The creators of Netflix’s The First Temptation of Christ fell victim to a firebomb attack on Christmas Eve.
At least four men threw molotov cocktails towards the Porta dos Fundos headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Security guards gained control of the fire with no reported injuries. The crime is currently under investigation.
As ChurchPOP previously reported, The First Temptation of Christ creators depicted Jesus as a gay man in their 45-minute Christmas special. Police are investigating the possibility of the crime’s link to the outrage the movie’s release caused.
The Rio Times posted a video of the attack, in which a group claimed responsibility for the crime.
Porta dos Fundos released a statement on social media explaining the incident.
“In the early morning of December 24, on Christmas Eve, the headquarters of Porta dos Fundos was the victim of an attack. Molotov cocktails were thrown at our building,” the group said.
“We will move on, more united, stronger, more inspired and confident that the country will survive this storm of hatred, and love will prevail alongside freedom of speech.”
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro denounced the movie in a Dec. 11 tweet:
A @NetflixBrasil acaba de lançar um “Especial de Natal” onde Jesus Cristo (@gduvivier) é gay e tem relações com @FabioPorchat, além de se recusar a pregar a palavra de Deus
Somos a favor da liberdade de expressão, mas vale a pena atacar a fé de 86% da população? Fica a reflexão. pic.twitter.com/OtgLJ8ryGu
— Eduardo Bolsonaro🇧🇷 (@BolsonaroSP) December 11, 2019
Click here if you cannot see the post above.
His tweet reads, “@NetflixBrasil has just launched a ‘Christmas Special’ where Jesus Christ (@gduvivier) is gay and has relationships with @FabioPorchat as well as refusing to preach God’s word. / We are in favor of free speech, but is it worth attacking the faith of 86 percent of the population? It is the reflection.”
Brazil has world’s largest Catholic population.
Bolsonaro also apologized to Poland in a tweet, calling the movie “garbage.”
“We are sorry that this garbage got this far in Poland,” Bolsonaro tweeted. “They do not represent Brazilian society and the repudiation of this film is coming from various parts.”
More than 2.3 million people signed a Change.org petition requesting that Netflix remove the movie from the streaming service. Click here to sign the petition.
Lord have mercy on us!
[See also: Texas Bishop Rebukes Netflix’s Gay Depiction of Jesus: “Blasphemers Don’t Deserve a Penny”]
[See also: Thou Shalt Not Take the Lord’s Name in Vain: Blasphemy Is Still a Sin]