November 10, 2009
Scottish Archbishop says ‘transsexual Jesus’ play part of agenda to mock Christianity 0
The Archbishop of Glasgow has denounced a publicly funded play which portrays Jesus as a transsexual, saying it is a “provocative and offensive abuse” of Christian beliefs. He suggested the event is part of an agenda to “mock Christianity.”
The play “Queen of Heaven” is being staged in the Tron Theatre as part of the publicly funded “Glasgay!” arts festival, which describes itself as “Scotland’s Annual celebration of queer culture,” the BBC reports.
Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow was critical of the production, saying in a statement:
"It is difficult to imagine a more provocative and offensive abuse of Christian beliefs than this play. That it should be supported by public funds is nothing short of disgraceful. Coming hot on the heels of the scandalous exhibition earlier this year which encouraged the defacing of the bible, this latest initiative can only be read as part of an agenda to mock Christianity.”
He said that the event’s financial backers, the Glasgow City Council and Culture and Sport Glasgow, have “serious questions” to answer concerning why such projects are funded at a time of budget cuts.
"Far from combating prejudice, productions like this reinforce stereotypes. Organizers should realize that you do not promote tolerance of the minority by offending and insulting the majority."
• Full story at the Catholic News Agency.
