Over a million Christians are calling for the removal of a new Netflix comedy which depicts Jesus as gay.

"The First Temptation of Christ" by Brazil-based comedy troupe Porta dos Fundos (Back Door) was released on 3rd December, sparking controversy among the Christian community.

The 46 minute Christmas special suggests that Jesus is in a sexual relationship with his male companion Orlando, who joins the Son of God for a birthday celebration with his parents Mary and Joseph.

A petition was launched following the show's debut, requesting the piece be banned from the streaming service due to its "offensive" nature.

The campaign also calls for the show's creators to be "held responsible for the crime of villainous faith."

Backdoor, which currently has the largest YouTube following in Brazil is known for its faith-based "borderline" humour.

The comedic group has produced a range of religious sketches focused on the Bible and the life of Jesus and won an International Emmy Award for its satirical piece "The Last Hangover", which is described on Netflix as a "biblical 'Hangover' spoof" which depicts the apostles waking to find Jesus missing following the previous night's "wild Last Supper".

At the time of writing the petition to remove "The First Temptation of Christ" has had 1,760,949 signatures.

Premier has contacted Netflix and is waiting for a response.