Was Jesus gay? According to Elton John…Yes!

In this week’s Parade magazine, Elton John shares his thoughts on Christianity, and yes they’ve caused a bit of an uproar

“I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don’t know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East — you’re as good as dead.”

It should be interesting to see how this plays out, and if there’s really any backlash. I think most religious organizations have learned that ignoring this kind of hot button stuff is the best policy, otherwise by condemning it you end up creating a snowball effect. But it’s not like the Catholic Church has been quick to learn from its mistakes.

Who would of thought you’d get in hot water by calling the main religious figure of 2 billion people gay… not that there’s anything wrong with that.

FULL INTERVIEW IN PARADE

Let me know what you think – I’m sure some of you have strong feelings about this (one way or the other – LOL).

Enjoy an interesting look at the relationship between Jesus and Judas.

From National Geographic:

The Gospel of Judas gives a different view of the relationship between Jesus and Judas, offering new insights into the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Unlike the accounts in the canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, in which Judas is portrayed as a reviled traitor, this newly discovered Gospel portrays Judas as acting at Jesus’ request when he hands Jesus over to the authorities.

Penn & Teller’s Bullshit gives a unique take on the Bible, showing (in a pretty hilarious way) some of the inaccuracies, inconsistencies and wackiness.

It’s not meant to be a scholarly study (or all that self-serious), so whether you believe in the Bible or not, the program is pretty funny and worth watching.

Interesting program covering born-again Christians in America, the self-proclaimed “moral majority”.

There’s the fair share of self righteous wackos, but they also interview some slightly more sober headed believers.

Documentary about the Spanish Inquisition… and no, Mel Brooks does not make a cameo

Official Description:

Its very name conjures up horrific images of torture, persecution, and corruption of power. We’ll unravel the twisted history of “The Inquisition”, a special court established by Pope Gregory IX in 1231 to root out heresy. We’ll also see why, for the first time ever, the Vatican is conducting its own inquisition into The Inquisition.

Interesting documentary on the Ark of the Covenant and where it might be today.

Interesting documentary narrated by Liam Neeson. The program shows both sides of the, (ahem), debate between evolution and creationism.

From the Evolution series of NOVA on PBS.

Official Description:

Of all the species on earth, we alone attempt to explain who we are and how we came to be, through the prisms of both science and religion. How has the tension between the two played out? Today, the theory of evolution still is dogged by controversy.

This program explores the creationist movement and its arguments by drawing on real human stories of people struggling to find a balance between faith and reason. Through the perceptions of theistic scientists and credible religionists, we underscore the point that science and religion are compatible, although they play very different roles in assigning order to the universe and a purpose to life.

HELP SUPPORT PBS

I wonder if this would work in the subway in NY?

Honestly, it probably wouldn’t matter. I could be a urine soaked hobo and I still wouldn’t get a seat during rush hour.

Did you know Jesus is a key figure in Islam? Christians don’t have exclusive use of him.

I’d read little bit about it before, but didn’t really have a full picture. Here’s the story of Jesus as told in the Koran and other Islamic texts. Great documentary. Enjoy!

Here’s an article in the Guardian about the documentary.

Some additional info on Jesus in Islam.

NatGeo offers a rare glimpse inside the secret archives and private chapels of the Vatican. Pretty cool.