Imitation - the greatest form of flattery ....

Newspapers in Sydney this weekend ran a story about a new ad campaign being planned by an Islamic group called 'My Peace'. Their ads (see billboard left) will carry slogans such as ''Jesus: a prophet of Islam''.
The article claimed that: "CHRISTIANS in Sydney will have their core beliefs challenged by provocative advertisements due to appear on billboards and buses in the next month."
The Islamic campaign follows a series of campaigns run throughout Australia from 2005 - 2010 in Adelaide, Tasmania, Canberra/ACT, NSW/Sydney and WA/Perth by Christian churches and facilitated by Bible Society. The 'Jesus. All about life' (JAAL) campaigns used billboards (pictured), television commercials and encouraged local churches in each city or area to support the campaign by reaching out to their local community.
I was actively involved in developing the first three campaigns and laying the ground work for the fourth one. (For media reports, etc - click here)

The news that 'My Peace' are copying the JAAL model (but not the message of course) is not surprising, given the amount of coverage our campaign received by the secular press.
'Jesus. All about life' was favourably commented on by the Gruen Transfer and is also studied in marketing and theological courses. However JAAL varied in one key area compared to this most recent use of modern marketing techniques to promote religion. Our campaign was strongly linked to the 'brand', ie - Jesus. We chose not to denigrate or comment on other religions. We simply stated our position and then encouraged people to find out more by way of a web site or phone call.
My Peace have taken a different approach, claiming that Jesus is a prophet of Islam. Whilst I don't think this will 'challenge the core beliefs of Sydney Christians' it does 'position' Jesus as something other than who he is, in the hope maybe that those who aren't Christian, might want to find out more.
It's a bold move and one that takes the 'battle' if you like, right up to the Christian frontline.
As Bishop Rob Forsyth said, 'it was ''complete nonsense'' to say Jesus was a prophet of Islam. ''Jesus was not the prophet of a religion that came into being 600 years later.'' But the billboard was not offensive, he said. ''They've got a perfect right to say it, and I would defend their right to say it [but] … you couldn't run a Christian billboard in Saudi Arabia".'
I agree with Rob - imagine a 'Jesus. All about life' banner in the middle-east!
That My Peace have imitated our campaign is in one sense flattering, but all we did was use modern marketing techniques, backed by research to encourage people to find out what Jesus said about life. 'I have come to give life and life to the full", he said.
What do you think?