Last updated on January 22nd, 2020 at 11:50 am<\/p>\n
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil \u2014 On January 8, a Brazilian court\nordered that a controversial film depicting Jesus as a homosexual be removed\nfrom the streaming platform Netflix, in response to a lawsuit brought by a\nBrazilian Catholic organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The film depicts Jesus returning home at the age of 30 as a\nhomosexual who also smokes marijuana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In their complaint, which had previously been rejected by a\nlower court, the organization\u2014the Don Bosco Center for Faith and Culture\u2014argued\nthat the film \u201churt the honor of millions of Cathollics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Judge Benedicto Abicair ordered Netflix to remove the film,\nmaintaining that the \u201c\u201cright to freedom of expression\u2026 is not absolute\u201d and\nthat its removal would be \u201cbeneficial not only to the Christian community, but\nto Brazilian society, which is mostly Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Netflix and the studio that produced the piece, \u201cPorta\ndos Fundos,\u201d expressed disappointment in the ruling and indicated that they\nwould appeal it to Brazil\u2019s Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision came amidst widespread criticism of the film,\nwith over two million people signing a petition urging Netflix to remove it.\nBrazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the nation\u2019s President Jair\nBolsonaro, also voiced his opposition to the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tweeting about backlash to the film in Poland\u2014like Brazil, a\ncountry with an overwhelmingly large Catholic population\u2014Bolsonaro said that\nthe filmmakers \u201cdo not represent Brazilian society\u201d and called the film\n\u201cgarbage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n