Elton John has told Parade magazine that, in his opinion, Jesus was a "super-intelligent gay man". The statement, part of an interview with the US publication, has unleashed a torrent of protests by bloggers and ‘tweeters'.

Comments ranged from: "John is now the authority on Christ? Jesus Christ was as gay as Saddam Hussein is alive" to "I will never listen to this man's music again. How dare he speak of my Lord in such a disgraceful way ...... Elton John's lifestyle speaks for itself" Another wrote that John couldn't be further from the truth, followed by a reference to Leviticus 18:22, 23 which states that Christ saw homosexuality as an abomination.

Sir Elton's subsequent remarks were, however, not only less controversial, but actually in line with Christian teaching. In an interview with the US publication, he described Jesus as compassionate, forgiving and one who understood human problems.

This must have come as a something of a relief to the Church of England - a much easier one to field. A Church spokesman said: "Sir Elton's reflection that Jesus calls us all to love and forgive is one shared by all Christians." He did add, though, that insights into the more personal aspects of Jesus' life were probably "best left to the academics".

Sir Elton - described by the magazine as a philanthropist as well as a pop star - made the point that Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving, as he forgave those who crucified him. "I don't know what makes people so cruel," he added. "Try being a gay woman in the Middle East - you're as good as dead."

The star, who, with his partner, David Furnish, owns a magnificent property at the top of Mount Boron also told Parade that he no longer enjoyed being a celebrity, because "fame attracts lunatics".

"Princess Diana, Gianni Versace, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, all dead. Two of them shot outside their houses. None of this would have happened if they hadn't been famous. I never had a bodyguard, ever, until Gianni died," he said.

One wonders what Sir Elton's opinion of the Jesus Diet would be. With his obvious love of this part of the world, however, perhaps he's a fan of the 'What Would Jesus Eat?' diet, a Mediterranean-style diet (of course!) - plenty of vegetables in their natural state, fruit, water and red wine.

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