Catholic and Anglican leaders have criticised a radio competition which encourages Auckland listeners to find "fat Jesus" who fondles women's breasts.
City church leaders sent a letter of protest to The Edge radio station in response to its Good Friday competition, which offers listeners $50 cash if they can find
an actor in the city dressed up as Jesus.
Catholic Church in Auckland spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said the man was depicted as a Jesus lookalike, who the station referred to as "Fat Jesus of Suburbia", holding a banner saying "Jesus is a Boobies man".
Website images showed the lookalike caressing a woman's breasts and with arms in a cruciform imitating Jesus on the cross.
"Your depiction of Jesus is both crass and offensive to all of us," the letter read.
"This has nothing to do with whether or not we have a sense of humour. It's about people's deepest and most sensitive feelings.
"If you have any regard or respect for your listeners, we ask you in the strongest possible terms to terminate this promotion immediately."
The letter was written by Bishop Patrick Dunn of the Catholic Diocese of Auckland and Rev Ross Bay, the Vicar General of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland.
The Edge's programme director, Leon Wratt, said the images would only be offensive if you believed he was Jesus. "But if he's just a guy pretending to be Jesus then I don't think it's highly offensive."
Mr Wratt said he believed what the churches were reacting to was the "fat" aspect. "I would say that the church didn't actually hear it therefore they probably got the facts wrong," he said.
"The only reason why we've called him fat is cause he is - so people can spot him."
- NZPA
