Stopped in my tracks by this billboard in Finsbury Park.
If you can’t read the legend, it is thus:
“My son was born with a heart problem. After a party he started bleeding from the mouth. I rushed him to hospital and the specialist said he had 16 loose arteries. He went into a coma, his heart stopped and both his lungs collapsed. Doctors and specialists expected him to die. At the UCKG I was given some blessed oil to anoint my son wiith. Now that his heart and lungs are better I thank the UKCG for all the spiritual support I received. Julia Caro.”
I’m investigating whether this can be referred to the Advertising Standards Authority. I suspect they will get away with it, not least because of the very careful phrasing and punctuation, in particular the lack of full stop betweem ‘better’ and ‘I’.
The uckg church is famous for exploiting poor people by charging for their ‘chain of prayer’. In February 2000 they failed to protect Victoria Climbie from her murderers by offering to exorcise the evil spirits that were killing her – rather than calling in the police when shown a battered dying child.
A 1997 Belgian Parliament Inquiry Committee on Sects labeled the UCKG as a dangerous cult. According to the Committee’s report, the UCKG is out to defraud believers. The report said that “This is an authentic crime organization whose only goal is to enrich itself. This is an extreme form of religious merchandising.”… “[the UCKG] apparently seems to be a truly criminal association, whose only purpose is enriching [itself].”
Loose arteries?
Update, September – ASA upholds complaint.
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June 5, 2009 at 7:47 pm
It’s laughable to see you trying to correct a text, when you can’t correct yourself. You misspelled ‘with’ (wiith) and UCKG (UKCG).
June 5, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Hey Lily, if you’re connected to this mob can you enlighten us about the artery thing? We’re mystified.
June 5, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I actually don’t know them. I didn’t make any comment about them but about your own loosen arteries…
June 9, 2009 at 5:43 pm
As an ex nurse I can honestly say I have never come across a condtion called “loose arteries”
If someone had 16 severed arteries I don’t see how they could survive.
I believe in the usefulness of spiritual support but I would suggest it was the doctors who saved the boy here not the holy oil. As you suggest Pam there is a careful ellipsis between anointing the son and his heart and lungs being better. Causation is thus implied by proximity of the two sentences but nowhere spelled out. Therefore I think you are right, that the ASA would not uphold your claim – but it would be interesting to see.
June 9, 2009 at 10:18 pm
The claim hasd been lodged and acknowledged. We await their response.
There is a sentence at the bottom of the poster, folded into the frame, in white on the pale cream background. It says something like, We suggest you see a doctor as well. If that’s their disclaimer re condeming people to premature death or disablilty, it sucks.
June 12, 2009 at 8:15 pm
It says, “In accordance to the CAP code, point 503, the uckg helpcentre’s
spiritual advice is to be seen as a complement to scientifically proven
[torn - medical treatment?] you are receiving.”
That’s the Code of Advertising Practice
HEALTH & BEAUTY PRODUCTS AND THERAPIES
50.3 Marketers should not discourage essential treatment. They should not offer specific advice on, diagnosis of or treatment for serious or prolonged conditions unless it is conducted under the supervision of a doctor or other suitably qualified health professional (eg one subject to regulation by a statutory or recognised medical or health professional body). Accurate and responsible general information about such conditions may, however, be offered.
June 29, 2009 at 4:35 pm
This is interesting – here’s a picture of Ms Caro and her son Mr Mendez. They aren’t the couple on the ad – http://www.uckgny.com/Testimonies.html.
June 29, 2009 at 10:29 pm
So that’s another lie – nowhere on the ad does it say ‘posed by models’.
September 27, 2009 at 10:29 pm
[...] by the National Secular Society and others to the Advertising Standards Authority about the bizarre UCKG billboard selling magic oil has been upheld. This means that the UCKG broke the law. See judgement [...]