By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

A television documentary depicting Jesus as a human is drawing sharp criticism from Christian circles.

While Christian leaders have called for the cancellation of the program, the TV network's union has vowed to continue the broadcast.

The Christian Council of Korea (CCK), a group of protestant Christians, recently sent a complaint to SBS who aired the first episode of a four-part documentary ``Shineui Gil, Inganeui Gil'' (The Road of God, the Road of Man) on June 29.

The CCK said: ``What the program is trying to say could shake many people's beliefs. It is a violation of individuals rights to have freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution.'' The group reportedly tried to cancel the show.

The CCK started a hunger strike but halted it several hours later Sunday. The Korean Association of Church Communication said, ``We are very anxious that the program is trying to tarnish the honor of Jesus, who is the God of 2 billion people worldwide. We will do whatever we can to stop the devious program.''

Christian leaders allegedly threatened the program directors in an attempt to influence the station and management.

The directors said any threat was a violation of the media's right to speak. ``Their actions cause antipathy toward their belief, not our program,'' one said.

They said statements in the program saying Jesus was not God but rather a very good human political leader were quite well known and frequently talked about in other countries and among academics. ``Do not emphasize this as an attempt to start a war against religion,'' they stated on the company's Web site.

They explained the program was intended to seek harmony among religions involving Jehovah, God and Jesus. ``We are trying to help people understand other people's beliefs, not downplaying anything.''

The ambitious program has adopted a different approach toward Jesus; the son of God and the Messiah in Christianity. While some Christians state that every word in the Bible is a fact and should be believed, the program looks at the possibility of the book being a fable, a composition of metaphors picturing a better society many people dream of.

It refers to Timothy Freke, the author of the thought provoking book ``The Jesus Mysteries,'' to tell the similarity of Jesus and other ``Gods'' and experts who have studied Jesus in an academic way and conclude him to be a ``wise man and a performer of extraordinary things.''

This is the first time a local broadcasting TV network has tried to study Christianity itself rather than Christians. Their struggle against the media's allegations toward their belief also has a long history.

MBC was invaded by groups of ManMin Church adherents who did not like their being labeled as a heretical cult in 1999, and JMS followers occupied the Donga Ilbo building after the newspaper described their leader as a swindler earlier this year.

The controversial first airing saw a 10.6 percent viewing rate. The remaining three episodes will be aired each Sunday at 11:20 p.m.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr