German Church Under Fire for "Slime Jesus" Televised Mass
A Christmas Eve mass broadcast on German television featured a portrayal of Jesus Christ that has left right-wing politicians and viewers outraged. The scene, which depicted an adult woman covered in sticky rice paper as a representation of the newborn Christ's vernix, was deemed by some critics as "slime Jesus".
The Roman Catholic diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart released a statement on Monday admitting that not all had gone according to plan, and expressing regret over the reaction to the broadcast. The diocese acknowledged that religious feelings were hurt and emphasized that it did not intend to provoke or disparage central tenets of faith.
However, the scene has been widely criticized by right-wing media outlets, which have accused the public broadcaster ARD of promoting an agenda of "wokeness" at Christmas. Local members of the Christian Democrats have condemned the installation as artistic freedom run amok and a threat to traditional values.
The Catholic broadcasting service at SWR, responsible for designing the nativity scene and programming the mass, has apologized for any hurt caused by the broadcast. The diocese acknowledged that it had also cut corners in the traditional Christmas liturgy to fit the television format, and promised to address these deviations in future broadcasts.
Despite the backlash, the diocese maintains that its intention was not to provoke or offend, but rather to create a meaningful and inclusive celebration of the Christmas story. However, for many viewers, the image of "slime Jesus" has become synonymous with a sense of disrespect and disregard for traditional Christian values.
A Christmas Eve mass broadcast on German television featured a portrayal of Jesus Christ that has left right-wing politicians and viewers outraged. The scene, which depicted an adult woman covered in sticky rice paper as a representation of the newborn Christ's vernix, was deemed by some critics as "slime Jesus".
The Roman Catholic diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart released a statement on Monday admitting that not all had gone according to plan, and expressing regret over the reaction to the broadcast. The diocese acknowledged that religious feelings were hurt and emphasized that it did not intend to provoke or disparage central tenets of faith.
However, the scene has been widely criticized by right-wing media outlets, which have accused the public broadcaster ARD of promoting an agenda of "wokeness" at Christmas. Local members of the Christian Democrats have condemned the installation as artistic freedom run amok and a threat to traditional values.
The Catholic broadcasting service at SWR, responsible for designing the nativity scene and programming the mass, has apologized for any hurt caused by the broadcast. The diocese acknowledged that it had also cut corners in the traditional Christmas liturgy to fit the television format, and promised to address these deviations in future broadcasts.
Despite the backlash, the diocese maintains that its intention was not to provoke or offend, but rather to create a meaningful and inclusive celebration of the Christmas story. However, for many viewers, the image of "slime Jesus" has become synonymous with a sense of disrespect and disregard for traditional Christian values.
... like, come on people, it's just art & if you can't handle a little controversy then maybe christmas isn't the time to watch mass? 
I mean I get that some ppl might be upset but "slime Jesus" isn't even a real thing... it's just sticky rice paper! 
and btw, shouldn't we be focusing on spreading love & kindness this holiday season instead of getting all worked up over some nativity scene? 
I mean i get it, dont wanna offend ppl but come on!!! a girl in slime is NOT 4gettin the real deal jesus lolol. didnt think they cud make christ look soooo "slimy" & awkward 
. cant they just stick w/ da traditional nativity scene? its not that hard ppl! btw, i dont get why its such a big deal 2 b all about dis "traditional values" 
we shud be more inclusive n stuff 
I'm all about artistic expression, but come on, who thought it was a good idea to cover someone in sticky rice paper? 
I mean, I get that we're living in weird times and people want to challenge norms, but some lines are just too far. It's like they took the message of love and acceptance and turned it into a gross parody. And what's up with cutting corners on the traditional liturgy to fit a TV format? Can't you just stick to the script?! 
. It was like a sugar-coated symphony! And then I started thinking about how much I love trying new desserts for Christmas, have you tried those gingerbread men cookies with the icing feet? 
. Anyway, back to this "slime Jesus" thing... I think it's kinda weird that people are getting so upset about a art project. It's just a nativity scene, guys! Can't we just celebrate the spirit of Christmas without taking ourselves too seriously? 
Maybe they should've done a more traditional nativity scene, but like, what's the fun in that? 
its like, come on guys... didnt they think about how their portrayal of christ might be perceived by others? and now its causing a big stir among right-wing politicians and some viewers... the catholic diocese is saying sorry and that wasnt their intention but still i feel bad for them... maybe next time they can stick to more traditional stuff 
I mean, I'm all for being inclusive and modernizing traditions, but come on! It feels like it's going too far in the other direction.
. Maybe they'll find a way to balance tradition with innovation without alienating half the country. But until then, I'm just going to shake my head and wonder what's next... 
. Maybe next year they can stick to a more traditional nativity scene?
Is it some kind of weird woke-ness at Christmas? It's all just a big mess, but I guess that's what happens when we're not used to seeing things that challenge our assumptions.
Even if we don't agree on everything, we can still try to learn from each other and find common ground.
And then I started thinking about how Christmas specials are like the ultimate example of that... trying to fit all this emotional and meaningful stuff into 2 hours is basically impossible. Anyway, back to slime Jesus... what's with the whole "slime" thing? Is it supposed to be some sort of commentary on our society's obsession with all things sticky? 
. And what's wrong with being "woken" and thinking about how our actions affect others? Can't we just get along and celebrate Christmas together without all the drama? 
I feel bad for the people who got hurt by it, but come on, it's just art and expression, right?
. A little slime and rice paper shouldn't be a deal-breaker. The fact that they cut corners with the traditional liturgy to fit the TV format might have contributed to the backlash, but can we really blame them? 