The advertising industry's regulator in the UK has ruled that a newspaper advertisement by a Free Presbyterian church in Belfast breached advertising codes in its references to homosexuality. In advance of the annual gay pride parade last August the Sandown Free Presbyterian Church published an advertisement referring to homosexuality as an abomination.
Several thousand people attended the parade, which passed off without incident, although there were small protests by evangelical Protestants including some from the Free Presbyterian Church.
Now following complaints from four readers, the Advertising Standards Authority has said the ad caused 'serious offence' to some readers and particular care should be taken with future wording.
However, it did not uphold a complaint that the ad was likely to provoke violence or anti-social behaviour against the gay and lesbian community.
The church said it had used biblical quotations and is expected to issue a response later this morning.
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(Source: RTÉ)