http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/0 ... index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A conservative advocacy group that urged a boycott of NBC's recently canceled drama about a pill-popping priest turned its wrath Thursday to an upcoming "Will & Grace" episode that it says will mock Christ's crucifixion.

But NBC executives insist the group's objections stem from faulty details in a press release mistakenly issued by the network earlier this week, and that neither a script nor story line for the episode in question has been written.

The latest religious flap at NBC flared after the network announced Tuesday that pop star Britney Spears will make an April 13 guest appearance on "Will & Grace," playing a Christian conservative talk-show sidekick to Jack, the gay character portrayed by series regular Sean Hayes. (Read story.)

According to NBC's initial synopsis of the episode, Jack's fictional TV network, Out TV, is taken over by a Christian broadcaster, leading Spears' character to do a cooking segment on his show called "Cruci-fixin's."

The American Family Association immediately raised objections to the planned episode, saying it "mocks the crucifixion of Christ" and will "further denigrate Christianity" by airing the night before Good Friday.

On its Web site, the Mississippi-based advocacy group called on its supporters to urge network affiliates to refuse to run the episode and to write letters of protest to NBC.

NBC countered that the dispute stems from an inaccurate press release that went out without being properly vetted.

"Some erroneous information was mistakenly included in a press release describing an upcoming episode of 'Will & Grace,' which in fact has yet to be written," NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks told Reuters late in the day.

All that has been decided is that Spears will play a central role in an upcoming episode that will likely air sometime in April, Marks added.

There was no immediate comment from representatives for Spears, whose guest spot on the gay-themed sitcom will mark her first public performance since she had her first child in September.

The same organization urged an affiliate and advertising boycott of the recent NBC series, "The Book of Daniel," a drama starring Aidan Quinn as a Vicodin-addicted Episcopal minister who talks to Jesus.

NBC, a unit of the General Electric Co., yanked the program from its schedule last month after just three weeks on the air, citing abysmal ratings.

The network also had trouble finding commercial sponsors for the show, and several smaller affiliates declined to carry the series, objecting to its portrayal of Christian themes.



Honestly, all these Christian groups need the same thing when it comes to this bullshit they complain about.

You are absolutely right.

If you don't like it, change the channel.

Luckily we have a thing called free speech in our society. If the Christians want to continue shoving dogmatic, anti-first amendment bullshit down our throats like the Muslims in Europe, then they should go form their own miserable country together.

I love the irony of these christian groups who use free speech to stop others from using their own. Irony is fun.

See what sucks about these people is they give all Christians a bad name, because these are the people you are always hearing about.

These people do not represent the majority of Christians. Most of us do not give a crap about this kind of stuff.

Which of these products does God love, and which ones make a mockery of him?

I kinda like that statue.

First off, it is bull shit that these Christian Groups have SO much influence on society. But I think it is kind of funny in this situation. Will and Grace has been on TV for like 10 seasons, featuring storylines revolving around homosexual activity, and TONS of sexual comments, and NOW Christian groups are outraged? Where have they been the past decade.

Jesus freaks are crazy

but they have kick ass paintings

I wonder what they think of the "God's Immaculate Rod" dildo.



http://www.divine-interventions.com/godsrod.php (NSFW)

I'm thinkin' of buying the ashtray for a friend.

"You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD. " Leviticus 19:28

Nice job, Jesus!

I'm upset with the Christian group

I just ordered it for my mom

she gives me grief about my religious preference but smokes A LOT and I hate it

Bwahahaha! Jesus, you got fucking pnw3d!!!

That artist has some funny fucking painting, BTW. Most of them have this totally buff Jesus boxing or something else like that. They are REALLY gay, and I mean that in the homosexual definition of the word.

I would be upset just because Will & Grace is crap.

Ever notice how homoerotic modern Christian art is with the big and muscular, tanned Jesus? And how innocent he looks like he's begging to go down on you (or vice versa)?

All in the eye of the beholder, I guess...

I luv how 'christians' are the only religious group ridiculed.

Not that some of them don't deserve it, but spread the "hatred" around you damned hypocrites.

Tell that to the Muslim terrorists.