Franciscan University posted a series of ads on Facebook Friday to promote some of its online theology programs, but it says one of them was rejected because it included the Crucifixion of Christ on the San Damiano Cross.
The Catholic university in Steubenville, Ohio sent out a tweet on Friday saying its ad was rejected for content that is "shocking, sensational, and excessively violent."
"An ad we placed was rejected by Facebook today for content that is "shocking, sensational, and excessively violent," said the tweet, which included a link to a blog post."We must agree with them."
An ad we placed was rejected by Facebook today for content that is 'shocking, sensational, and excessively violent."
We must agree with them. https://t.co/Jrf4A9W2Tm pic.twitter.com/uiijuSfXgn
— Franciscan University (@FranciscanU) March 30, 2018
In the blog post, the university acknowledges that Facebook is correct to say that the Crucifixion of Christ was "sensational and excessively violent," but they castigated Facebook for rejecting the image. They used multiple Bible verses to describe the Crucifixion:
And it was certainly excessively violent: a man scourged to within an inch of his life, nailed naked to a cross and left to die, all the hate of all the sin in the world poured out its wrath upon his humanity.
"but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, an absurdity to Gentiles. But to those who are called, both Jew and Gentile, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)
As Father Mike Schmitz points out in today’s #ShareJesus message, it was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross: he was God, he could have descended from the Cross at any moment. No, it was love that kept him there. Love for you and for me, that we might not be eternally condemned for our sins but might have life eternal with him and his Father in heaven.
This is sensational, this is shocking. This is only possible because of the excessive violence that he endured for us.
"He was despised and rejected of men." It was ever thus and will ever be, for those who do not see with the eyes of faith, and love with a love unquenchable.