After watching the Super Bowl yesterday — and watching too many empty-headed, violence-encouraging, and sexuality-exalting advertisements, I read this morning about a commercial for “Lookup 3:16” that was not shown last night:
Fox Sports refused the ad because, according to a statement, “Fox Broadcasting Company does not accept advertising from religious organizations for the purpose of advancing particular beliefs or practices.” [Super Bowl Ads Will Leave a Religious Question Unanswered.]
So, I suppose, the executives at Fox Sports suppose that the advertisements that they did allow did not have the purpose of advancing particular beliefs or practices? Really? The irony is that ads that exalted a variety of sexual sins were exhibiting very particular beliefs and practices — ones that were contra-biblical to be sure, but beliefs and worldviews nonetheless. And the ads for various automobiles and food and drink products and movies were articulating the overtly religious idea that their products would provide a life satisfaction that nothing else could — an encouragement to an assortment of idolatries.
Interestingly enough, about halfway through the ballgame, I had the thought, “it’s interesting and sad how many of these products are essentially purporting to offer a kind of salvation and hope to their potential consumers that they are wholly incapable of providing.”
Every ad we saw yesterday had religious overtones. They were unbiblical religions, to be sure, but they were still religions. The opinions of Fox Sports executives not withstanding.
Words of Grace 