Kiwi church's risque Mary, Joseph in bed billboard causes outrage

Melbourne, Dec 17 (ANI): A Christmas billboard depicting Jesus' mother Mary looking dejected after unsatisfying sex with Joseph has made Kiwi Catholics unhappy.

The huge ad put up in downtown Auckland showed the couple in bed with unhappy expressions and a slogan stating: "Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow".

The fresco-style work showed Joseph looking down red-faced while an anguished Mary looks to the heavens.

It was the creation of a progressive Christian church, St Matthew's, and its vicar Archdeacon Glynn Cardy said it was a cutting-edge strategy to engage non-believers.

"Progressive Christianity is distinctive in that not only does it articulate a clear view, it is also interested in engaging with those who differ," News.com.au quoted Cardy as saying.

"Its vision is one of robust engagement," he said.

But the ad has left the city's Catholic diocese unimpressed, saying the implication that Mary and Joseph had just had sex was "disrespectful" and "offensive" to Christians.

According to the New Zealand Herald, spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said it was particularly inappropriate given the inference was wrong.

"Our Christian tradition of 2000 years is that Mary remains a virgin and that Jesus is the Son of God, not Joseph," she added. (ANI)