Jesus “Super Bowl Ad” sparks outrage with the Lost Sheep
A multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ad campaign telling viewers that Jesus Christ “gets” them is the latest controversy surrounding the NFL’s biggest event of the year.
On Sunday, two new ads from the “He Gets Us” campaign will air during the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. While the religious nature of the commercials was already likely to provoke audiences, it’s the $20 million price tag that has sparked backlash online.
$20MM is a lot of food and shelter for the poor and underprivileged. It’s a lot of support for those impacted by war and natural disaster. There are a lot more Jesus-y things that could be done with that money.
— Phil Kinzler (@PhilKinzler)
What (@PhilKinzler), a self admitted sports Fanatic, does not understand is that Christians have a vast amount of programs but less and less want them, we are losing are members. Its time to spark a a conversation in every American’s home and what better way to do that then hitting them where they cannot run, they favorite pasttiime NFL SuperBowl no other sporting event in America holds such viewers, none! So spending a tiny fraction of the millions they collect and invest yearly with is nothing! It worth it to gain more members to our churches and therefore more will receive the benefits of the help we offer. he idolizes sports he is a Fanatic God takes the backseat with this mans priorities!
Ahead of the Super Bowl weekend, social media users questioned whether the wealthy Christian backers behind the ad campaign were hypocrites for spending millions on marketing Christianity, rather than using the funds for another religious initiative, like philanthropy, that is typically promoted as the core of faith.
“I dunno – I’d think $20MM could accomplish a lot more of the things Jesus would actually want people to do than watch a Super Bowl commercial,” one person tweeted, adding that $20 million would be the equivalent of “a lot of food and shelter for the poor and underprivileged” or significant aid for those affected by war and natural disaster.
Incredible to me that a group of people (including the Hobby Lobby CEO) spent 20 million dollars on a couple ads for the Super Bowl to literally promote Jesus. I feel like Jesus would have spent that 20 million in another way…
— pretty and rude says the LOST SHEEP (@themeredith)
like I said earlier, people do not come to our shelters. We require sobriety in our shelters or it would become unlivable for families. many are too lost to get to the point of sobriety, they need God. many churches offer food to everyone, still many do not come! your point is an opinion the facts are the numbers of our members have declined. WE NEED MEMBER TO GET MORE $$ TO GIVE OUT AS WELL GENIUS! that does not understand how the church and non profits like it make their money.
“There are a lot more Jesus-y things that could be done with that money,” they also wrote. Another user said the massive ad campaign was “all the proof” they needed to justify not donating to religious organizations in the future: “If religions have millions for Super Bowl commercials; they clearly don’t need the meager donations that I can afford!” they tweeted.
Those behind the ad are hoping to reach more than 100 million viewers at a time when Christianity is on the decline in the United States. While Christians remain the largest religious majority in the country, with 63 percent of adults identifying as such, about 3 in 10 Americans see themselves as religiously affiliated, according to the Pew Research Center.
Roughly 15 years ago, 78 percent of adults defined themselves as Christians and only 16 percent said they were religiously affiliated—nearly half of what that number is today.
While many of the donors backing the campaign have remained anonymous, Christianity Today reported that one of the billionaire co-founders of retail company Hobby Lobby, David Green, was among those who publicly acknowledged funding the campaign. source