We added this statement to the Scottish Episcopal Church website yesterday:
Prayer for Everyone
November 22, 2015
In commenting on the refusal by leading cinemas to show a short advert of the Lord’s Prayer, The Most Rev David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church says: “I watched the ‘Prayer is for Everyone’ video which will now not be shown in cinemas. I was personally moved by it. It shows a very diverse group of people. They connect their everyday life and work to the Lord’s Prayer. This is not an attempt to package or to ‘sell’ religion. Rather it seeks to help people to make connections between life and faith.
“We are living through a time of great sensitivity about faith issues. The terrible events in Paris last week demonstrate that religiously motivated violence is one of the great challenges of our age. This is Scottish Interfaith Week, which reminds us of the challenge and the richness of living in a multi-faith and multi-cultural context. It is not in the best interests of our society that we should cultivate excessive sensitivity about what can be expressed. We all need to be able to look at and appreciate the integrity of one another’s faith. Most of all we need to be able to distinguish good religion from bad and not make the mistake of assuming that all religion must be seen as potentially offensive.”
The Primus spoke about this on BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Good Morning Scotland’ programme on Monday 23 November at 07.55 – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06pcz84#play – his interview starts at 01:55:20
– See more at: http://www.scotland.anglican.org/prayer-for-everyone/#sthash.JFji0Msr.dpuf
Hello David
we are far from the Greek classes in the N block of school in Belfast …
The cinema people’s strongest point is that if they permitted this advert. they would be obliged to show all sorts of religious advertising, much of it perhaps not at all edifying. The problem is how in your words to “distinguish good religion from bad”. Maybe interfaith discussions should produce guidance notes for cinemas etc of “good or bad religion”: does the advert. disrespect other points of view; does it use emotional pressure to convert; does it solicit for funding …
I flew with a Middle Eastern airline last year. They broadcast a Muslim prayer at the start of the flight. It sort of intrigued/washed over me but did not annoy or offend. Similarly with the twice a day Angelus on the Irish state broadcaster. Or even if atheists want to repeat their “There probably isn’t a God …” pitch, why not? I don’t rush to buy the popcorn and fizzy drinks they advertise in cinemas.
charis kai eirene
(‘grace and peace’ for those not “blessed” with a classical education)
John
I agree, it is a prayer for all, it is so wrong that it is banned by cinemas especially as it was passed by the relevant authorities.
Prayer should not be considered the be offensive.