Philly clergy protest I-95 ‘pro-prostitution’ porn star billboard
Philadelphia clergy and concerned citizens will at 1:30 p.m. gather at the entry gate of Steen Outdoor Advertising in Point Breeze to protest a billboard along I-95 that they say promotes adultery.
The advertisement for Arrangement Finders.com, which bills itself as a matchmaking website pairing “sugar daddies” with attractive young women, is located near the highway’s Allegheny Avenue exit in Port Richmond.
The sign features the slogan “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” with a photo of porn star Bree Olsen holding her finger to her lips.
“The Pennsylvania Family Coalition calls for an immediate take-down of the offensive and hateful billboard posted by Steen Outdoor Advertising on Interstate 95 that promotes adultery and mocks the Sixth Commandment, ‘Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,’” said Lourdes Swarts, president of nonprofit education organization the Pennsylvania Family Coalition.
“The fact that the billboard has been allowed to stand for weeks without outcry from Philadelphia clergy speaks volumes about the marriage meltdown in the United States and the aggressive campaign of the sex industry to mainstream prostitution.”
Rev. Shota Iwasaki of the Unification Church organizations in Pennsylvania and Delaware has requested the billboard be removed and the ad agency sign no further contracts with “pro-prostitution” advertisers.
“The message of the advertisement mocks Christianity and twists the commandment against adultery that has served as a cornerstone for civilization for 4,000 years,” he said in a statement.
Institute for Relationship Intelligence founder Dr. Richard Panzer called the billboard a “cultural assault” and said that it’s part of a larger attack on Americans who hold traditional and religious values, especially when it comes to sex and marriage.
“People who think this way are really very ignorant about who’s having the best sex in America,” he said. “That is, married people who are faithful to each other.”
