Brazil: More than 1.4 million people have already signed a petition to download the movie, which aired on Netflix earlier this month • Bishop in the country: "It's a vulgar and disrespectful blasphemy"

• A film about the gay Jesus stirs up a storm // screenshot

A Netflix movie that portrays Jesus as a homosexual is causing a stir in Brazil - more than 1.4 million people have already signed a petition to download the movie.

The comic film "The First Temptation of Christ," which was released earlier this month, tells the story of Jesus as a closet homosexual. Throughout the movie plot, Jesus and a "friend" named Orlando arrive at the home of his parents, Mary and Joseph, for a birthday party. Jesus is trying to downplay a relationship and not understand where it is coming from, while Orlando suggests they are more than "just friends."

The movie "The First Temptation of Jesus" on Netflix // Screenshot

Eduardo Bolesonaro, son of Brazilian homophobic president Jayer Bolesonaro, attacked the film on social media and wrote: "We support freedom of speech, but should we attack the faith of 86% of the population?"

Protests arose in the network and in the country after the film was released, and the huge uprising against it has racked up over one million and four hundred thousand people. Bishop Henrique Soares de Costa wrote that he canceled his Netflix account in protest of the "blasphemous, vulgar and disrespectful" skit.

The petition against the film // screenshot

Forte dos Fondos, the filmmaker, commented, saying: "We value freedom and artistic humor through satire on the most diverse cultural issues of our society and believe that freedom of expression is essential for a democratic state."