A teachers' union in Scotland is facing major backlash from Christians after it promoted a theatrical play depicting the Biblical Jesus Christ as a transgender woman. The play is written by Jo Clifford, a biological man who identifies as a woman but also a Christian. The play is titled "The Gospel According to Jesus Queen of Heaven."
According to Christian Headlines, the Scottish teachers' union called the Education Institute of Scotland (EIS) is set to host an LGBT event titled "School's Almost Out! Celebrate Pride" on June 17. Excerpts of the blasphemous play starring a transgender Jesus is set to be showcased during next week's event.
The EIS describes itself as the "largest teaching union" in Scotland and is the oldest teachers' trade union in the world as it was founded in 1847. Its website claims that its "principal source of income" comes from national contributions, local contributions, and political fund contributions, but also claims that they are "not affiliated to any political party."
The Scottish teachers' union set up a page in their website promoting the LGBT event next week, in which they claimed that the COVID pandemic caused the cancellation of Pride events in the last two years. In it, they also described Clifford as a "playwright, performer, proud father and grandmother based in Edinburgh," who has authored more than 100 plays. It also describes the blasphemous play as one that "invites us to imagine Jesus coming back to earth in the present day as a trans woman."
In 2018, BBC described the blasphemous play starring a transgender Jesus as a "one-woman play" that toured Brazil and "[sparked] both strong protests and devotion." Clifford claimed at the time that the play was "an act of homage" to Jesus and "never intended to mock or insult Christianity."
But not everyone is happy about the reimagining of the Lord and Savior in the blasphemous play starring a transgender Jesus. CBN News reported that in 2016, the play was performed in a Church of England congregation in Manchester, despite a number of bishops opposing the event.
"It is quite clear from the Gospels that the identity of Jesus is male, his 'mum' is Mary and he always refers to God as 'Father', so to suggest otherwise is contrary to Christian teaching," former Church of England Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali argued at the time.
The Christian Institute, a non-denominational Christian charity with over 60,000 supporters across 4,500 churches in the U.K., has also condemned the blasphemous play that portrays Jesus in a shocking light.
"This play deliberately re-imagines Jesus as a trans woman and puts words into his mouth that he never said, misrepresenting him," The Christian Institute's Education Officer John Denning said. "That's deeply distressing and offensive for many Christians who value him and his teaching above all."
Denning argued that it was rather improper for an organization such as the EIS to use the proceeds from subscriptions paid by its members to hold such an event where a blasphemous play about Jesus is showcased especially when a large portion of the paying members are Christians themselves.
"We are committed to upholding the truths of the Bible which we believe is inerrant and the supreme authority for all of life," the CI's website read. One of these truths is that Jesus was born male and identified as male throughout his life, death, and resurrection.
