Popular Kiwi radio station The Edge had billed it as “just a laugh”. But unsurprisingly, the bishops of New Zealand didn’t see the funny side of their ‘Fat Jesus’ competition. Both the Catholic and Anglican bishops described the ‘Jesus in Suburbia’ promotion, which was held on the run-up to Easter, as “crass and offensive”. Callers had been asked to dial in if they saw the chubby character. The first to read his sign out live on air bagged a cash prize of $50.

Yet even the presenters seemed to realise that Fat Jesus had perhaps gone too far with his first sign, which read ‘Jesus is a Boobies Man’. Mysteriously, therefore, the portly Jesus held a different sign the next day (pictured above). Inundated with complaints, the station then experimented with a Maori Jesus instead.

I suspect that they may have got away with a Fat Jesus competition, however tasteless that may have been. Fat wasn’t really the issue. It was suggesting that the Messiah had a penchant for breasts that provoked the inevitable firestorm.Personally, I’m all for innovative, even shocking ways of getting people to engage with the Easter message. But I think this serves as a good barometer of what is acceptable, or at least tolerable. Sign one about boobies - way too personal, don’t even go there. Sign two about TV – just silly and far more light-hearted. And actually, since the Bible says that Jesus knows everything anyway, it’s kind of true.