NFL To Churches: Not In Thy Father's House

Football League Pulls Plug From Church Super Bowl Parties Charging Admission

(CBS/AP)  The Indianapolis Colts' first Super Bowl appearance made Calvary Temple want to party like it never had before — and now, thanks to the NFL, it won't.

The church had planned a Sunday shindig for about 100 young adults, complete with snacks and a big screen TV to watch the game.

But temple leaders scrapped the idea after learning the NFL stopped a similar get-together at another Indianapolis church, saying it would violate copyright laws.

Church leaders, regretting the turn of events, say the Super Bowl has turned into an annual way to connect with their community.

"It's just a good opportunity to get everybody together, have some fellowship and fun and watch the Super Bowl," business manager Bill Kaler said.

"I didn't realize the Super Bowl was a copyrighted thing," Kaler said.

Several congregations around the country have curtailed or abandoned party plans to avoid ending up on the wrong side of the law.

In suburban Chicago, Poplar Creek Church plans to host about 100 people to watch the game on a big-screen TV in the sanctuary. Pines Baptist Church north of Miami plans to host flag football games before guests gather to eat and watch Sunday's Colts-Bears game, Pastor Luis Acosta said.

"It's nothing different than a bunch of guys coming together at somebody's house ... it's just a church thing," Acosta said.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said these gatherings are fine, as long as the churches stay within certain guidelines. That's where Fall Creek Baptist Church went wrong.

The Indianapolis, Ind. church planned to charge admission to cover the food tab for its party and show the game on a big screen using a projector. It also promoted its "Super Bowl bash" on the church's Web site.

Those are some copyright no-no's. The league's long-standing policy is to ban "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl except at sports bars and other businesses that televise sports as part of their everyday operations, Aiello said.

Dr. John Newland of Falls Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis, told CBS's Indianapolis affiliate WISH correspondent Mike Corbin that his church had planned many activities, including games for kids and teenagers, to go along with a big-screen projection of the game. But then the church got a letter from the NFL.

"I thought, well this doesn’t make sense because sports bars all across America are showing the game," Newland said.

The NFL also warned Newland that they could not air the game on a screen larger than 55 inches.

The pastor tried to debate the issue with the NFL, but the football league wouldn’t bend.

Places (including bars) are prohibited from charging admission to watch the Super Bowl, and the law prevents them from showing the game on a TV bigger than 55 inches.

The idea is to honor the NFL's contract with networks that provide free broadcasts of the game and to protect the Super Bowl trademark, Aiello said. [Major League Baseball and the NCAA have similar policies.]

Aiello said the NFL has had to inform theaters, schools, museums, casinos and hotels about these limits. Officials also have talked to hundreds of churches in the past.

"They say 'Thanks' and they have their Super Bowl viewing parties within the rules," he said.

Others have spiked their plans.

In suburban Houston, members of the Cypress United Methodist Church decided Thursday to cancel their Super Bowl party after being told the gathering would violate the league's copyright.

The church planned to charge a small admission fee to raise money for its youth mission activities.

"We felt like we were offering a wholesome environment for the youth," church administrator Quinn Edmondson said. "We were, frankly, pretty shocked."

In Indianapolis, Fall Creek Baptist Church Pastor John Newland said he's received about 200 e-mails since The Indianapolis Star first reported about the NFL's letter. Some told him to hold the party anyway and dare the league to sue him — tossing a "Hail Mary pass," if you will.

"We think the law is wrong, and it discriminates against people of faith while opening up an exception to certain businesses who stand to make millions," he said.

Even so, he has no intention of breaking the law. Instead, he wants to tell people about it to motivate change.

"We have to teach our kids that just because you don't like a law, that doesn't mean you have to break a law."

Calvary Temple's Kaler also preaches respect.

"If that's the way it is, that's the way it is," he said. "I think being a church and a Christian organization, you've got to do what's right."

[legendary240]

Jesus fashioned a scourge of cords and overturned the the moneychangers tables....Why would a church have the StuporBowl aired at their "church" anyway? God please forgive us! Do they think that such concessions will make them "cool"? Great, just what the world needs, the message of the NFL, the Beer commercials and that leprechaunish pervert Prince up on the big screen in the church. Thanks Reverend Cool-Breeze!

[musyk4me]

I must agree that at first, I was surprised that the NFL went after churches for having fellowship with each other as they tried to show that Christians, too, can have fun. Until I read that they were charging admission to cover their expenses!! I believe that a church should never charge for anything. The church is there to be a support and a haven for the community, regardless of religion. Not a big-business. A church's income comes from tithes and offerings (offerings which include donations). When churches begin acting like corporations, they loose their reason for being what they were created to do. As someone stated before, so many people are turned away from the church because of the misrepresentation of Christ that we as human beings so frequently display. So before you ban the Super Bowl cmp271 (which I thought was a great game!) because you don't like the NFL's actions, ask the church why they had to charge people to even step foot in what is supposed to be a sanctuary. Maybe that church needs to go back and read about how Jesus kicked the moneychangers and the %u201Cbig-businesses%u2019 out of the temple because they were charging people who came to make a sacrifice and worship.

[phil-in-fin]

"(good being only what makes your own life better without making the lives of others worse)."

Posted by tucson23

What incedible logic you have.

So, whatever you reason to be both good for you and for others is perfectly okay.

You sound like a serial killer on trial.

[tucson23]

Jesus was a man, no more. If you believe that rightousness is something that you get by following the advice of others, or believing blindly what others tell you, then you are the worst kind of stupid. Real "rightousness" comes from mastering your own thoughts and behaviours, not because some fictional invisible being will get mad at you if you don't. Religion is for people too stupid to be good or bad because they can forsee the social consequences of their actions, and for those too weak to be good for it's own sake (good being only what makes your own life better without making the lives of others worse).

[phil-in-fin]

I originally said,

"Why would a church need a business manager? Would the person in charge of the church's financial affairs be called a pastor/priest/etc"

Posted by phil-in-Fin at 04:29 AM : Feb 04, 2007

And then derfdude said

"If you would do some research before you made an ignorant comment like this you would know."

To derfdude,

You must be a Christian to insult me like you did.

To spell out my comment for you, I asked "Why would a church need a business manager?" meaning is this business manager a believer? Is this business manager not part of the church leadership?

Was my question too obvious, derfdude?

[radicalc-2009]

Righteousness comes only by faith. Jesus completed the work. Most Christians today still live by the law and therefore they have to be selective as to which laws they can live up to. Then they impose their rules on everybody else. The work of Jesus was to make up the difference where we fall short, that puts us all on equal turf with God. Whatever my or your problem or shortcoming is, Jesus will make up the difference and provide righteousness for us. He didn't make that great sacrifice for us so He could turn around and reject us all. Most people don't go to church because Jesus is so misrepresented in church!

[thgdriver]

cmp271

Can't say I agree with you, copyright laws are for "everyone", that includes the church.

If you think it's a bad law, work to get it changed.

[thomas_hoag]

The NFL did these churches a favor. Perhaps the church pastors will be reminded that arranging a watching of football as a way to encourage fellowship is tantamount to 1st Century pastors inviting congregants to the Roman gladiator games.

[cmp271]

BOYCOTT THE SUPERBOWL

Any day the big NFL has to go after a church is the day watching this overpriced, commercialized, and arrogant business has to end. I really don't care to see it this year, mainly because of the church issue. I am not a Christian or any other fanatic. Enough is enough. It is so over hyped about this show. The tickets are way over priced, the players are way overpaid, and some of the players have bad characters and are wife beaters. Why should they earn so much money and then deny a church to show this game. They should donate their earnings for the day to churches and temples.

[thgdriver]

I'll run a true story by you all. About 35 years ago I owned a home next door to a church, their parking lot bordered my property. Form time to time I parked in a space right behind my home. One Sunday three well dressed men knocked a my front door and told me they were directors of the church and if I parked there again they would have my car towed.

I asked what the sermon was that Sunday, Love thy neighbor just don't let him park on your 500 space lot?

I added, that's fine, the next time I see kids tossing rocks through your stained glass windows I did not have to be a "good neighbor" and scare them off.

Two days later a women showed up at my home and said the church had no problem with my car and gave me a sign for the cars window.

[bildooreilly]

Jan 29th, COLORADO SPRINGS (AP) %u2014 The former male prostitute whose accusations against New Life Church founder Ted Haggard led to Haggard's dismissal as pastor has paid a visit to the megachurch.
Mike Jones, who has a forthcoming book, told The Denver Post that several people shook his hand during the visit Sunday and told him, "God bless you."

"I had read a lot about the church, but there's nothing like seeing it for yourself," Jones told the paper. "It wasn't to rub anyone's face in it by any means. I was wanting to get some perspective, to see where they are coming from, what the magnet is."

Haggard resigned last year as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after Jones alleged Haggard paid him over a three-year period for *** and sometimes took methamphetamine during the encounters.

Haggard then was fired as pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church. He publicly admitted in November to unspecified "sexual immorality."

In an apology to the church, Haggard had urged members to forgive and thank Jones for exposing deceit. Church members invited Jones to the church several times.

[devante1995]

Hypocrisy of Marital Relationships: So many Christians try to rationalize this but it is clear that a true follower of Jesus can neither divorce someone nor marry someone who is divorced. There is an exception to the rule, however. If spouse commits adultery, divorce is permissible. On the same token, the Bible also says that anyone who obtains a divorce and marries another is in adulterer. Remember that 80% of this country is Christian yet we have a 50% divorce rate. A majority of divorces are a result of irreconcilable differences, not adultery, which implies that Christians are again practicing selective morality. How many Christians are working on a second, third or fourth marriage?

[devante1995]

Christians, they love to talk about how loving, dutiful and compassionate they are, yet I have yet to meet ONE who does not practice hypocrisy to the highest degree. Their willful ignorance of the Bible combined with their two faced idealism to preach it, has made us sick, hasn%u2019t it? For nearly two thousand years Biblicists have been lecturing people on the importance of adhering to the Bible%u2019s teachings on ethics, manners, and morality. They quote Jesus and Paul profusely, with a liberal sprinkling of Old Testament moralism. The problem with their approach lies not only in an oft- noted failure to practice what they preach, but an equally pronounced tendency to ignore what the Bible itself, preaches. Christians practice what can only be described as %u201Cselective morality%u201D. What they like, they cling to and shove down other%u2019s throats; what they don%u2019t like, they ignore vehemently. That which is palatable and acceptable is supposedly applicable to all; while that which is obnoxious, inconvenient, or self-denying is only applicable to those addressed 2,000 years ago. Their hypocrisy is so rampant that even the validity of calling oneself %u201CChristian%u201D is in question.

[devante1995]

1st. Commandment, Exodus 20:3 %u201CThou shalt have no other gods before me%u201D. Old Testament punishment - Deuteronomy 17:1-5 %u201CAnd hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heavens, which I have not commanded. Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing and shalt stone them with stones, till they die%u201D. Deuteronomy 13:6-10, %u201CIf thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is of thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. Thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God." Exodus 22:20 %u201CHe that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed%u201D. New Testament punishment - Mark 16:16 %u201CHe that believeth not, shall be damned%u201D.

[devante1995]

There are many Christians and Jews who demand that the Ten Commandments should be displayed in public institutions. In my opinion it is only fair that if the commandments are to be displayed, so should the penalties for breaking those commandments. Matter of fact they should be posted in its entirety so that society can see just what kind of *** these religions are feeding us. I also encourage those of you Judeo/Christians who visit here to print out this very list and post it where your children can see it. It%u2019s time you explain to them what a murderous, unjust god you brainwash them into worshiping.

[bildooreilly]

Devante 1995, it's even more sinister than that lol.. For example if you can still find some photos of Rev Haggards followers, they're all doing all these weird gestures that come from things like hinduism, buddhism, freemasonry, etc etc... These megapreachers are using eastern brainwashing tactics on their "followers" just like Adolph Hitler did on Germany. They're having their minds controlled, there were a bunch of "Gurus" in the 70's and 80's over here doing the same thing to the hippies... They'd take all their money, their homes, then they'd get the blessing of their Guru coming over to visit and driving past them in his gold plated rolls royce. People have no idea what they're exposed to day in and day out and it isn't just churches who are using these mind control techniques, although they and hollywood seem to be leading the pack.

[reel-crazy]

Simply put, the advertising blew it for the church. If this had been going on for 15 years, I would think all the members of the church would already know about the yearly event and there would be no need in placing it on their outdoor announcement sign. Replacing the "fee" wording with merely just passing a basket around at halftime for donations would also have been wiser. As far as the NFL's rules on 55" screen limitations, they can kiss my hind end. I will show ANY program on ANY size screen I wish in my own house AND to whomever I want... I am sure they have screens larger than that, too.

[devante1995]

RELIGION IS A JOKE! Minsters drive expensive cars, rape kids, have *** the congregation, get tax right offs, use scare tatics for the own agenda, remember Jim Jones, Jim Baker, Ted Haggard, the Colorado minister who resigned and is the presidents religious advisor, told reporters he bought drugs and received a massage from Jones. The Rev. Ted Haggard, the Colorado minister who resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals, admitted that he bought methamphetamine and received a massage from a male prostitute. Rev Haggard is married, Haggard, 50, who is married and has five children, stepped down from leadership both of the NAE and of New Life Church, the 14,000-member congregation he started in his basement 22 years ago. His resignation followed accusations by Mike Jones, 49, a male escort who said Haggard paid for *** about once a month for three years.
HERE IS ONE OF YOUR LEADERS, GOING DOWN LITERALLY! THANK THE PLANET FOR ATHEIST!

[devante1995]

The Denver Post reported that Rev. Paul Barnes resigned on Sunday from his 2100 person evangelical megachurch after "confessing" in a 32 minute video that he had had *** with men during his marriage.

[bildooreilly]

I'd just like to know who the whiny liberal sheet was that saw the church ad and turned them in.

I imagine it was one of those bars you people are always messing with, with your no smoking laws and other BS...



---------------------------------
Who else would give a "flyin sheet" what a bunch of church goers do in their building.

Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Obama can use church services for whatever, but you try to bring in a few new prospects to your local church with a super bowl party and snacks and ppffffftt.
Posted by dontbasucka at 12:22 PM : Feb 04, 2007
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