By Bob Allen
An African-American Baptist convention born out of the 1960s struggle for civil rights has denounced the television comedy “Black Jesus” and is mobilizing members to join a petition drive asking network officials to take the program off the air.
The Progressive National Baptist Convention, formed in the early 1960s and the denominational home of Martin Luther King, denounced the program that airs on Adult Swim — a Turner Broadcasting System-owned cable network that shares channel space with the Cartoon Network — as “nothing short of blasphemous.”
“’Black Jesus’ undermines the faith of the African-American community when our faith in Jesus is the only consistent source of empowerment that has brought us through centuries of enslavement, dehumanization and depersonalization,” says a description of the Washington-based PNBC’s Cancel Black Jesus Campaign.
“We cannot ignore those indignities that stare us in the face and undermine our faith,” the petition says. “It was only through our faith that we found meaning in life and the strength and courage to face life’s challenges.”
“Black Jesus,” which just completed its first season, features Jesus Christ living in modern-day Compton, Calif., a Los Angeles County slum known for gang violence, sex and drug dealing and home to famous rap artists including Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.
As portrayed by actor Gerald “Slink” Johnson, creator Aaron McGruder’s Jesus is on a mission to spread love and kindness to a small group of followers. The show has received generally favorable reviews, but a plot line that includes growing marijuana in a community garden sparked controversy even before the series premiere Aug. 7.
The group One Million Moms called on sponsors to pull advertising for the program based on bleeped profanity in the series trailer. The American Family Association said the show “completely misrepresents Jesus” and is intended to mock Christianity.
“Adult Swim is not ridiculing any other religion and wouldn’t dream of mocking Mohammed or Muslims, but has no problem denigrating Christians,” the group said in July.
After viewing the first episode, Bill Donahue of the Catholic League, surprised pundits with an uncharacteristically moderate review describing the Black Jesus character as “a mixed bag.”
“He is irreverent, and can be downright crude, but he also has many redeeming qualities,” said Donahue, who in the past has objected to what he views as anti-Catholic messages in movies and TV shows including Comedy Central’s “South Park.”
Malcolm Harris, a writer based in Brooklyn, praised “Black Jesus” as an antidote to nihilistic world views pervading other popular shows like “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead.”
The PNBC, led by President James Perkins, pastor of Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit, however, says “there are better and theologically consistent ways to represent Jesus to a contemporary audience without contemporizing Jesus.”
“He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow,” the petition says.
“PNBC is calling upon the Cartoon Network to remove ‘Black Jesus’ from the air,” the petition says. “We are asking PNBC church leaders and members to request the prompt removal of the program.”
The campaign urges church leaders and members to contact The Cartoon Network by e-mail, Twitter, Facebook and a telephone comment line requesting the cancellation of “Black Jesus.”