NEW ZEALAND: Church Loses Case For Falsely Claiming Jesus Cures Cancer

A New Zealand advertising standards board has ruled that a local church had falsed claimed that faith in Jesus can cure cancer.

The church said they believed the Bible as the authoritative and reliable source of information and it gave numerous accounts of Jesus healing people. "Our belief is substantiated by the fact six people within our congregation have testified to Jesus healing them from cancer," the church said. The church said religious advertising and freedom of speech were vital components of a free and democratic society. In its consideration, the standards authority said it had looked a photograph of the billboard which was clearly identifiable as an advertisement for the Equippers Church. But it said the billboard made its statement as a "strong absolute statement of fact" when it should be stated as a belief of the church. It breached the advertising code of ethics on that ground.

Members of the church had no comment on why Jesus had afflicted them with cancer in the first place.