Church poster shows Jesus as Che Guevara By Victoria Combe, Churches Correspondent THE [UK] Churches are to advertise Jesus Christ using an image of the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. The national poster campaign, launched yesterday, uses the red and black image of Guevara that adorned Left-wing students' bed-sits in the Sixties and Seventies. But instead of a beret, the figure wears a crown of thorns. The Churches Advertising Network, which represents the mainstream Christian Churches, said it was deliberately using the image in the hope of challenging a "sentimental Sunday school" view of Jesus Christ. But both Anglicans and Catholics said yesterday that they were startled by the use of an enemy of religion to promote churchgoing, describing it as inappropriate, confusing and dated. Some 50,000 churches will this week be asked to buy packs of posters and invitation cards asking people to come to church at Easter. The 5ft posters, which will be displayed in bus shelters, rail stations and churches, bear the slogan: "Meek. Mild. As If. Discover the real Jesus. Church. April 4." The Rev Tom Ambrose, director of communications for the Anglican Ely Diocese and secretary of the advertising network, said the campaign demonstrated an "enormous confidence" and revolutionary spirit within the Christian Church. He said: "We want to get away from the wimpy Nordic figure in a white nightie. Jesus was more revolutionary than anyone in the 20th century. He was crucified exactly because he was revolutionary." Mr Ambrose said he hoped the posters would be pinned to the walls of teenage girls' rooms. Another member of the network, the Rev Peter Owen-Jones, said: "We are not saying that Jesus was a communist. We are exploiting the image of revolution, not the image of Guevara." The Churches Advertising Network is run largely by Anglicans although the Baptist, Methodist and Catholic Churches send a representative to meetings. The creative work is donated by Christians. The Catholic Church said it had had little to do with the posters. Msgr Kieran Conry, of the Catholic Media Office, said the use of Guevara, who fought with Fidel Castro's guerrillas in the Cuban revolution, was confusing. He said: "The poster fails to mention Easter, so people might think April 4 is Guevara's birthday." The Anglican Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Christopher Herbert, said young people might think "As If" was a pop group. He said: "The image is very Sixties. I cannot see how it will appeal to younger generations." The Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, feared the adverts would "trivialise the mystery of the Godhead". He said: "I am not sure it is the proper way of presenting the message of love and peace." The Socialist Party was equally disturbed by the poster. Judy Beishon, of the executive committee, said: "It all seems a bit strange. If anything, it is probably a bit unfair to Che Guevara." [end] Carl Remick