Playboy magazine is cancelling its Portuguese edition after it published photos depicting Jesus Christ among topless models.
The photos show a long-haired Jesus watching two semi-nude women in a lesbian clinch, standing next to a prostitute and looking over the shoulder of a woman reading a book.
The offensive photos, which appeared in Portugal’s July edition of the magazine, also depict Jesus kneeling on a bed while he holds a heavily tattooed woman who appears to have died in his arms.
Offensive
The incorporation of Jesus Christ in such a photo shoot is likely to prove highly offensive to many Christians.
Theresa Hennessy, Vice President of public relations at Playboy Enterprises, was quick to distance the corporation from the controversial shoot.
She said: “We did not see or approve the cover and pictorial in the July issue of Playboy Portugal.
Shocking
“It is a shocking breach of our standards and we would not have allowed it to be published if we had seen it in advance.
“We are in the process of terminating our agreement with the Portugese publisher.”
Press reports indicate that the photo shoot was based on a controversial novel by Jose Saramago entitled The Gospel According to Jesus Christ.
The novel is a fictional tale of Jesus’ life which portrays him as a flawed human character.