Netflix show that insinuates Jesus is gay sparks controversy, attack investigation in Brazil

Sara M Moniuszko | USA TODAY

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On Thursday, Brazil’s police were investigating a video on social media that shows a gasoline bomb attack targeting the comedy group Porta dos Fundos, the makers of a Christmas program on Netflix. Some critics have described the Portuguese-language special as blasphemous.

The comedy group’s short film, "The First Temptation of Christ," depicts Jesus returning home on his 30th birthday and insinuates he is gay. Religious groups bristled at the depiction. An online petition that was launched in Brazil called for the film to be banned and drew more than 2 million signatures.

Porta dos Fundos, an award-winning comedy group known for their satirical views, is defending its film.

“The country will survive this torment of hatred, and love will prevail together with freedom of expression,” the group said on Twitter.

The hashtag #CanceloNetflix was also trending Thursday on Twitter.

"Wow #CanceloNetflix is still trending... Thought they would have taken it down by now," user @JackPosobiec tweeted. "Keep up the fight, folks!"

"Let me get this straight...nobody was bothered by the fact that Netflix just streamed a show called MESSIAH in which a Muslim Arab played a false prophet...," user @Lexialex tweeted. "but a show with a gay Jesus and now it's #cancelonetflix ????"

USA TODAY has reached out to Netflix for comment.

There were no injuries in the Christmas Eve attack on an empty video production house in Rio de Janeiro, and a security guard extinguished the flames.

But the emergence of a video in which a man, whose voice is digitally altered, claims responsibility for the attack in the name of a 1930s-era ultranationalist group startled many Brazilians who thought the movement had been consigned to history.

He describes Porta dos Fundos, which has posted satires and parodies on its YouTube channel for years, as a group of Marxist militants.

The video circulating Thursday shows three people throwing gasoline bombs over the wall in front of the video production house. Police said the video matches security camera footage and is authentic.

“What remains to be proven is whether there exists a tie between a group and the incident,” detective Marco Aurelio de Paula Ribeiro told reporters.

Police have identified a vehicle and motorcycle involved in the firebombing and said there are at least four suspects.

“We are going to find those responsible as fast as possible, also to prevent any future actions that this group may be planning,” said Fabio Barucke, a senior police official.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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