Posted on 06/09/2015 9:43:30 AM PDT by bjorn14
Norwegian Eurovision star Tooji has come out in scandalous style, releasing a video shot inside an Oslo church in which he has steamy sex with a male priest in front of both altar and shocked congregation.
The Bishop of Oslo, Ole Christian Kvarme, on Monday condemned the video as totally unacceptable and a gross misuse of the church, accusing the videos producers of misinforming the church about the videos contents.
My new video Father is Out, and so am I! Tooji Keshtar, 28, said as he released the video on YouTube on Monday.
In the song and video, called the The Father Project, Tooji, hooded and caped like a monk, interrupts the priest in the middle of his sermon, and kisses him passionately, after which the video cuts to the couple having energetic sex in front of the altar, along with generally approving reactions of the congregation.
Finally, as the the two men stand embracing naked in front of the altar, they sprout angels wings, while light streams in through the stained glass windows behind them.
The song and the video is about someone who is running from himself, denying himself, and yes, if God is in everyone and everything, denying God, Tooji Keshtar, 28, said, explaining the symbolism.
With this project I wanted to show that love between two people of the same sex has for too long has been tainted by religion.
Tooji combined the release with an interview with Gaysir, the Norwegian gay portal, on why he had decided to go public with his sexuality.
I have probably not made a secret of who I am, but I have not previously stepped forward publicly as gay, he said. I've always thought that my sexuality is nobody's business but mine. No heterosexual needs to share what their preferences are, so why should I? Therefore, I have never responded to questions from the press about it.
Tooji, whose song Stay came 26th in Eurovision 2012 in Baku, works as a singer, TV presenter, and somewhat incongruously as a social worker.
He was born in Iran and moved to Norway when he was one year old.
Tooji on Monday night claimed that he had lost his job presenting Melodi Grand Prix Junior, a version of Eurovision fro teenagers which airs only in the Nordic Countries, as a result of the video.
The reason I was fired was that the music video was not consistent with being a role model for children, he said.
The church where the video was shot is about 200 meters from the church I attend.
This moron needs to try this in a mosque next.
We need to officially retire the words "outrageous" and "scandalous" when it comes to some prima donna performer producing a song or other "artistic" work involving graphic sex and Christianity. At this point, its all just banal, tired, worn out and cowardly. This Tooji dope knows he'd get his neck cut if he did this in a mosque -- now that would be "scandalous."
Jesus, Paul and others warned us this would come to pass. The complexity of the sin of the unrighteous is appalling, and as Paul wrote in Romans, even the leaders approve of this sinful conduct. Growing up in the 1960’s I never imagined a world like this. Now the most outrageous sins don’t even cause people to blush
Well, is he saying that homo pederasty is good, or it’s evil? It can’t be both.
Unless, of course, you are attacking the Church.
Do they regard deviant copulation as morally permissible? Do they do gay marriages? Do they have openly gay clergy?
Do they regard deviant copulation as morally permissible? Do they do gay marriages? Do they have openly gay clergy?
“The” Church? Lutheran Church of Norway?
Was this an actual Lutheran priest and an actual service? Not just a couple of perverts acting out an attack on priestly pederasts? I guess I didn’t read it closely enough.
What they did showed NOTHING about any philosophical differences about same-sex attraction.
What it DID show was a chasm of NATURAL differences and philosophical and MORAL differences over what constitutes decency.
Porno is prono no matter how you give performing it a false purpose.
Other coverage (see below) didn't make that clear either. But since they didn't out a "priest" participant by name, and the Church of Norway didn't censure a priest but did object furiously to the video being made in the nave of their church --- my assumption is now that it was not a priest, but an actor.
9th June 2015, 12:54 PM. The Church of Norway has lashed out at a singer who filmed a steamy gay music video in one of its churches, labelling it a gross abuse of the building.
Iranian-born singer Tooji, who represented Norway at the contest in 2012 with the song Stay, came out as gay this week in a music video for song Father.
The raunchy video sees Tooji share a passionate kiss with a priest, before the pair strip and appear naked together in front of the congregation.
In a supplementary video the singer confirmed his sexuality, and attacked religion for its stance on LGBT issues.
The video, which was shot in Oslos Frogner Church with full permission, has caused outrage in the Church of Norway which claims it was not made aware of the nature of the video. A statement from the Bishop of Oslo said: I was informed about the issue after a decision was taken in Frogner parish to rent out the nave, and the recording had taken place.
Regardless of the music videos message, shooting intimate scenes in front of the altar is totally unacceptable and is a gross abuse of the church.
The nave should never be used as a visual backdrop for sexual scenes in a commercial production. A similar scene between man and woman would be equally unacceptable.
What has happened here violates the rules and regulations we have for the use of church space.
Tooji said of the video previously: Its time that we put human rights above religion.
I always thought that who I loved is my business, but knowing how many young people are struggling with the burden of societys ignorance, I want to stand out as an example and let my voice be heard for all those voices mute.
I am gay, and I stand up for my rights, and that is why I made the video Father.
At this time the Church does not allow openly gay pastors nor does it perform gay marriages. However, during last summer’s synod meeting the proposal to alloow gay marriages was only defeated 64-51. So more brow beating ahead. Bishop Kvarme in the article is one of the good guys. A few years ago he fired a pastor who came out even after the congregation wanted him to stay.
No. They were all actors including the congregants.
I think of my own best-loved gay people in my life. They need and deserve the truth, and nothing but the truth.
We've come a long way since ABBA.
I want my culture back.
Freddie Mercury was Iranian too. Must be something in the water over there.
Yes, I’ve had several friends and colleagues over the years who happened to be gay. I like them for who they were and are, not for the perversions they have gotten themselves into. I hate it when the priests and ministers who should be trying to speak the truth to them fail to do so. There’s nothing kind about that.
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