A far-right religious group took matters into its own hands by

fire-bombing the office of a production company responsible for a comedic film

which depicts Jesus Christ as gay.

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

The comedy group, Porta dos Fundos, confirmed the attack on their Rio de

Janeiro office just hours before Christmas Day, and investigators are now on

the case.

Released on December 3, The First Temptation of Christ is

presented as a 46-minute satirical special which sees Jesus taking home a gay

lover for the holidays.

A petition racking up more than two million signatures was the first

attempt at banishing the film from public consumption.

In a video making the rounds on the Internet, a group (labelling itself

as the Popular Nationalist Insurgency Command of the Large Brazilian

Integralist Family) wearing ski masks appears to attack the production

company’s office with bottle bombs.

A digitally distorted statement criticises Netflix for streaming the film

and described the production as blasphemous.

Brazil, regarded as one of the most homophobic countries, is led by an

openly homophobe President, Jair Bolsonaro.

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Freedom of expression

The incident comes less than seven months after Brazil’s high court

officially criminalised homophobia and transphobia. Even though the country

legalised same-sex marriage in 2013, attacks on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and

transgender (LGBT) community have persisted with a reported 420 LGBT people

killed in Brazil in 2018.

Brazil has the world’s biggest Catholic population, and various religious

groups have blasted the film for its “insensitivity towards

Christians”, but the film’s creators have maintained their right to

freedom of expression.

Porta dos Fundos is also behind the Emmy-winning film, The Last

Hangover, which offers a satirical spin on the last supper.