NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–A highly touted pro-life commercial that has aired on BET and features President Obama won’t be seen during the Super Bowl because NBC rejected it, saying it involved political and issue advocacy.
Sponsored by CatholicVote.org, a project of the Fidelis Center, the ad begins by showing an active unborn baby during an ultrasound. As music plays, words on the screen read: “This child’s future is a broken home … he will be abandoned by his father … his single mother will struggle to raise him … despite the hardships he will endure … this child will become the 1st African American President.” The ad then shows a picture of Obama with the accompanying words, “Life … imagine the potential.”
The ad runs about 40 seconds online and has become a YouTube sensation, with 900,000 views. Web views, in fact, have increased dramatically since the Super Bowl controversy broke. The ad ran on Black Entertainment Television (BET) the day Obama was inaugurated and can be viewed at CatholicVote.org.
“There is nothing objectionable in this positive, life-affirming advertisement,” Brian Burch, president of Fidelis, told LifeNews.com. “We show a beautiful ultrasound, something NBC’s parent company GE has done for years.
“We congratulate Barack Obama on becoming the first African American president. And we simply ask people to imagine the potential of every human life.”
Said Burch, summing up the commercial, “Our message is simple: Abortion is the enemy of hope.”
Burch expressed frustration that the pro-life ad was rejected while NBC implied that an ad from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would have been accepted. NBC rejected the PETA ad not for reasons involving political and issue advocacy but because of its sexually suggestive content.
“NBC claims it doesn’t allow advocacy ads, but that’s not true. They were willing to air an ad by PETA if they would simply tone down the sexual suggestiveness. Our ad is far less provocative, and hardly controversial by comparison,” Burch told LifeNews.com. “The purpose of our new ad is to spread a message of hope about the potential of every human life, including the life of Barack Obama. We are now looking at alternative venues to run the ad over the next several weeks.”
Compiled by Michael Foust, assistant editor of Baptist Press.
Mary gets alot of press with her song of praise. I think Zechariah’s praise on Luke 1:67-79 should get equal consideration. Read it three times and stay there with it.
68“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people. 69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David 70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us— 72to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant, 73the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins, 78because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
All my life I have heard and even taught Philippians 4:6-7 where it says,
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
It makes complete sense, because it’s a great verse. I’ve said that one over and over again through the years as I’ve wrestled with my own worries. But I’ve never heard anyone mention the four words that come before it. I’ve never heard anyone talk about the incredibly short, but in my mind, incredibly powerful sentence that precedes, “Do not be anxious about anything.”
The four words before Philippians 4:6 are “The Lord is near.” The verses say, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious …” I love that. When we pray that verse out loud when we’re under the burden of worry, when the skies are dark and we are so anxious we can barely stand and we cry out to God, I think we should start with “The Lord is near.”
We’re not praying to a far off God. We’re not presenting our requests to a long distance lord. The Lord is near. Instead of starting with us, “Don’t be anxious about anything,” what if we started with the Lord?
Would that change the way we thought about worry? It has for me.
“But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God, made to be truly good and holy”Ephesians 4:23-24
Father,
I thank You for the work that You are doing in my life.
I do want to be made new, to be made like Christ, to be made like You, holy.
Help me to submit myself to the process. Help me to let go of my desire to control my life.
Give me a humble and soft heart, one You can work with and make me in new in You.
“Listening in the spiritual life is much more than a psychological strategy to help others discover themselves. In the spiritual life the listener is not the ego, which would like to speak but is trained to restrain itself, but the Spirit of God within us. When we are baptized in the Spirit – that is, when we have received the Spirit of Jesus as the breath of God breathing within us – that Spirit creates in us a sacred space where the other can be received and listened to. The Spirit of Jesus prays in us and listens in us to all who come to us with their sufferings and pains.
When we dare to fully trust in the power of God’s Spirit listening in us, we will see true healing occur.” - Henri Nouwen
1-3Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.
3-5Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you’ll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you’re breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren’t there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. That’s why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it’s the right way to live.
6-7That’s also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.
Titus 3 (The Message)
1-2Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand. No insults, no fights. God’s people should be bighearted and courteous.
Exodus 22:28 (The Message) 28 “Don’t curse God; and don’t damn your leaders.
Proverbs 16 (The Message)
1 Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word.
1 Timothy 2 (The Message)
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.
Highland Oaks Church of Christ Men’s Breakfast with Guest Speaker Jim “the Rookie” Morris: January 31
Make plans now to attend a very special Men’s Breakfast Saturday January 31 at 8 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall on the Dallas campus. Jim “The Rookie” Morris is our speaker. Bring your sons; invite your friends, neighbors, and co-workers.Jim had a meteoric rise from a 35-year-old high school teacher in West Texas to flame-throwing major league pitcher. His story was portrayed in the movie The Rookie starring Dennis Quaid. Jim is in great demand as a speaker. We are privileged for him to speak at the HOCC Men’s Breakfast. Don’t miss it. Breakfast is $5 payable at the door. Please RSVP – call the church office at 214-342-6060 so that we can prepare enough breakfast.
There is a new reality show that twists the idea of beauty. The people on this show are in a contest to make the cover of PEOPLE magazine. Every contestant has a beautiful body. What they don’t know is that the judges are including the inner beauty in the contest. Here is a link to get a preview.
I watched the program last night. With hidden camera’s the contestants speech and actions are being watched by the judges during the down time when the visible camera’s are off. The judges first criteria is how they look in front of the camera. After it is determined, the bottom two “lookers” are examined by their inner beauty. When the person is kicked off, it is then revealed to them alone that the outer and inner beauty was examined and used to judge.
In the private times, backbiting comments were made about others. How a person would react to a troubled person was judged. They were even tested to see if they would pick up liter that was thrown down in front of them was part of the contest. The producers of this show did not use scenarios that are far from our everyday lives. There is no trap here.
Most of us think that some of what we do is in secret and are embarrassed when the secret is out. The gal that was eliminated last night was embarrassed when they showed her the video clips of her actions and speech.
Our true character occurs when no one is looking. Our secret sins are only known by Satan and God. Satan will cheer until God will forgive, and only after we repent and confess.
This beauty will live again tomorrow, and hopefully make wiser choices. Then she will be a “True Beauty.”
