Actors from the Netflix film, The First Temptation of Christ.

Though some comedians preach

that anything can be used as a joke, the thought of Jesus Christ being a

closeted homosexual does not sit well with almost two million people.

A petition on change.org has

racked up 1.7 million signatures for the ban of a new Netflix Christmas comedy,

The First Temptation of Christ, which depicts Jesus as gay.

Under fire

The site joins several others

which are placing heat on the major streaming company to remove the film,

following its December 3 premiere.

“In favour of the removal of the film from the Netflix catalogue and for the Porta dos Fundos to be held responsible for the crime of villainous faith,” a message on the website reads. “We also want public retraction, as they have seriously offended Christians.”

Porta dos Fundos is a YouTube

comedy group based in Brazil, and they are the creators of the satirical

production.

Humour through satire

In response to the backlash, the comedians said: “We value artistic freedom and humour through satire on the most diverse cultural themes of our society and believe that freedom of expression is an essential construction for a democratic country.”

The 46-minute special unfolds

with Jesus returning home for the holidays to turn-up for his birthday with his

parents, Mary and Joseph. He takes along a male friend, Orlando, who insinuates

that the two are more than just pals.

A scene from The First Temptation of Christ.

Netflix’s description of the

film 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.”

Freedom of expression

But the film (presumably a

spoof off the 1988 film, The Last Temptation of Christ) has not struck

the funny bone of many Brazilians. Many have flocked to social media to blast

the production for its insensitivity towards Christians.

“We support freedom of

expression, but is it worth attacking the belief of 86 per cent of the

population?” Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of conservative Brazilian President

Jair Bolsonaro, said.

The religious parody isn’t a

first for Porta dos Fundos. In 2018, the comedy group released the Netflix

special, The Last Hangover, a satirical spin on the final supper where

the apostles wake up to find Jesus missing and are forced to revisit the events

of the previous evening to find him.

We can all agree that finding a

good Christmas movie is arguably as critical as finding a good gift. Classics

like the 1990 film Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street (1994) and The

Santa Claus (1994) are yearly favourites. By all indications, The First

Temptation may have ruined its chances of making the cut, as it continues

to graze the finish line of being the fastest, hated Christmas flick. Ouch!