Ah, the Internet! Ever since it was invented by Al Gore, we have never been more connected. Graduation, wedding, and family reunion pictures fly byte by byte across complex channels to everyone who attended the events. Blogs are full of information we never knew nor cared about and everyone is on Facebook and Twitter. Yes, friends, the Internet has come a long way and with it, also came great evil—faster ways to send SPAM and chain letters.
We all know that SPAM is unwanted email from unknown sources offering services for all kinds of kooky stuff from pornography (yeah, like that’s hard to find on the Internet) to “business offers” to advertisements for everything under the sun. Order once from an online merchant and you’re committed to the company’s email list for life, no matter how many times you remove yourself. Everyone knows that SPAM is bad and should be deleted.
What people, like my mom, don’t seem to understand that chain letters more commonly referred to in cyber lingo as “forwards” as just as vile. And let me tell you, gang, my mom’s not a big forwarder. I’ve heard horror stories from my friends about their moms and stupid forwards. I am grateful to have a mom who has a pretty good “tacky email” filter. Her hoax email filter is a little clogged.
With the best intentions, she forwarded me an email about a film called “Corpus Christi,” which depicts Jesus and his disciples as homosexuals. The film is supposedly releasing this summer, and if I care at all about decency in entertainment, I was asked to forward the email to everyone I know. Instead of sending it on to more people, I googled the film’s name and found out on Snopes.com (excellent site to discover all things urban legend, especially regarding the Internet) that the film doesn’t exist, but the e-mail about the film started sometime around 2000 or 2001 and before that it was a snail mail chain letter. Whoops! I guess the boycott’s over since the film doesn’t exist.
Here’s what the e-mails says::
“The movie Corpus Christi is due to be released this June to August. This disgusting film set to appear in America later this year and it depicts Jesus and his disciples as homosexuals! As a play, this has already been in theaters for a while. It’s called Corpus Christi ‘ which means ‘The Christ Body.’
It’s a revolting mockery of our Lord. But, we can make a difference. That’s why I am sending this e-mail to you. If you do send this around, we may be able to prevent this film from showing in America and South Africa. Apparently, some regions in Europe have already banned the film. We need a lot of prayers and a lot of e-mails.
As a Christian I want to take a stand in what I believe in and stop the mockery of Jesus Christ our Savior. At the risk of a bit of inconvenience, I’m forwarding this to all I think would appreciate it. Please help us prevent such offenses against our Lord. It will take you less than 2 minutes to pass it on. If you are not interested or do not have the 2 Minutes it will take to do this , please don’t complain when God does not have time for you, because He is far busier than we are. Remember, Jesus said ‘Deny Me on earth and I’ll deny you before my Father’”
The most disturbing part of the e-mail wasn’t the fact it’s a silly hoax (that part is funny). It’s the part at the end of every e-mail aimed at Christians causing us to feel guilty if we don’t forward it to our pals. It reads, “If you are not interested or do not have the two minutes it will take to do this, please don’t complain when God does not have time for you…” Are you kidding me? Even if this was a legit email, which it is not, God is going to cut me off because I don’t send out a forward to my contacts? This part is the kicker, “Remember, Jesus said, ‘Deny me on earth and I’ll deny You before My Father.” Uh, that’s some terrible exegesis—another reason I wouldn’t send this email to my friends.
If you check out the Snopes entry regarding this email, you will discover that there is a play called “Corpus Christi” with questionable material involving a gay man and Jesus, but there has never been a movie created! Furthermore, the Snopes entry shows the fervor of Christians to keep even the play from running in theatres. This is small potatoes, friends!
If we are really committed to seeing change and improving entertainment in America, why did no one else research this movie? Is it just me or should we all be engaging in culture? This forward will go on and on and on to well-meaning Christian who will never find out more about this fake movie. They don’t even know that they’re being duped. We are called to be wise, not clueless!
It took me about 30 seconds to investigate this hoax, leaving me a minute and a half of hoax e-mail time to do something better—like pray for my gay friends who want nothing to do with Jesus. Or to send a real email to a friend who seems a little down lately. The email is right about one thing—it takes less than two minutes to forward the e-mail…or delete it completely.
That’s what I’m calling for a boycott–of the “Corpus Christi” movie hoax. Find it, protest it, delete it. Let’s get this stupid thing off the Internet entirely so we can spend our time reading important forwards with pictures of cute animals and dancing babies.
She is Beloved 
Amy, I’m very happy to have such an asute daughter and very sad to be a stupid person in regards to hoax emails.
Excellent post–I have had to scold relatives a few years ago for behaving like this as well.
Keep up the good work.
Actually I have an astute, not asute, daughter. Guess I can’t spell either!