A Call to a New Manly Vigilance: Black Jesus Edition

Cartoon Network (owned by TBS, Turner Broadcasting) has decided to produce a show that attempts to use our Lord and Savior and King, Jesus Christ, as a tool for cheap laughs.

In the trailer, Jesus is portrayed as a black man dressed up in a Jesus costume.  A bad costume at that.

The producers not only profane Jesus, they denigrate and stereotype inner city blacks. The show is set in the black inner city and portrays Jesus and most the characters as profane, greedy, lazy, drunk, pot-smoking, idiotic and violent.  How pathetic to stereotype people this way, even if the point is for laughs.

At a time when young black men so desperately need to learn what true manhood is, the guidance of a father and to know Our King, portraying Jesus in this horribly profaned way is an assault and crime against black men.  Black men, like all men, need Jesus Christ, the most manly Man of all.  Black Jesus will not lead black men to Jesus.

The portrayal of the sacred as profane and the presentation of our Lord as a black pot-smoking, foul-mouthed crazy man (If any man thinks he is Christ, he is crazy) is a grave sin.

Here are a few things that our “go-to” source for the faith, the Catechism, says about the grave sins being committed by Black Jesus:

2120 Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God. Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us.

2148 Blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God – inwardly or outwardly – words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one’s speech; in misusing God’s name. St. James condemns those “who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called.” The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ’s Church, the saints, and sacred things. It is also blasphemous to make use of God’s name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. The misuse of God’s name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate religion. Blasphemy is contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. It is in itself a grave sin.

What do Catholic men need to do in the face of such utter sacrilege and blasphemy of our King?  Here’s a few thoughts:

• Recognize that this is an attack on Jesus Christ and ask yourself, “Am I with Him or against Him?”  Jesus Himself, asks that question (Matt 12:30); what’s your answer?
• Realize that there are powerful forces of evil that are seeking to specifically target our children and draw them away from God and His Church. Case in point: the Cartoon Network putting out this blasphemy.  See this recent article for more on how companies are specifically targeting our children and emerging adults with efforts to indoctrinate them into the acceptance/participation in homosexuality.
• Be resolute in your household, as Priest, Prophet and King, to not allow this kind of material in your home.  Don’t watch it yourself.  Forbid your children to watch it.  And delete the channel.
• This, when all is stripped away, is motivated by Satan.  Wait, you might say, “Are you saying that Cartoon Network is Satanic?”  Yep.  What else can you call it?
• To support those companies who denigrate our King, soils us.  You can’t “do business” with the enemy.  And to be clear, those who produce such blasphemous material are definitely the enemy of Jesus Christ…they hate Him, wishing to draw many away from Him.  Don’t do business with those companies who are destroying the culture.
• There are ways that a Catholic man can challenge this type of blasphemy (writing about it is one small way).  One can also go to American Family Association to lodge a complaint against Cartoon Network/TBS here.

Catholic men, we need to pray for Christ’s protection of our families from such filth and blasphemy.  We too, need to pray for those who promote such horrible attacks on Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.  Their mortal lives are at stake.  Christ’s enemies need our prayers.

Christ asks, “Are you with Me or against Me?”

Catholic men, what’s your answer?