Mary and Joseph billboard not obscene, says Kiwi watchdog

SYDNEY - An Auckland church billboard which became the centre of controversy for allegedly portraying sexual activity between Mary and Joseph has been has been ruled not offensive by New Zealand’s advertising watchdog.

The billboard outside St Matthew-in-the-City Anglican Church showed pictures of a dull Mary and Joseph in bed, with a caption reading: “Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow”.

After repeatedly vandalism the church took it down.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received numerous complaints, claiming the billboard was offensive, insensitive, blasphemous, ridiculed the beliefs of Christians and distorted children’s perceptions of Christmas, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

However, the ASA ruled the billboard was not obscene by any means.

According to the ASA, the billboard depicted no naked people or sexual act and “had been prepared with a due sense of social responsibility to consumers and to society”. (ANI)