A still from the 'He Gets Us' footwashing advert
A still from the ‘He Gets Us’ footwashing advert

One Million Moms has an unexpected new target in its sights. The Christian hate organization, an offshoot of the American Family Association, normally kicks up a fuss about commercials with LGBTQ+ representation.

It recently complained about Macy’s inviting two nonbinary performers to take part in its Thanksgiving Parade. Now, it has penned a letter to supporters registering unhappiness with adverts that appeared during the Super Bowl.

Was it the Beyoncé’s Verizon ad that tipped them over the edge? Or Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ Donuts spot?

Well, it was neither. They’re actually upset over adverts celebrating Jesus.

As our sister site LGBTQNation reported, the Super Bowl featured two “He Gets Us” adverts extolling the wonders of Christ. On the surface, they advocate for people loving each other and overcoming hate.

“The first one, ‘Foot Washing’ showed a variety of still shots of folks who may typically oppose one another washing each other’s feet. “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet,” the ad states at the end.

“The second one, ‘Who is My Neighbor?’ encouraged folks to reach out to the people in need they may normally not even notice.”

Despite their rather anodyne message, LGBTQNation reports the millions of dollars spent on the ads come from questionable sources.

“Until recently, He Gets Us was a subsidiary of the Servant Foundation, which has donated over $65 million to the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).”

It also notes that “One of the major funders of the campaign has been billionaire David Green, evangelical co-founder of Hobby Lobby, which is known for discriminating against trans folks and refusing to provide birth control coverage to employees.”

Not anti-gay enough

So, why is One Million Moms upset?

Apparently, the adverts were not sufficiently anti-gay enough. Too much “love the sinner” nonsense. Not enough burning in the pits of hell.

In a message on its website, the hate group told its supporters the foot-washing advert was “incomplete and misguided.”

“The commercial was partially true, as it showed the love of Jesus and how we can serve and love one another even with our differences. Unfortunately, the movement’s ‘Foot Washing’ ad missed the mark, because it never shared the Gospel so a person might put their faith in Jesus Christ in order to receive salvation.”

“The ad missed the most important part of the Gospel – the truth that Jesus loved us so much that He died for us to save us from our sins.”

“Need for repentance”

The message continues: “Additionally disturbing, the FAQ page on the He Gets Us website also addresses the question about their stance on the LGBTQ+ community with these words:

These are probably the most common questions we receive. And we understand why. Many of those who represent Jesus have made people in the LGBTQ+ community feel judged and excluded. And others in the Jesus community have simply ignored their stories and lived experiences. So let us be clear in our opinion. Jesus loves gay people and Jesus loves trans people. The LGBTQ+ community, like all people, is invited to explore the story of Jesus and consider his example of unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness of others. No matter who you are, YOU are invited to explore the story of Jesus and consider what it means for your life.

“The website fails to mention individual accountability for sin – and the subsequent need for repentance for those sins,” concludes One Million Moms. “So once again, He Gets Us shares an incomplete message.”

In other words, the adverts just weren’t anti-LGBTQ+ enough and focussed too much on Jesus showing love to sinners.

One Million Moms, for once, doesn’t ask its followers to sign a petition. It instead asks that they view and share a video, The Road To Salvation, produced by its parent company, the American Family Association.

The ‘He Gets Us” campaign

Last year, Christianity Today reported that the He Gets Us campaign was a $1 billion, three-year project to place adverts during the Super Bowl.

One Million Moms was not the only conservative group to express unhappiness with the adverts.

Evangelical pastor Ryan Visconti wrote on X, “The ‘He Gets Us’ commercial might seem harmless to some, but it’s obviously part of a psyop to trick Christians into thinking Jesus is fine with sin & apostasy. It’s the opposite of what our world needs right now.”

Grammy-nominated Christian musician Vinnie James wrote, “The “He gets us” ad is TOTALLY deceptive. Jesus washed the feet of his DISCIPLES (followers)! Those were people who ALREADY BELIEVED in JESUS. He then told them to wash EACH OTHERS (believers) feet. Christianity shouldn’t be rewritten as political ads!”

Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for He Gets Us spoke to Newsweek. They said, “Our intent is to share the authentic love Jesus showed with anyone and everyone.”

“Our ads this year this year kick off a year-long focus on loving your neighbors, which will come to life through service events, art, advertising and engaging content, and experiences that bring people together. While we may use different words or methods than others, we hope that it compels people to be curious and explore Jesus’ story.”

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