Christians decry AMC's 'Preacher' for graphic sex scene involving Jesus

AMC Network's "Preacher" has sparked outrage among Christians due to a graphic sex scene involving Jesus Christ on the second of episode of the show's second season.

According to Telegraph, the episode, which aired last Monday, depicts Jesus Christ having sex with a woman on the night of The Last Supper, though the characters are featured in various positions only in silhouette.

In a statement sent to the media on Tuesday, Catholic League President Bill Donohue denounced the scene and called on Christians to rally against the show.

"Depicting Jesus in a grotesque sex scene is an assault on the sensibilities of all Christians, as well as people of good will who are not Christians," Donohue said.

"We have been treated to this kind of fare from some pay-per-view channels, but we are not accustomed to AMC getting into the mud. If this is a signal of what it aspires to become, we will rally Christians against it," he added.

Seth Rogen, a co-producer of the show, responded by suggesting on Twitter that Donohue's statement was a "good endorsement" of "Preacher." However, Rogen admitted that he himself was surprised that the network allowed them to do the scene.

The conservative Christian group One Million Moms has also criticized the show and has launched a petition demanding its cancellation.

"AMC would never in a million years air a show that defamed Muhammad in a similar fashion," the petition read.

"I urge AMC issue an apology for blaspheming my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and cancel the blasphemous program, Preacher immediately," it continued.

The group also stated in the petition that the show "blasphemes Jesus" in the latest episode by depicting him as a "lying s-x p-rvert."

One Million Moms, which is a project of the nonprofit American Family Association, has also called for the cancellation of Fox's "Lucifer," as well as ABC's "The Muppets."

"Preacher," which is an adaptation of a comic book series by Garth Ennis and the late Steve Dillon, stars Dominic Cooper as Rev. Jesse Custer.

In the same episode, Custer meets a supposed descendant of Jesus, Humperdido, who is said to be mentally handicapped as a result of inbreeding.

Fans of the comic book series have contended that the sex scene on the show can be considered tame compared to the graphic novels, noting that mocking Christianity is the nature of the source material.

"Preacher," which airs on Mondays on AMC, premiered season 2 on June 18 and is expected to finish in early September with 13 episodes. The network has not announced yet whether the show will return for a third season.