Christian Women's Group Argues SNL Unfairly Targets Christianity, Not Islam
A Christian women's group is currently blasting NBC's sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live for airing a recent skit, titled "D'Jesus Uncrossed," which the group claims unfairly mocks Christianity.
Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, a coalition of women focused on promoting biblical values in American families, said that she and her organization are mostly offended that SNL chose to air its D'Jesus skit during Lent, considered to be one of the most reverent Christian observations leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection.
"[SNL] stooped to a new low, going out of their way to mock Jesus Christ and Christianity during our most important religious season," Nance wrote in a statement regarding the skit.
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Nance went on to argue that SNL unfairly attacks Christianity in a way that it would never attack Islam. "SNL has, of course, always enjoyed their ability to offend in the past, but at least one could count on them to have the nerve to take on everyone equally," Nance continued.
"Today, SNL would NEVER have the nerve to mock Islam as it did Christianity. They would never be brave enough to run a skit mocking Mohammad at any time – let alone during Ramadan," she added.
The CWA president went on to describe SNL as "a stagnant, predictable troupe that often relies on shock to make up for a gross lack of creativity."
"What [SNL fails] to recognize is that Christians can laugh at ourselves – and do so often – when the joke is funny. But SNL's treatment of us and others in recent years is meant to degrade and taunt," Nance added.
The "DJesus Uncrossed" comedy skit, which aired Feb. 16, featured the show's host, Christoph Waltz, playing the part of a vengeful, post-resurrection Jesus Christ.
The sketch sought to replicate films created by director Quentin Tarantino, such as "Inglourious Basterds" and "Django Unchained," which characteristically portray a main character engaging in excessive violence in his quest for vengeance.
While some critics found the skit to be funny, others pointed out that it seems SNL always picks on Christians, but never Islam. "I find it interesting that the networks always mock and ridicule Christianity – but they give other religions a pass," Todd Starnes, the host of "Fox News and Commentary" on Fox News Radio, wrote in a recent blog post, asking if NBC hates Christians.
"Why aren't the writers at SNL churning out weekly skits about Islam – or the Prophet Mohammed?" Starnes questioned.
Others, however, acknowledged that the skit was funny and clever, but ultimately crossed the line.
"I'm reminded of the line from Steve Martin's 'Cheaper by the Dozen,' when he declared his children's pranks to be 'wrong – funny, but wrong,'" WND movie critic Drew Zahn said in response to the skit.
"Yes, the parody is well made, and yes, Tarantino is ripe for a spoof just like this. Shoot, I can even see the humor in it. But its subject matter can only be described with one word: blasphemous," Zahn added.
Concerned Women for America has vowed to complain to NBC and SNL's sponsors regarding the skit.
