But it has also posed a unique problem, especially for insular denominations that rely on members’ lack of ready access to information. In some respects, the online explosion has made it easier than ever to go to church, ushering in an era of live-streamed services, hyper-linkable Bible passages, and Instagram-friendly congregations. In the past decade, the internet has become a gargantuan distortion field for religion, reshaping it in unusual ways. He met his fundraising goal within hours he was invited to conduct a Reddit AMA and he was bombarded by messages from fans and reporters, begging for more details on how he went from “schlepping Jesus,” as he put it, to schlepping, among other things, Bible-themed, discount dildos. Christ already had a substantial subscriber count, but after the signal boost, his fame started to snowball. A day after the video was posted, Jesus’ fundraiser got a shoutout from PewDiePie, the controversial video-game streamer whose nearly 100 million subscribers puts him among the most popular YouTube personalities. Likes, subscriptions, and donations poured in. The video went viral, receiving over 3.6 million views. And perhaps if I’m lucky, it can save my kids too.”Īs is often the case with YouTube, conflict captured attention. It unshackled me from the bonds of superstition and gave me a career. “My own parents have sided with my ex-wife and are trying to strip me of all of my parental rights,” he says, directing viewers to a Patreon link to help him pay for his expenses. Now, the four-minute video explains, he’s locked in an expensive legal battle to keep joint custody. When he left the church, his wife and children did not. He married a Mormon, worked as a Mormon wedding DJ, and raised three Mormon kids. Jesus grew up in the Mormon Church: his parents were Mormon, his seven siblings were Mormon, his friends were Mormon. But, as the video goes on to point out, he has reason enough. I need your help.”īy his own admission, the Lamb of God is an ugly crier. I was raised in a highly controlled religious group. Obviously that isn’t the name I was given when I was born. But in this video, Jesus is serious somber, even. Usually, Jesus plays a character he calls “SoCal Christ,” a sardonic caricature of the biblical figure-like if the Buddy Christ from Kevin Smith’s Dogma had a YouTube channel, only took on more of Silent Bob’s theological sensibility. The video, titled “I need your help! #savejesus #justiceforjesus,” marked a sharp departure from the online messiah’s standard fare. So it was a big deal when, in January this year, Jesus uploaded a video in his street clothes-his signature cotton robes swapped out for a Space-X sweatshirt, black glasses, and a beanie. Christ and whose verified account has racked up more than one million subscribers, the ability to adhere to his cardinal rule: never, ever, ever, break character. These particular material possessions are important because they afford the wildly popular YouTuber, whose legal name is Jesus H. Occasionally, he’ll throw in a crown of thorns-he has several-or a pair of Warby Parker shades. Usually, these get-ups involve breezy, burlap-looking fabrics, topped with a regal red shawl. Jesus wears one wherever he goes-to Comic-Con, to WonderCon, and on all of his Twitch streams. As a general rule, the Bible isn’t keen on material possessions, but Jesus Christ has a thing for certain ones specifically, he’s partial to tunics, and owns nearly a dozen of them-eight from cheap vendors on Amazon, two out of higher-end custom novelty shops.
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