Religious campaign uses a murderer as a poster boy

[andi]

The English press release can be found here, the English version of the site here, Late's story this way.

“Anyone and everyone can experience the power to change” is the theme of the media campaign, which launched on September 15th with the aim of reaching 1.4 million residents of the Greater Helsinki area.

The four-week campaign is built around intriguing stories of changed lives, compiled into a 108 page “special edition campaign book”. The stories are also presented on television, radio, local print media, the public transport system, outdoor advertising including billboards and outdoor/indoor video screens, Internet and social media. The stories on national TV-channels cover 90% of the Finnish population.

The stories include prominent figures and ordinary people.

One of these prominent figures include Lauri "Late" Johansson, one of the founders of a crime organization called Natural Born Killers. He is currently is in prison for murdering three people.

Yes, that's right. Someone had the bright idea of including a murderer in a campaign which main goal is to encourage people to let Jesus in their hearts and lives.

I.. Just.. What is this I don't even. This is fucked up.

/Subject title edited.

[MaybeNever]

I don't know, it seems pretty honest to me. Murdering people is kind of a major theme of religions throughout human history.

[N. De Plume]

If your message is “Absolutely no one is beyond redemption” it actually makes sense to have a reformed violent felon as a spokesperson. The question is: Has Johansson truly reformed?

[lighthorseman]

Oct 5, 2011 18:56:20 GMT -5 N. De Plume said:

If your message is “Absolutely no one is beyond redemption” it actually makes sense to have a reformed violent felon as a spokesperson.

My thoughts.

[brendanrizzo]

Oct 5, 2011 18:56:20 GMT -5 N. De Plume said:

If your message is “Absolutely no one is beyond redemption” it actually makes sense to have a reformed violent felon as a spokesperson. The question is: Has Johansson truly reformed?

Agreed. Let's not take things out of context here just to make religion look bad.

[sylvana]

I agree, if their message is that anyone can be forgiven and no one is beyond redemption then a violent criminal who apparently turned his life around makes a good example.

However, you get the other message which is that only if you accept Jesus into your life will you be saved. In such cases you get the whole Jeffry Dalmer went to Heaven but Gandhi didn't.

This looks more like the first example to me. It is a common tactic. In school, one is often spoken to buy former drug addicts / drug dealers who managed to kick their habit and life of crime and turn their lives around. It is supposed to represent that no one is so far gone that they cannot turn their lives around.

[Wompatti]

I get the whole “Absolutely no one is beyond redemption” but I still think it's an incredibly bad move to advertise that you're palling around with someone who has been convicted of three murders. Especially now when the church of Finland has been steadily losing members.

[The_L]

My inner skeptic has merged with my knowledge of webcomics to produce this:

"THIS MAN MURDERED 3 PEOPLE, AND THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD HE HAS REFORMED!
THIS MAN USED IRISH SPRING AND NOW HE'S DEAD!"

[Meshakhad]

Oct 6, 2011 1:31:32 GMT -5 sylvana said:

I agree, if their message is that anyone can be forgiven and no one is beyond redemption then a violent criminal who apparently turned his life around makes a good example.

However, you get the other message which is that only if you accept Jesus into your life will you be saved. In such cases you get the whole Jeffry Dalmer went to Heaven but Gandhi didn't.

This looks more like the first example to me. It is a common tactic. In school, one is often spoken to buy former drug addicts / drug dealers who managed to kick their habit and life of crime and turn their lives around. It is supposed to represent that no one is so far gone that they cannot turn their lives around.

I once met a former Neo-Nazi who had gone turncoat and was now an anti-discrimination activist.

[Jodie]

Oct 7, 2011 16:53:37 GMT -5 Meshakhad said:

Oct 6, 2011 1:31:32 GMT -5 sylvana said:

I agree, if their message is that anyone can be forgiven and no one is beyond redemption then a violent criminal who apparently turned his life around makes a good example.

However, you get the other message which is that only if you accept Jesus into your life will you be saved. In such cases you get the whole Jeffry Dalmer went to Heaven but Gandhi didn't.

This looks more like the first example to me. It is a common tactic. In school, one is often spoken to buy former drug addicts / drug dealers who managed to kick their habit and life of crime and turn their lives around. It is supposed to represent that no one is so far gone that they cannot turn their lives around.

I once met a former Neo-Nazi who had gone turncoat and was now an anti-discrimination activist.

That's the summary of a movie I saw recently, called Steel Toes.