simply a statement that this is who UCC is, and who it is not — they do not judge others and accept all of God’s people. Who is to judge what is a sin and what is not? And as Cknuck correctly says, “Only Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats”.

cknuck does your church say you may live forever? If so it’s a feel good message with no foundation.
I’ve pointed out there’s homosexuality in animals to counter the claim it’s unnatural.
And abortion doesn’t need to be justified, it just needs to be available to those who need it. Some people do need to understand why others need it, but there are always people with little empathy.
And then there are those with far more empathy for the pretend person they can pretend is “innocent” than for the real person and perhaps her real family who have the real need for that abortion.

Sheep vs goats eh. Sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell? I always thought goats were more interesting than sheep. “God” must want to be terminally bored with all those sheep he’s trying to produce.

nnmns strange quote, “And then there are those with far more empathy for the pretend person”
I have empathy for all people; I don’t think having empathy and being in total agreement of certain behaviors are one and the same. I don’t know of any “pretend people” and I have only heard that type of language from those who wish to justify brutality upon others.
Eternity has no foundation to those who have no knowledge of God who is not limited by space or time. It’s pretty hard and in fact insane to set out to prove something does not exist if you are limited by time and space or have a finite sense of faith that can only know death.

cknuck, learn to read. I said those claims are without foundation. I didn’t say or claim to have proven they are false (though the odds favor that immensely)!
And what a big head you must have to claim to not be limited by space or time. And you do have a pretty finite sense of faith since you don’t, presumably, believe in Allah or Shiva or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. To believe in only one tiny version of one little god among all those available for belief is a puny faith indeed. The difference in our disbeliefs is tiny. The difference in our requirements of evidence for our beliefs is immense.
Some days, cknuck, you are more laughable than other days. Yesterday you really should have read over your brags before you posted.

you prove my point you could read it a thousand times and still be as hateful and confused concerning God and those who worship Him. Such is your fate, not one I can laugh about, but feel sad for you.

When you can refute nothing, natter on about something else, eh cknuck. And if you fear someone’s message call them hateful. Well happily I’m not hateful.
Some call religion an opiate and your previous spacey message was convincing evidence that sometimes it has a similar effect.
But I’m not going to stay here and trade insults with you.

Good for the UCC. The internet reaches probably more than TV spots anyhow, so their message may be seen and read by more folks…all to the good of the UCC and the folks who try them out.

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