Terry Jones stars in Monty Python's Life of Brian in 1979
The Life of Brian editor has shared his outrage that the controversal film was ever banned. Julian Doyle says the 45-year-old movie should never have been removed from air as it is "a more realistic portrayal of Jesus than the Bible".
The movie followed Brian, who was a likeable but unlucky man young Judaean man. Brian was born on the same day as Jesus in the stable next door and spends his life being mistaken for the Messiah.
The film's crew member, who also worked on Python favourites The Holy Grail and Meaning of Life, was surprised that Life of Brian was ever banned. He claims that it is no more offensive to Christians than Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar.
However, many would disagree as the movie was banned in several countries world wide.
At the time the film was described as the "most blasphemous" ever made and was later banned for a year in Norway, for eight years in Ireland, and for more than a decade in Italy.
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Screenings were also cancelled in cinemas across the US and the UK following protests from religious leaders and nuns.
However, Doyle hit back at the criticism, saying that Life of Brian was not a mockery of Jesus or Christianity at all.
He offered an explaination to the plot, stating that the film was simply intended as a parody of human behaviour and the "comedic tendency" of people to blindly follow leaders.
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He said: "If you look at the film from an historical point of view, you'll realise that it is a far more authentic and accurate portrayal of Jesus Christ than the teachings of the Church and the Bible combined.
"The funny thing is that while the Pythons only ever intended to make a comedy film, they intuitively hit on a more realistic portrayal of Jesus and his times because they followed reason rather than faith.
"This has obviously made a lot of Christians unhappy, but it stands up to scrutiny and if you are seeking to learn about the life of the real Jesus then Python's Life of Brian is, in my view, just as valid as any other portrayal of Jesus including the Church's teachings."
