A Canadian pastor is asking Christians to focus on sharing the Word instead of petitioning a controversial film that portrays Jesus as gay.

A Netflix special called The First Temptation of Jesus Christ caused controversy in December when it portrayed Jesus as a gay man. The film was created for Brazilians and is in Portuguese. Brazil is primarily Catholic and did not like the adaption. Citizens spoke out and created a petition asking for it to be removed from Netflix. A Brazilian court agreed to have it banned last Tuesday, but the next day the Supreme Court of Brazil overruled the decision. 

Pastor Brad Quiring from Abundant Life Baptist Church said he watched The First Temptation of Jesus Christ so he could have a better understanding of the comedy. He says he "wouldn't recommend the program to most people.

"I watched it, I heard the message, and I do not think it is good," Quiring says. "There was a lot of stuff that was misrepresented and portrayed poorly."

He hopes that instead of posting comments on social media, that people will use the film as an opportunity to discuss Jesus.

"I think Christian leaders should be emphasizing the truth of Christ," Pastor Quiring says.

Pastor Quiring recalls when The Da Vinci Code was released, Christians were able to use it as a way to share their beliefs. He hopes that this will call others to do the same.

"There needs to be a clear understanding of who He is," Pastor Quiring shares. The pastor hopes that if someone is unsure about Jesus, they will turn to the Bible instead of forms of entertainment for knowledge.

Quiring decided to watch the special because he felt that as a Christian leader he should know more about the comedy. While he was unable to finish the film, Pastor Quiring warns others to be cautious when taking in any sort of entertainment.

"What I tell everybody about the choices of their entertainment is, first of all, if you're going to watch, watch with discernment," Pastor Quiring says.

The First Temptation of Jesus Christ is available on Netflix Canada.