The Brazilian National Bishops Confederation (CNBB)
has criticised Placar magazine for bearing a
photograph of Neymar being crucified in the same
way as Jesus Christ.
Placar, which has become one of the most successful
sports publications in Brazil since its inception in
1970, were using the picture as a metaphor to
highlight the criticism the star had been coming
under for supposedly diving too often.
In a letter, signed by CNBB president Cardinal
Raymundo Damasceno Assis and general secretary
Dom Leonardo Ulrich Steiner and posted on the
organisation's website, the publication came under
fire for "showing disdain towards people's feelings".
"The Brazilian National Bishops Confederation states
that it feels severely outraged with the [photo]
montage that is is the cover of a sports magazine,
where the image of Jesus Christ is seen with the face
of a football player," read the statement.
"We acknowledge freedom of speech as a
fundamental principle of our state and [see it as
necessary for] democratic co-existence, however,
there are known limits for such.
"To ridiculise faith and show disdain towards peoples'
religious feelings by using the disrespectful use of
the image of Jesus suggests manipulation and use of
editorial resources as a means for commercial ends.
"The magazine has shown itself as being insensitive
to the recent context of deplorable violence caused
by the inadequate use of religious images and, with
that, has made a bad contribution towards a
consolidation of respectful co-existence between
different beliefs.
"This [photo] montage uses the image of Jesus in an
explicit manner, even if the magazine director denied
this evident fact.
"This is a clear lack of respect that offends the most
sacred image for Christians and updates, in a
hazardous manner, the well-known resource of
gaining attention by provocation."
An online petition has now been launched against
Placar's use of the image of Neymar as Jesus Christ,
which has gained over 7,000 signatures since its
manifestation.

www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2012/09/28/3410825/bishops-severely-outraged-by-neymar-representation-of-jesus

If this is Mohammed, Muslims would have gone bonkers as usual!

SEE MATURITY, TOLERANCE AND CIVILISATION AT ITS PEAK

CHRISTIANS UNNA TOO MUCH JOOR

Kudos to those brazillian bishops for their matured & non-violent way of challenging the supposed blasphemous picture.
On the otherhand,the image could be anybody‘s and it does not look like the known Jesus‘ crucifix image to me(or may be it‘s just me)..SHALOM!

Considering that crucifixion was the Roman method of killing some of the worst criminals in the empire, this method does not specifically depict Christ, it could have been any one of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who were crucified including the two thieves.

Besides, the Lord is risen and is presently in all his glory and splendour seated at the right hand of Almighty God , while Satan is condemned to the misery of darkness and eventual destruction.

This is the best he and his followers can do , but it means nothing and does not affect our faith one bit.

Jesus is risen, he is no more on the cross or in some grave.

Alleluia