NI church gay ad breached regulation

Solicitors in Northern Ireland may be interested to know that a newspaper advertisement sponsored by the Sandown Free Presbyterian church in Belfast has been found to have breached advertising codes.

Though only seven complaints against the ad speaking against homosexuality, which was published in News Letter in August, were lodged, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has said it caused "serious offence".

The advert headlined The Word Of God Against Sodomy referred to homosexuality as an abomination saying it was a "a grave offence to every Bible believer".

According to the ASA, which has said the ad should not appear again in its original form, particular care should have been taken "to avoid causing offence on the grounds of sexual orientation".

However, the church has stood its ground with Sandown minister Reverend David McIlveen saying they did the right thing, the BBC states.

"We've no apology for the statement that we made and we believe that it was necessary for us as a church to make a statement on what the Bible teaches about sodomy," he said.
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