Posted on 09/30/2004 10:49:18 AM PDT by Colofornian
T-shirts proclaiming the message "I cant ... I'm Mormon" are apparently too hot for Brigham Young University, as the college newspaper has yanked all advertisements.
According to the Deseret Morning News, the paper halted the ad campaign after complaints from students, professors and administrators who felt the slogan implied a desire to engage in "objectionable" behavior.
Many thought wearers of the clothing wished they could drink, smoke or have casual sex – but were prevented solely because of their membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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One letter to the editor stated: "I can't, I'm Mormon, but if I wasn't, you know I'd be there 'cause it sounds sweet!"
Some reportedly believed the woman modeling the T-shirt in the ad posed in an overly provocative manner.
The objections are surprising to the designer of the shirt, Utah Valley State College student Chad Ramos.
Having grown up in Las Vegas, Ramos says the slogan came in handy whenever he was asked to drink or smoke.
"I found if I told people I didn't drink, they didn't know how to react," he told the News, "but if I said, I can't, I'm Mormon, they said, 'Oh,' and boom, it was over."
Thus, he was shocked by the BYU backlash.
"I didn't identify with it. I couldn't even relate," he said. "Anybody who's lived outside Utah has said this a hundred times."
Cartoon in BYU's college newspaper pokes fun at "offended" students (artist David Lesue/The Daily Universe )
Jim Kelly, general manager of the Newsnet Advisory Board which runs the student newspaper, says he, not the administration of the university, made the decision to remove the commercial.
"We don't frequently pull ads, but in terms of declining to run ads, probably two weeks don't go by that we don't decline ads for the Daily Universe," he told the News. "It is universal among newspapers to exercise the right to refuse ads considered objectionable. We're pleased we have high standards, and we're never apologetic about it."
Actually, if that's the picture I think it is, you "out" yourself to anyone knowledgeble enough to identify the picture.
I've surprised more than a few people by asking them if they are LDS and then they ask me how I knew. It's always that picture. And you probably know which one I mean.
I think 90%+ of the LDS homes have at least 1 copy of it and more than a few hang them in their office. But I've never seen that particular picture displayed by anyone who wasn't LDS.
Of course, you may have one of the (many) other pictures of Christ displayed. As far as I know, none of them are so strongly identified with a particular church.
Yes.
It's just a visual non-sequitir used as a flippant response to someone else's nonsensical ramblings. It has the added benefit of something cute doing something odd.
Yep. People often confuse "can't" for "won't." Sort of like the way Leftists confuse freedom of speech (which they demand) with freedom of thought (which they abhor).
"/snip The LDS church is very conscious of their image and try to keep a low profile. snip."
That low profile thing might work a bit better if they'd stop sending out missionaries all over the world ; - )
We "can", but we "won't"! :-)
Mormons are the weirdest western religion.
Hey, ya gotta love any religion that rips off old Masonic rituals and calls 'em their own. Me, I love it.
If you want the weirdest western religion, try Unitarian Universalist. Hell, those folks are so unsure of everything that bigots have resorted to burning large Question Marks in their yards.
I suspected as much, but I wasn't sure whether there might be some interesting history behind it. Thanks. :)
The history is largely unknown on the images. There simply appears to be some guy out there with a very tame bunny who will allow any and all manner of breakfast foods to be placed on its head. I've seen that same bunny in different poses with waffles, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, and croissants. My bunny wouldn't put up with that nonsense for a minute. And lemme tell you, there's nothing meaner in this world than a ticked-off bunny.
I thought that the most dangerous of all animals was... a clever sheep?
I always thought it was a moose. A moose bit my sister once.
(You knew this was going to come up sooner or later...)
LOL. :)
I guess you got me there.
Unitarians are so weird they are hardly a religion at all - atheists, Witches, agnostics, you name it - they are all "welcomed" in a Unitarian church.
How can a 5x8 reproduction of a painting of Jesus be a dead giveaway I'm LDS. Jesus' face head and shoulders. Nothing else is in the picture.That's like me seeing a picture of Jesus in someone else's cube or home and saying "Hey I bet they're Baptist." If I wanted to use a picture to say I was LDS I would get a picture that would emphasize that. Besides the picture is for me. It's not to tell everyone what I believe. It is to remind me of what is important to me. Confucious once said "When I seek true manhood (or true moral values) I find them right beside me." In other words a person will surround themselves with what they truly seek. No matter what that thing is. If one seeks drugs they will know users, and dealers. If one truly seeks Christian values they will go to church and spend time with the members of that church. If one seeks to be a practitioner of the martial arts, he will seek out an instructor of an art like, Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu, take lessons, weave it's principles into his life, and spend time with classmates. A true seeker of these things will always have them close by. I truly seek a strong family, a strong nation, good moral values, a strong mind, body and soul. I seek for the goodness that lies within each of us. I seek to overcome human frailties by searching myself for the fault I see in others. I believe that Jesus would approve of all these things.
In the past, I had occasions to be in the ho,es of several Mormons on various occasions. Without fail, every single Mormon family had the same depiction of Jesus ia a reproduction of a painting.
You certainly are not going to tell me there are a few specific depictions of Jesus that are not almost always found in a Mprmon home, are you?
I've heard the SLC area in Utah called the "happy valley." It's a strange place
I would if I could but I can't so I won't.
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