New Zealand Church Billboard Features A Panicked Virgin Mary With Pregnancy Test In Hand

If you happen to be a resident of Auckland, New Zealand, you might have already seen this billboard on your local street corner. But for the rest of us who have never laid our eyes on this wondrous spectacle, I think I speak for us all when I say whaaaaa?

Yes, that absolutely is the Virgin Mary with a terrified look on her face, holding a pregnancy test in her hands. I’m sorry, what? I went to church like a good little child for years, and not only did I learn about immaculate conception, but I know enough about Biblical times to realize the technology just didn’t exist yet. So what’s the point? Father Glynn Cardy, vicar at Matthews church explained the thought process as such:

“The purpose of the billboard, as with any billboard, is to not tell people what to think, but to get them to engage with the real meaning and real ideas behind Christmas. The ultimate aim is to stimulate thought and discussion about meaning, and, in this case, about Jesus’ birth.”

Well, I certainly agree that it will cause some sort of discussion, but whether or not it’s the right discussion is yet to be determined. Especially because the general consensus among locals seems to be that it’s “funny” — and we agree.