Editing Monty Python's Life of Brian (section)

===21st century===

{{Quote box|width=29%|align=right|quote="''Life of Brian'' is an extraordinary tribute to the life and work and teaching of Jesus – that they couldn't actually blaspheme or make a joke out of it. It is a wonderful satire on the way that Jesus's own teaching has been used to [[Religious persecution|persecute]] others. They were satirising [[fundamentalism]] and persecution of others and at the same time saying the one person who rises above all this was Jesus."|source=—Theologian [[Richard Burridge (priest)|Richard Burridge]].<ref name="theologian"/>}}
The film continues to cause controversy; in February 2007, the [[Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Newcastle|Church of St Thomas the Martyr]] in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] held a public screening in the church itself, with song-sheets, organ accompaniment, stewards in costume and false beards for female members of the audience (alluding to an early scene where a group of women disguise themselves as men so that they are able to take part in a [[stoning]]). Although the screening was a sell-out, some Christian groups, notably the conservative [[Christian Voice (UK)|Christian Voice]], were highly critical of the decision to allow the screening to go ahead. [[Stephen Green (Christian Voice)|Stephen Green]], the head of Christian Voice, insisted that "You don't promote Christ to the community by taking the mick out of him." The Reverend Jonathan Adams, one of the church's clergy, defended his taste in comedy, saying that it did not mock Jesus, and that it raised important issues about the hypocrisy and stupidity that can affect religion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1343479.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210063407/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1343479.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2007|title=Strife of Brian|work=The Times |location=UK |date=7 February 2007 |access-date=5 April 2010}}</ref> Again on the film's DVD commentary, Cleese also spoke up for religious people who have come forward and congratulated him and his colleagues on the film's highlighting of double standards among purported followers of their own faith.<ref name="autobiography" />

Some bans continued into the 21st century. In 2008, [[Torbay]] Council finally permitted the film to be shown after it won an online vote for the English Riviera International Comedy Film Festival.<ref name="TorbayBan">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7633749.stm|title=Python movie 'ban' finally lifted|date=24 September 2008 |work=BBC News |access-date=24 September 2008}}</ref> In 2009, it was announced that a thirty-year-old ban of the film in the Welsh town of [[Aberystwyth]] had finally been lifted, and the subsequent showing was attended by [[Terry Jones]] and [[Michael Palin]] alongside mayor [[Sue Jones-Davies]] (who portrayed Judith Iscariot in the film).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7915623.stm |title=Town ends Python film 30-year ban |work=BBC News |date=27 February 2009 |first=Carl |last=Yapp}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7969835.stm |work=BBC News |title=Life of Brian still a huge draw |date=29 March 2009 |access-date=5 April 2010 |first=Carl |last=Yapp}}</ref> However, before the showing, an [[Aberystwyth University]] student discovered that a ban had only been discussed by the council and in fact that it had been shown (or scheduled to be shown) at a cinema in the town in 1981.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7919116.stm|title=Tickets sold out for Python film|date=2 March 2009|work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=16 April 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Monty Myth-on |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/aberystwyth/pages/montypython.shtml |publisher=BBC |date=1 April 2009 |access-date=16 April 2009}}</ref> In 2013, a German official in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia considered the film to be possibly offensive to Christians and hence subject to a local regulation prohibiting its public screening on [[Good Friday]], despite protests by local atheists.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-23227452|title=Germany: Life of Brian banned on Good Friday|work=BBC News|date=8 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.derwesten.de/staedte/bochum/fuer-auffuehrung-der-jesus-satire-in-bochum-am-karfreitag-droht-strafe-id8152665.html |title=Für Aufführung der Jesus-Satire in Bochum am Karfreitag droht Strafe |date=5 July 2013 |language=de |access-date=5 September 2017 |archive-date=9 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509051617/https://www.derwesten.de/staedte/bochum/fuer-auffuehrung-der-jesus-satire-in-bochum-am-karfreitag-droht-strafe-id8152665.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>