Missouri Church Preaches: Have More Sex!
By: Jessica Brown, Action 12 News
Updated: February 11, 2011
A Missouri church's newest lesson series on sex is drawing criticism, not for its content but for its promotions.
Joplin resident Veronica Warren says, "there is no way EVER I would take my kids to a church with a big sign advertising sex."
But that's exactly what Ignite Church in Joplin did on a banner hanging behind a Sonic restaurant.
Warren says, "People bring their kids to Sonic and their kids are going to look at that sign and say, 'Mommy, what's that mean?' and oh my God, and then that parent has to explain!"
A big sign spelling out that three letter word we are embarrassed to say out loud, but pastors at Ignite Church say that's exactly what you should do if you're married.
Lead Pastor Heath Mooneyham says, "We're doing a series about sex, and God's intended purpose for it. We're hitting things like adultery and pornography."
He says the signs of married couples in sexual poses are just to promote it.
Mooneyham says, "Some people think we are porno-fying the church."
The Pastor says 86% of married people who took their online poll are not having enough sex, and they're trying to fix that.
"They are at a higher risk of adultery looking at pornography that leads to divorce."
But many passers-by agree with Warren, who says, "Ya you got a lot of peoples attention now, but you made a lot of people mad."
Pastor Mooneyham says he'll take a black eye for them to make a difference.
"We're not here to defend it but we're not here to apologize either."
According to Mooneyham, kids are exposed to sex at an early age and not from their parents. He says whether it be from someone in your neighborhood to the Disney Channel, and he'd rather it be in church.
You can find out more about the program at the church's website by clicking here.
We want to hear from you by leaving your comments on this story.
Joplin resident Veronica Warren says, "there is no way EVER I would take my kids to a church with a big sign advertising sex."
But that's exactly what Ignite Church in Joplin did on a banner hanging behind a Sonic restaurant.
Warren says, "People bring their kids to Sonic and their kids are going to look at that sign and say, 'Mommy, what's that mean?' and oh my God, and then that parent has to explain!"
A big sign spelling out that three letter word we are embarrassed to say out loud, but pastors at Ignite Church say that's exactly what you should do if you're married.
Lead Pastor Heath Mooneyham says, "We're doing a series about sex, and God's intended purpose for it. We're hitting things like adultery and pornography."
He says the signs of married couples in sexual poses are just to promote it.
Mooneyham says, "Some people think we are porno-fying the church."
The Pastor says 86% of married people who took their online poll are not having enough sex, and they're trying to fix that.
"They are at a higher risk of adultery looking at pornography that leads to divorce."
But many passers-by agree with Warren, who says, "Ya you got a lot of peoples attention now, but you made a lot of people mad."
Pastor Mooneyham says he'll take a black eye for them to make a difference.
"We're not here to defend it but we're not here to apologize either."
According to Mooneyham, kids are exposed to sex at an early age and not from their parents. He says whether it be from someone in your neighborhood to the Disney Channel, and he'd rather it be in church.
You can find out more about the program at the church's website by clicking here.
We want to hear from you by leaving your comments on this story.
Comments
From a business standpoint a more traditional advertisement has a higher chance to go unnoticed verses this way we have had over 6,000 hits on the website in just a couple of days. That is incredible!
Now from the standpoint of religion, the topic is something that needs to be talked about. It's not something to just be kept hush hush. [censored] before marriage is wrong, plain and simple. Also lack of [censored] is a big reason marriages fail according to several studies.
You have to ask your self, what does the advertisement do other than bring a little light to a very important subject
Now from the standpoint of religion, the topic is something that needs to be talked about. It's not something to just be kept hush hush. [censored] before marriage is wrong, plain and simple. Also lack of [censored] is a big reason marriages fail according to several studies.
You have to ask your self, what does the advertisement do other than bring a little light to a very important subject
Steven m.
February 12, 2011 at 1:07 pm
Advertising could have been done a little better. Instead of being in [censored] poses, they could have been looking at each other or sitting and talking.
Thomas J.
February 12, 2011 at 4:38 am
