Jesus Christ cartoon in development at Comedy Central

Is America really spinning out of control this fast? Comedy Central wants to dedicate to Jesus as a cartoon.

[url/]=http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/07/show-about-jesus-is-just-a-maybe-for-comedy-central/]Jesus Christ cartoon in development at Comedy Central[/url]

The series would be about “JC (Jesus Christ) wanting to escape his father's enormous shadow and to live life in NYC as a regular guy. A lot has changed in 2000 years and he is the ultimate fish out of water,” according to a press release. “Meanwhile his all-powerful yet apathetic father would rather be playing video games than listening to JC recount his life in the city. JC is a playful take on religion and society with a sprinkle of dumb.”

It's important to note that script development is the very earliest stage a program can be in, said Comedy Central’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Steve Albani in a statement to CNN.

In fact, this stage is so early, Comedy Central's Albani "wanted to emphasize that projects at the script deal level are several levels away from being greenlit to series and appearing on air ... most script deals do not even get a pilot order, the next step in the development process.”

This idea is either the product of an intellectually bereft entertainment company, or a spiritually bereft emergent church. It's so hard to tell the difference anymore.

I actually wrote an email to someone at that network yesterday.

I explained in the letter that I don't watch the network...but I wanted to let them know that there are people who love Jesus who are deeply hurt that someone would ridicule Him like this in order to make money.

It is disappointing that this new "modern morality" has individuals seeking legal protection for their sexual appetite -- but many of those same people will mock, ridicule and vilify others for their sacred, spiritual views.

It is ironic that those screaming for "tolerance" are usually the most intolerant toward those who disagree with them. It reminds me that there are people in this day and age who are so quick to call evil "good" and good "evil."

wanted to let them know that there are people who love Jesus who are deeply hurt that someone would ridicule Him like this in order to make money.

We see this in the church as well with many TV preachers. So much for not being lovers of money.

'In fact, this stage is so early, Comedy Central's Albani "wanted to emphasize that projects at the script deal level are several levels away from being greenlit to series and appearing on air ... most script deals do not even get a pilot order, the next step in the development process.”'

It seems odd that this would be suggested so soon after the network appearantly removed or censored content from one of its shows that depicted Mohammed - because of the threats of violence and death that resulted.

This story serves as a self-depreciating commentary for our society and this world. It is so for at least several reasons:

It shows how debased and degraded the open sin of our society has left our hearts and minds. Because fools make a mock at sin(Proverbs 14:9).

But to make a purposefull mockery of the life and majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ?

What does it say of us as people when we begin to find the lowest and most vicious insults... laughable?

The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. And the heavy stones of insult are the dull pearls of deadened minds.

The Psalmist says that man that is in honour, that understands not, is like a beast that perishes. And he says also, speaking of the deep thoughts of God, that, a brutish man does not know them, and a fool doesn't understand them either.

The word translated brutish means to be like cattle. Something that does nothing more than eat all day. And make noises.

And so here, our society would envision itself as having reached the heights of intellectual supremacy and enlightenment, because we are free in our hearts and minds to mock and insult every idea or concept of God no matter how lovely or honorable or esteemed it has been.

We would say we are exhalted because we are free to mock, even at Almighty God.

The wisdom of God would say we have become bebased to dust because of it.

We would say we are the wisest of human beings because we are free to think without any fear of God.

The wisdom of God would say we've become like beasts because of it.

It is another axiom of the scriptures that we cannot rise above whatever it is we worship(Psalm 115:1-8), and we, having set aside God as the highest and loftiest thought of which we are capable, and having replaced Him with cruel caricatures and grotesque images made from our own minds and hearts, replace also His worship with our own entertainment - which increasingly consists of filth, shame, and disgust, directed at our own selves.

cont...

This story serves as a commentary on our society on another level:

It speaks to the beguiling notion that absolute tolerance is absolutely tolerable. It shows it is just the opposite.

It demonstrates that a world that tolerates every thing can soon live with nothing. If nothing is sacred then niether is life and life in a world where every thought and belief and practice is treated equally will become increasingly uncomfortable to all.

Truth is the most durable clothing. But garments woven from the thread of absolute tolerance will soon rot and fall away to taters, leaving us all naked and ashamed. Because absolute tolerance and the idea that every thought and belief must be given equall treatment and protection is no thread at all, but rather a caustic acid that will eat away at the fabric of our lives.

But this leads to something more positive that this story highlights and I think it is to the glory of God.

And that is, how does God respond and how should we?

Well, far from being 'apethetic' as the authors of this 'comedy' would suggest, God is most certainly active. And my suspcion is, that He is actively seeking to do something about this, and everything else like it.

But what? and what, if we want to be like Him, should we do?

My suspicion is, that God is doing much like Joseph said so long ago, the man who had such faith in the promises of God and of the surety of His purposes that he had his brethren promise to carry his bones over with them into the promised land. Whose declaration was this, that what men had intended for evil, God had meant for good.

And I'm certain that God can use this for good also. I'm certain He can use it for the good of His people. I don't know how it will turn for those who do things like this; I hope that God will use it for their good also. But I'm ceratin that there is a way, and there are ways, that we can use this and things like it, for good also.

And God, Who upholds all things together by His Own power, Who does not respond out of mere insult and offendedness at the peevishness of His creatures nor in the same spite and malice as that theif and destroyer Satan, but Who, with calculated precision, with indefatigability patience, with boundless pity, with limitless love, with unfathomable wisdom by the greatness of His own power, no doubt He will work all things together for good, and especially for those who love Him.

And He, He will get great glory because of it.

Because He is still, and always shall be, worthy.

What does it say of us as people when we begin to find the lowest and most vicious insults... laughable?

Hi Chris,

I was asking myself the same question.

What worries me about this type of thing is how it resembles the German posters of the 1930's in public places showing 'funny' caricatures of Jewish German citizens, or of Russian posters in the 1920' depicting caricatures of priests...or American depictions of african and native americans in various periods of our history. It's an intentional public display of hatred and ignorance designed to incite more of the same. When public mockery of a specific group of people becomes grotesque amusement for the masses we should worry that our deformed society is entering into yet another brutal period of its checkered history.

MC

Hi everyone.

Mike,

"how it resembles the German posters of the 1930's..."

I had not thought of that but I think you're on to something. If you want to overcome a people's general sensibilites about the value of human life or specifically any one group in particular, it would perhaps go a long way to portray those certain people in unhuman like ways - to so humiliate and degrade them that their life no longer seems to have the same value as others.

That was probably in back of the things you mentioned from history?

But what about here? This obviously isn't government sponsored bigotry and defamation? Perhaps not, not of any government of this world, but rather altogether and of another(Ephesians 2:2, 6:12).

And so, if I could take something else you said just a bit further...

"It's an intentional public display of hatred and ignorance designed to incite more of the same."

I think I would agree with you, that the end of this is crafted to cultivate hatred in the hearts of those that see it, but we might also agree that this probably isn't the overt intention of the creators, and it may be that they honestly view this as some kind of free creative expression, meant to be humorous.

So whose intention is it then?

There is only one being roaming the Earth who is a purpetual and virulent purveyor of hatred. Against man. And against God.

To reverance and fear God is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. And the anithesis of reverance is mockery, humilation, and shame.

If Satan should want to drive fear and reverance for God away from the hearts of men and women he could no doubt do it by making a mockery of God in the form of entertainment.

Men do not quake and tremble before things they laugh at and scorn.

David said in the Psalms, that the transgression of the wicked said to him in his heart, that there is no fear of God before their eyes.

But how, how does he say that comes to them?

He says 'he flatters himself in his own eyes',

until what?

his inquity becomes, are you ready... hateful.

To insult, mock, caricature, and denigrate Almighty God is the ultimate form of human self-flattery. It says in effect that human beings are supreme because there is no other being so high or at least so much as higher than they, to whom their insults cannot reach. You cannot view anything as being higher than yourself that you feel comfortable in insulting. At best, when you insult another you are saying they are no better than your equal. At best... but for most, far worse.

This is quintessential Satanisim(Isaiah 14:13-14).

Recently Mike, you and I and some others talked about some things mentioned in a book called Marx and Satan by Pastor Wurmbrand.

Consider this qoute attributed to Marx from a work of his titled "A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right"

"The criticism of religion disillusions man, so that he will think, act, and fashion his reality like a man who has discarded his illusions and regained his senses, so that he will move around himself as his own true Sun."

Mockery of that which is holy in the form of 'entertainment' is just another form of diabolical criticism that will leave man to be his own dead, burnt out sun. Much to the glee of that failed luminary, the Devil.

Some interesting thoughts,

Part of what desensitizes us to these things is being immersed in it. If we were to travel to our present time from say the mid 20th century we might very well be shocked to our core at the brutal caricatures of Christians in our popular culture...

I think I would agree with you, that the end of this is crafted to cultivate hatred in the hearts of those that see it, but we might also agree that this probably isn't the overt intention of the creators, and it may be that they honestly view this as some kind of free creative expression, meant to be humorous.

To be honest, Im not so sure this is so unintentional. I would agree that it isn't part of a highly coordinated networked conspiracy per se...but it seems quite reasonable to conclude that the creators of this program have some kind of contempt for Christianity, organized religion, the church, or God himself, or someone from their childhood who practiced religion, or conservatives or something in that area...whatever the case I think their feelings on this subject are personal. Furthermore, their confidence in proceeding with this program, stands in marked contrast to their cowardice towards Islam, so clearly they believe that Christians will not threaten them with violence. (I suppose, we could take this as a kind of compliment...) It's alos clear that they believe, or at least hope, that our society will find this type of anti-christian bigotry amusing.

So it is once again left to us to show how tolerant we all are for something that assaults all of us, and not just Christians. To demonstrate why I say it assaults all of humanity, not just Christians, I could post links to other hateful caricatures from modern history that degenerate our entire civilization into brutes as you rightfully stated. I could post these links, but of course I will not, because even as historical examples, they are terribly dehumanizing.

I also resist making this a political issue. The monstrous laughter we hear at the sight of these hateful images is straight from the murderous din of the human heart, and runs deeper then any political convention.

Now I will also agree with you that I think these effete artists don't see themselves as Nazis. but rather fine human beings inspite of thier obvious cruelty. I've seen this very kind of moral self-assurance in unsuspecting Christians from time to time. You see, when a person thinks he stands firmly on higher moral ground, he stops questioning his own life and instead assumes he is incapabile of being a monster. This is the blindness of self-righteousness. Likewise, there is a secular politically correct self-righteousness running amuck in our land. It has forgotten to think anymore, and just assumes it is more tolerant just because it preaches tolerance...just as some Christians forget to repent, and just assume they are more moral just because they preach morality. And as a result, this unwitting self-righteousness is immune to any humility or willingness to reconsider itself. So, it is unthinkable for some conservatives to find out they are not so moral after all...just as it is unthinkable for some liberals to find out they are bigots after all.

When this chronic self-righteousness becomes a widespread delusion, I believe we see the emergence of the fearful social phenomenah we call fascism. Much like the convergence of different benign elements in weather can swirl into a great and terrible storm system, I believe the right conditions can form in our country where the state and public unwittingly align into a single self-righeous storm sytem to pour out its dehumanizing bigotry against Christians. The whole time they won't see themselves as they are because they believe their very idealogy of tolerance makes them better then all of the facists who have come before them.

Blessings,

MC

Hi again Mike!

Love and peace and grace be to you and yours.

"...have some kind of contempt for Christianity, organized religion, the church, or God himself..."

You may well be right brother. My only thought was to say that I don't think their overt intention in making something like this would be to incite hatred. It could be of course. You have to hate something in order to ridicule it to begin with, like you said. And the order of hatred is measured by the degree to which the thing that is hated is otherwise owed our love.

"I also resist making this a political issue."

I agree. This was something of why I thought the qoute from Marx was so telling. It speaks to me of the origin of Marxisim as an ideology and the parallels between what was expressed in that qoute and the thought of a 'comedy/cartoon' with such a premise as described here, the parallel between them is striking, and says much to me of their both having a common origin, and of their both drawing 'inspiration' from the same foul stream. And this going beyond what is latent in our human hearts, to who is more than happy to stir up the mud at the bottom of them, and to waft into their nostrils his own fumes of intoxicating fury and madness.

I think it could be worthwhile if I could repeate this again, first the qoute from Marx:

"The criticism of religion disillusions man, so that he will think, act, and fashion his reality like a man who has discarded his illusions and regained his senses, so that he will move around himself as his own true Sun."

Mockery of that which is holy in the form of 'entertainment' is just another form of diabolical criticism.

This qoute from Marx and the premise of this 'comedy' are absolute twins.

This brings me to something else you mentioned:

"Much like the convergence of different benign elements in weather can swirl into a great and terrible storm system, I believe the right conditions can form in our country where the state and public unwittingly align into a single self-righeous storm sytem to pour out its dehumanizing bigotry against Christians."

It's interesting, a few weeks ago I had a conversation with a few people outside a nightclub. One of the men claimed to be a pagan, by which he did not mean he was not a beleiver in any diety, it was his religion. Anyway, what was somewhat odd to me was that, along witht the contempt they all had for organised religion and Christianity( and much so for Roman Catholicism in particular) they all on the other hand seemed to have at least some sympathy for, of all things, Communisim? While we were talking about the work of Satan to destroy people, they pointed to one of the skyscrapers in the distance and said it was Satan's seat.

I agreed with them that greed and exploitation of people for money was a work of Satan, but I objected to them that so was stealing other peoples property, even if it is the government doing it, in order to "fairly redistribute wealth".

Mike, its hard for me to imagine what kind of storm may emerge when all of these disparate weather patterns coalesque and converge. We might think there are too many Christians in our country for their to ever be a systematic persecution of Christians or people of faith.

And yet, it's my understanding that these sorts of regimes have emerged on the heels of mass extermination of "dissidents" and that they are not against mass killings in order to remove whoever or whatever is standing in the way of their taking power.

In that book that I mentioned, there is a short section about what is described as a 'revolutionary society' that was formed in 1872 which had a secret party within it called, if you can beleive it, 'hell'. Some qoutes are attributed to its members. Here is one of them:

"It is enough to kill a few million people and the wheels of revolution will be oiled"

John 10:10

You're right Chris. "Modern" man, is disillusioned. In Christ, that could mean they are freed from their illusions, but instead they merely found new ones to succumb to. Perhaps the Marxist text you quoted is the most clear and simple statement of the foundational doctrine of our age: man is his own "sun".

It's not a very comforting illusion, so it's no wonder his 'art' cannot rise above cheap scorn and mocking of what he used to believe. The sadness of modern man, detached from his Creator and meaning; forced to find meaning in his own contrivances, wandering alone in the ruins of his own failed utopias, reminds me of these words from Psalm 102.

"I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.
I lie awake; I have become
like a bird alone on a roof.

Blessings,

Mike

"Can you imagine what would happen if they did this with Mohammed??"

I remember reading in the book "Unveiling Islam" that Mohammed had people killed that criticised him. I came across something this morning that suggests the same thing; it is from a website called Answering-Islam and an article there about Islam and Poetry. I have not researched the qoutes or the article to find source materials and do not know how accurate this information is.

Here is one qoute from the article:

"One Muslim scholar and jurist provides several examples of people who were killed for satirizing or making fun of Muhammad:

In a sound hadith the Prophet commanded that Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf be killed. He asked, "Who will deal with Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf? He has harmed Allah and His Messenger." He sent someone to assassinate him without calling him to Islam, in distinction to other idol-worshippers. The cause of that lay in his causing harm to the Prophet. That indicates that the Prophet had him killed for something other than idol-worship. It was for causing him harm. Abu Rafi', who used to harm the Messenger of Allah and work against him, was also killed."

full article can be read at http://www.answering-islam.org/Muhammad/Inconsistent/poetry.html

What a striking contrast to the Apostle Peter's recollection of the Lord Jesus, when He was so shamefully treated:

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:" - 1 Peter 2:23(KJV)

Or even of that lesser king, David, who was himself a shadow of Christ:

"They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer." - Psalm 109:3-4(KJV)

The Lord Jesus said that a servant is not above his Master and both Islam and Christianity agree about the need for following the example of their teachers.

May God help us to follow the beauty and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.