A church has been sanctioned by the UK advertising regulator for a campaign against “sodomy” in which a Bible verse was used to describe homosexuality as an “abomination”.

The Advertising Standards Authority has has upheld a complaint against the regional press advertisement, headlined “The Word of God Against Sodomy” in capital letters.

The authority ruled that the advertisement, placed in the Belfast News Letter by the Sandown Free Presbyterian Church in Belfast, caused “serious offence” and broke its standards on decency.

In its adjudication the authority, which received seven complaints, rejected the suggestion that the advertisement could provoke violence against gay and lesbian people but said it was offensive and should not be repeated.

The authority rejected the church’s argument that they could not be held responsible if people found the Bible offensive.

The Rev David McIlveen, church minister, said he was “disappointed”. He said: “This means that to quote a text from the Bible is indecent in regard to homosexuality. We find that unacceptable and in fact we find it offensive.

“We find it very strange that an authority which is out to protect other people from being offended has no scruples in offending Bible believing Christians.”