Kissamos, Crete, Greece, December 17, 2024
Photo: romfea.gr
A Greek Orthodox bishop has issued a strong condemnation of Netflix’s new animated film That Christmas, characterizing it as a concerning example of political correctness being weaponized against Christianity.
Drawing on philosopher Umberto Eco’s analysis of the “fundamentalism of political correctness,” Bishop Amphilochios of Kissamos in Crete examines how modern social movements that claim to protect against discrimination seem to make an exception for Christian faith and symbols.
One of the film’s most controversial sequences, as reported by CBN and cited in the bishop’s statement, features a young actress playing Mary performing Madonna’s 1986 song Papa Don’t Preach—a song about a pregnant teenager considering whether to have an abortion—while holding a watermelon carved to represent the infant Jesus. The scene culminates with the watermelon being dropped and splattering onto the audience.
In the film, a character named Bernadette directly challenges traditional Christmas narratives, asking the audience: “He wouldn’t want us to do the same boring Christmas story every year, right, parents?” She continues, stating Jesus “would want a strictly vegetarian, multicultural fun celebration with lots of pop songs and things about climate change.”
The bishop particularly objects to the film’s target audience, noting that it “addresses small children, who have not yet acquired critical thinking ability.” He argues that instead of telling children about Christ’s birth, the film subtly communicates messages about abortion through its imagery and song choice.
The production, which describes itself as a “school performance,” replaces traditional Nativity elements with modern interpretations, including substituting the three wise men with three wise women and having shepherds tend to vegetables instead of sheep.
Bp. Amphilochios concludes by questioning whether this form of political correctness has become “the most modern, most dangerous, most barbaric form of xenophobia, racism, and exclusion,” particularly in its treatment of Christian beliefs and traditions.
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That Christmas has received many negative reviews from parents on the site common sense media. For example:
Disgraceful and disgusting
Wow, as a Christian parent I was appalled within the first maybe 5 minutes. I can’t review the whole movie as we turned it off. Please stop making children’s movies that push political agendas. The birth of Jesus Christ is a story worth telling EVERY year. Insinuating that Mary considered abortion is simply disgusting.
There’s a clear agenda
Be very wary. Mary, the mother of Jesus, sings the song “I made up my mind, I’m going to keep my baby” and the class joins in “she’s going to keep the baby”. Two different adults swear “God, help us all” and “JESUS” sarcastically. An adult calls Jesus a hipster that wouldn’t want his boring Christmas story told year after year, so instead they sub in 3 wise women, vegetable farmers for Shepards with flocks of broccoli because “vegetarianism and global warming”, and references to Mary contemplating abortion, without actually saying abortion. All of this within the first 7 minutes. I wish the name “Christmas” was not in the name of this movie because it’s a disgrace to “Christmas”. It’s meant to entertain with a clear agenda, but do yourself a favor and skip this one, especially if kids are in the audience.
Disgusting
This movie is absolutely disgusting and is nothing but a display of blasphemy. This not about being or not being “woke.” It is just an awful. Children putting on a play that Mary considered abortion?! Not appropriate at all.
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