Pro-Family Group Demands NBC to Cancel Madonna Crucifixion Special
After religious groups worldwide were irked by the disrespectful act of Madonna's concert staged crucifixion, the American Family Association is encouraging individuals to help cancel a television special that may be airing on NBC.
The NBC television network has not yet decided whether to air the mock crucifixion as part of her upcoming prime-time concert special in November. In her global "Confessions" tour, Madonna suspends herself on a giant cross wearing a crown of thorns, an act that has drawn a fire of protest from churches and other Christian groups.
AFA Chairman Donald E. Wildmon wrote a letter asking NBC to cancel the special as he pointed back to Madonna's past controversial video "Like A Prayer."
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"Making a mockery of the crucifixion of Christ has been a trademark of Madonna for many years. I am sure you recall that in 1989 she had a video for the hit song ‘Like A Prayer.’ The video featured burning crosses, statues crying blood and Madonna—representing Jesus—freeing a saint from his sexual repression by seducing him. This is the same Madonna who once said, ‘Crucifixes are sexy because there’s a naked man on them,’" wrote Wildmon.
The conservative pro-family organization has sent out e-mails to individuals asking them to forward it to others to secure one million e-mails to NBC against the airing of the Madonna special.
Executives at NBC are waiting to review the production before making their decision on its broadcast.
"We're awaiting the delivery of it (the production), and once we've seen it in its entirety, we'll make a decision," an NBC spokeswoman told Reuters.
According to AFA, Kevin Reilly, an executive at NBC, told reporters that they (NBC) did not see Madonna's mock crucifixion as "inappropriate."
The Confessions tour has been sold out at every venue across North America, Europe, and Japan and caused major controversy in Rome's Olympic stadium which stood only some two miles from the Vatican. The tour ends at the Tokyo Dome on Sept. 21.
Days before the e-mail circulation, AFA had also called for action against Rosie O'Donnell, the new co-host of ABC's The View, and her remarks on “radical Christianity.”
O'Donnell had said that "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have a separation of church and state."
While Christians have asked for an apology from O'Donnell and ABC, neither has issued one.
"Neither O'Donnell nor ABC apologized for the comments," according to Wildmon. "Had she made similar comments about minorities or homosexuals, there would have been an apology, and she would have probably been fired."
AFA is a pro-family organization that stands for traditional family values and focuses primarily on the influence of television and other media on society.
