BLACK JESUS

Controversy abounds. It is going to get more vocal and louder.

Black Jesus debuts as a new television show Thursday August 7. Christian organizations are already up in arms.  The cries.....twisted, insulting, disgusting, blasphemous. To others.....awesome.

The show will appear on a cable television channel I never even knew existed. Adult Swim. It shares channel space with Cartoon Network. Both are owned by Turner Broadcasting which is part of Time Warner. Both channels are available in 98 million pay TV households in the United States.

Jesus is an African-American living in a poor run down neighborhood in Compton, California. The neighborhood's residents are primarily persons of color. Jesus has a small group of immediate followers. He preaches to the crowds. His language is that of the streets. F--k is in common use. The overall language of the show is tough.

One of Jesus' followers describes him in the following fashion.....He ain't Jesus Christ, he's just some crazy dude who thinks he's Jesus.

The show's intent is to portray a Black Jesus living in the modern world. The show is described as comic. It's purpose fun. Producers claim the show does not mock Jesus. 

Similarities appear between Black Jesus and Jesus..

Both are relatively poor. Both have followers. One the apostles, the other a group of neighborhood friends. Jesus spoke to the multitudes in the vernacular of the day, in the street language of the time. Black Jesus speaks in the vernacular of a modern day ghetto neighborhood.

Black Jesus and Jesus dress in the same type attire. Robes.

Black Jesus is black. No question about it. African-American all the way! Jesus may have been dark skinned. Though most paintings portray Jesus as white, there are works that  paint him tan or colored. A well respected historian has described Jesus' face as dark brown and sun tanned. Sinewy in appearance.

Is the show insulting? Does it mock my God? I am Catholic. I am not sure. 

If the show were about Muhammad, I am confident a jihad would follow. However the chance of something like a jihad occurring are slim to none. The reason simple. Producers would never run a show similar to Black Jesus if the lead character was of the Muslim faith. Or, the Jewish faith for that matter..

Why then, Jesus?