"Pregnancy test Virgin Mary" damaged (improved?)

(Telegraph) - A scissor-wielding protester has destroyed a controversial billboard of the Virgin Mary, just days after it went up outside a New Zealand church.

Hours after the attack, 100 or so Roman Catholics gathered to pray in the rain in front of the ruined billboard, which had shown Mary gasping in shock as she examined a pregnancy testing kit.

The billboard outside the Anglican church of St Matthew's in the City, in central Auckland, New Zealand, had drawn thousands of angry comments as well as messages of support from around the world.

Arthur Skinner, a member of an organisation calling itself the Catholic Action Group, who described the Renaissance-style picture as "satanic", was photographed attacking it.

"Yes, it is vandalism," Mr Skinner proclaimed proudly outside the church.

"I'm guilty. If they want to arrest me, be my guest.

"If it comes to that, I believe in being persecuted for my faith."

He told the crowd of worshippers: "We are traditional Catholics.

"We don't look for trouble, but watch out if you start this sort of thing."

Mr Skinner said those responsible for the poster, which was created by an advertising agency, would "certainly burn in hell" if they did not repent.

Many of the people who knelt on a wet pavement under umbrellas to pray and say the "Hail Mary" rosary condemned the poster as blasphemous.

The Rev Glynn Cardy, vicar of St Matthew's, who had earlier described the poster as "thought provoking", told reporters: "I'm disappointed that there is not more tolerance of different views. This isn't a different view - certainly not one that is making any sort of dogmatic statement. This is a just attention-seeking behavior (see below for last year's poster). He doesn't have a different view - he has a deplorable marketing strategy.

"They obviously feel strongly about it. Which was your plan in the first place. Avant-garde endeavors that seek to "jump start a discussion" often serve to undermine the faith more than they reinforce it. A St. Lawrence grilled cheese cook off, a St. Sebastian archery contest, a St. Stephen rock skipping competition...

"I'm just disappointed that strength of feeling has led to vandalism." Odd that you can make something horrible and it's protected in your mind because you went to FedEx Office. Bully for them that they found a less expensive method of expression.

He said St Matthew's would "need to think about" whether to replace the poster.

Two years ago a billboard outside the same church depicting Joseph and Mary in bed after sex had to be taken down after it was attacked several times by outraged Christians.