Florida church's marquee reads, "Christmas — Easier to spell than Hanukkah." [View all]

[kpete]

Church signs roll the dice getting hip with quips
December 24, 2013
Associated Press



ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pastor Mike Butzberger insists he only had holiday spirit in mind when his Florida church's marquee read, "Christmas — Easier to spell than Hanukkah."

But after a passer-by told him she found the message offensive and a local television station inquired about it, the Lighthouse Baptist Church preacher hustled to blunt any uproar by begrudgingly changing the sign to: "Jesus Loves You."

"By no means would I as human or Christian ever put anything on the sign with the intention of hurting or insulting," Butzberger told The Associated Press from his church in North Palm Beach, Fla. "The purpose of the sign is to draw people to God, which is, in our 'business,' what we're selling."

Welcome to the challenge for pastors eager to update the age-old practice of luring in worshippers with messages on marquees out front of the church. Long the place for Gospel quotes and Christmas Eve sermon hours, now the signs are often clever, pithy or funny. But pastors are finding that joking about religion is serious business, and it's easy to cross a line.

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