Jesus has been portrayed in many different ways throughout time; some of these interpretations are widely accepted, while others are debated. A new Netflix comedy special that depicts Jesus as gay is earning the ire of some.
The First Temptation of Christ, a 46-minute special from Brazilian comedy troupe Porta dos Fundos, features Jesus (Gregório Duvivier) returning home after 40 days in the desert with his boyfriend, Orlando (Fábio Porchat), according to The Hollywood Reporter. Other jokes include moments of the Virgin Mary smoking pot and engaging in an illicit romance with God himself, behind the back of her husband Joseph.
The Netflix description reads: “Jesus, who’s hitting the big 3-0, brings a surprise guest to meet the family. A Christmas special so wrong, it must be from comedians Porta dos Fundos.”
Conservative group Cristo Rei League have denounced the special for its presentation of Christianity and is threatening to sue both Netflix and Porta dos Fundos. They are asking for about $5oo,000 to go toward the Ministry of Justice and Public Security under leader Sergio Moro. Moro and crew are the instigators of corruption investigations that led to the ousting of former Brazilian president Lula da Silva, a topic covered in the recent documentary The Edge of Democracy, which you can now stream on Netflix.
Additionally, a Change.org petition calling for its removal has received more than two million signatures.
For its part, Porta dos Fundos says it “values artistic freedom and humor through satire on the most diverse cultural themes of our society and believes that freedom of expression is an essential construction for a democratic country.”