Does a movie due for release called “Corpus Christi” depict Jesus as gay?
Rumours are spreading across the Internet asserting that a movie named “Corpus Christi” is due for imminent release and that the movie depicts Jesus and his disciples as homosexual.
An example of the rumour, taken in 2017, can be seen below –
The movie “Corpus Christi” is due to be released this June to August. It is a disgusting film set to appear in America later this year which depicts Jesus and his disciples as homosexuals! As a play, this has already been in theaters for a while. It’s called “Corpus Christi” which means “The Body of Christ”. It’s a revolting mockery of our Lord. But we Christians can make a difference.That’s why I am sending this e-mail to you. If you do send this around, we just might be able to prevent this film from being shown in Australia, Canada and America etc. Let’s stand for what we believe and stop the mockery of Jesus Christ our Savior. Where do we stand as Christians? I am forwarding this to all I think will respect and appreciate being informed. Please help us prevent such offenses against our Lord. There is no petition to sign, no time limit, or minimum number of people to send this to.It will take you less than 2 minutes!If you are not interested and do not have the 2 minutes it will take to do this, please don’t complain if God does not seem to have time for you. Imagine what would happen if this film were depicting Mohammad in the same way…the Islamic world would be in flames!!. Apparently, some regions in Europe have already successfully banned the film. All we need is a lot of prayer and a lot of E-mails.JUST GET THE WORD OUT!….Will God be able to find at least 50 righteous people who are willing to express their concern and voice their opinion against this act of blasphemy?
[[TLDR: There is a play from back in 1998 called Corpus Christi and a later documentary in 2012 focusing on a troupe of actors performing that play. But there is no movie, old or imminent, that matches the description in this message.]]
Despite the claims made by the message, they are inaccurate. Not only that, but they have been spreading in various formats for a number of decades now. In fact they first started in the 1980s and were spread well before the days of the Internet. Read below for full details.
Earlier versions of this rumour that can be traced to the mid-1980s omitted the “Corpus Christi” title but still falsely purported an upcoming movie depicting Jesus Christ as a homosexual;
Modern People News has revealed plans for the filming of a movie based on the SEX LIFE OF JESUS in which Jesus is portrayed as a swinging HOMOSEXUAL. This film will be shot in the U.S.A. this year unless the public outcry is great. Already a French Prostitute has been named to play the part of Mary Magdalene, with who Christ has a blatant affair. We CANNOT AFFORD to standby and DO NOTHING about this disgrace. We must not allow this perveted world to drag our Lord through the dirt. PLEASE HELP us to get this film banned from the U.S.A. as it has been in Europe. Let us show how we feel.
Detach and mail the form below to the address shown. Make a few copies and give them to your friends. Only one name per copy.
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Attorney General Scott,
301 South Second Street,
Springfield
ILLINOIS 62606
Dear Attorney General Scott,
I would like to protest, in the strongest terms possible, the production, filming, and showing of any movie that supposedly depicts the sex life of JESUS CHRIST by MODERN PEOPLE NEWS, 11030 West Addison Street, Franklin Park, Illinois 60181.
Such a movie would be blasphemous and would be an outrage and contrary to the truth. We urge you to take proper action against this moral corruption.
NAME:……………………………………………
ADDRESS:………………………………………
CITY:……………………………………………..
STATE:…………………………CODE:……….
To ascertain the age of this rumour, note that it implores readers to write to Illinois Attorney General Scott, despite him not holding that title since 1980. While many speculate that these original rumours may have been inspired by an independent movie called “Him” from 1974 which apparently depicted Jesus as a gay man living in the modern world, that movie release was so obscure and reached so few people that this may be unlikely.
The rumours were given a new lease of life when a play (not a movie) was indeed released in 1998 called “Corpus Christi” by Terrence McNally in New York, first showing at the Manhattan Theater Club. This play did identify Jesus and his disciples as homosexuals, and the launch predictably inspired many protests that – according to reports at the time – resulted in various threats (including bomb threats) made against the touring venue.
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Regardless, the rumours later morphed online and now claimed a movie titled “Corpus Christi” was again due for imminent release that was based on that 1998 play, but again this is false. While a 2012 documentary titled “Corpus Christi; Playing with Redemption” was released in 2012, this was not a movie based on McNally’s play, rather a documentary concerning a particular troupe of actor’s production of the play and the controversy surrounding it.
To summarise, this rumour has been spreading for a number of decades now and the only movie we can find that depicted Jesus as gay was an obscure release from 1974 called “Him”. There is not a movie called “Corpus Christi” which instead is a play from 1998 and later a documentary from 2012 about a troupe of actor’s production of that play. As of 2017, we can find no new indications that any movie related to this subject is due for any imminent release, as such passing on any social media messages as some kind of protest against a movie that doesn’t exist is entirely pointless.