Gay Jesus play blasted by Anglican bishop
Pastor Dale Morgan
Gay Jesus play blasted by Anglican bishop*
Andrew Taylor and Kristie Lau
January 20, 2008
AUSTRALIA - A PLAY that depicts Jesus as a gay man who is seduced by
Judas and conducts a gay marriage for two apostles has been condemned by
religious leaders as it prepares to open in Sydney.
The Anglican Bishop of South Sydney, Robert Forsyth, questioned the
integrity of Corpus Christi and expressed his outrage at the
"unhistorical and untrue" depiction of the son of God and some of his
disciples as homosexual.
"It is deliberately, not innocently, offensive and they're obviously
having a laugh about it," he said.
"It's historical nonsense and I wouldn't want to go and see it. Life's
too short."
Australian Family Association spokeswoman Angela Conway said the play's
creators had committed "a big enough crime" by neglecting to treat
Christianity and Christian believers with more sensitivity.
"The ideas are offensive and really border on blasphemous. It's just
completely fanciful and self-obsessive," she said.
The play's director, Leigh Rowney, is unrepentant. "I would be surprised
if people bothered to protest outside the New Theatre … but if they did,
bring it on," Rowney said.
The play, which will open at the New Theatre in Newtown on February 7 as
part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, provoked protests and bomb
threats in the US. Death threats were sent to playwright Terrence
McNally, who draws parallels between the rejection he faced as a young
gay man growing up in Texas and Christ's persecution.
Rowney, a Christian, denied the play mocked Christ but said it would
upset some Christians.
"I think it humanises Him in a way Christians might find difficult
because we like to believe God and the son of God are ultimately divine
and above all of us.
"I wanted this play in the hands of a Christian person like myself to
give it dignity but still open it up to answering questions about
Christianity as a faith system."