US Christian fury over 'Black Jesus' TV comedy
Barrage of angry complaints over foul-mouthed, irreverent show.
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Conservative Christian groups are outraged that Adult Swim [TV channel] is messing with their Messiah by giving him a filthy mouth and dropping him off in Compton, Calif.
“The Boondocks” creator Aaron McGruder’s upcoming comedy TV series “Black Jesus” features an African-American Jesus who tries to spread love and kindness through his neighborhood but ends up getting shot at, carjacked and punched in the face.
His followers also accuse him of “smoking all the f-----g weed.”
“I come through spitting the Gospel all the time, but ya’ll ain’t trying to hear your boy, though,” the white-robed Jesus laments in a trailer for the show.
Actor Gerald “Slink” Johnson’s portrayal of the Christian deity doesn’t sit well with One Million Moms, a conservative Christian activist organization. The group has called for a boycott of the show and its advertisers, blasting “Black Jesus” for making a “mockery of our Lord.” They want to make sure the show is never aired.
“The foul language used in the trailer, including using the Lord's name in vain, is disgusting,” the group writes on its website. “In addition, there is violence, gunfire and other inappropriate gestures which completely misrepresent Jesus. This is blasphemy!”
A conservative Christian pastor in Illinois followed suit with his own message for Turner Broadcasting, the company behind Adult Swim.
“We, the Christian Community are vehemently opposed and violently offended at this upcoming program,” writes Pastor David A. Rodgers of The House of Prayer For All Nations in Chicago. “There is no way that this show would be aimed at the Jewish or Muslim community. We are demanding an IMMEDIATE retraction of this show and a PUBLIC APOLOGY to the Christian Community at large.”
Rodgers says he plans to distribute his letter to “every church in America.”
The controversy has also inspired Change.org petitions and Facebookcommunity groups.
Despite the backlash, fans on the show’s official Facebook page seemed excited about the debut.
One enthusiast, Derek Gray, called it “satire.”
“The show isn’t mocking Jesus, but rather exposing our own hypocrisy regarding Jesus and each other. Most people won't get it but to those who do, I hope this show will have people think twice about how they are living their lives,” Gray wrote.
“Black Jesus” is scheduled to start airing Aug. 7. It’s slated for the 11 p.m. slot.
Source: NY Daily News
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