Orthodox Bishops' Conference urges the Media and the Entertainment Industry to Avoid the Misuse of Christian Symbols

The Bishops’ Conference convened by the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), which met in Chicago, IL, from October 3-6, 2006, issued the following statement:

We urge all members of the entertainment industry to avoid the misuse of Christian symbols, especially of the Cross, through traditional media outlets such as, television, radio, film or print, but also through DVDs, the internet, computer games, iPods, and the like.

Furthermore, we voice our concern over the growing phenomenon of a scandalous mixture of Christian symbols with secular art, advertising, music, and other aspects of public life.

We insist that members of the media take appropriate measures to avoid the appearance of what may be construed as the exploitation of sacred images, symbols, and expressions for scandalous and commercial purposes. The guarantee of free expression should not be used to insult the faith of millions of believers.