A Christian media watchdog is protesting a proposed animated TV show about Christ wanting to escape the shadow of His "powerful but apathetic father" and live a regular life in New York City.

Movieguide founder Ted Baehr is seeking 500,000 signatures on an online petition to stop Comedy Central from pursuing the half-hour program JC. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show portrays God as more interested in playing video games than listening to His son talk about adjusting to life in the big city. The show is being produced by Reveille, the company behind The Office, Ugly Betty and The Biggest Loser

"The very concept of this show is blasphemous and Christophobic," Baehr said in an e-mail to supporters. "Comedy Central wouldn't develop such a show about Mohammed, the founder of Islam.  So, why do they want to develop a show mocking Jesus Christ and Christ's relationship to the Father, first person of the Holy and undivided Trinity?"

Just weeks before it announced JC in early May, Comedy Central opted not to air an image of the Muslim prophet Muhammad in a bear costume on its animated series South Park after the network was threatened by an extremist Islamic website. Comedy Central obscured the character with a black box and bleeped out references to his name.

Jesus has been a recurring character on South Park despite criticism and boycotts from Christian and pro-family groups.

"It's not certain what is more despicable: the nonstop Christian bashing featured on the network, or Comedy Central's decision to censor all depictions of Muhammad," said William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Donohue recently joined a coalition of religious leaders who on Thursday plan to release a letter to companies that have advertised on Comedy Central urging them to refrain from spending ad dollars on JC. The newly formed Citizens Against Religious Bigotry also includes Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center; Familiy Research Council President Tony Perkins; radio talk show host Michael Medved; Rabbi Daniel Lapin of the American Alliance of Jews and Christians and Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council.

"After we reveal the vile and offensive nature of Comedy Central's previous characterizations of Jesus Christ and God the Father, we expect these advertisers to agree wholeheartedly to end their advertising on Comedy Central and discontinue their support for unabashed, anti-Christian discrimination," Bozell said in a statement. "Why should they be supporting a business that makes a habit of attacking Christianity and yet has a formal policy to censor anything considered offensive to followers of Islam? This double standard is pure bigotry, one from which advertisers should quickly shy away."

After announcing JC last month, Comedy Central's head of original programming, Kent Alterman, said "comedy in purist form always makes some people uncomfortable." But Baehr called that claim "self-aggrandizing," pointing to I Love Lucy, Up and My Big Fat Greek Wedding as examples of "great" comedies that don't blaspheme religion and are not designed to offend.

"Contrary to the opinion of many self-proclaimed pundits, mockery and personal ridicule is not good satire," Baehr said. "It's naked propaganda, designed to demonize and stereotype."

Movieguide has launched similar protests of controversial films such as Hounddog, which depicted a scene of child rape, and Antichrist, which included explicit sexuality and disturbing scenes of mutilation and violence.

"Stopping this program that is so offensive to God is essential to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and letting people know His infinite love and glory," Baehr said. "Every program or movie that mocks and ridicules Jesus Christ and the gospel breaks God's heart ... another spear piercing His side."

According to the AP, many development deals don't result in a series. The network must first like the scripts enough to produce a test episode, then find that strong enough to put it on the air.

Action: Click Here To Sign online petition! Thank you and God Bless you!

Chibueze C. Okoji
Cfaith Media Inc