Porsche apologises for removing Jesus statue from car advert

A screengrab from the version of the advert where the statue is missing, and - right - a picture of the statue. (Photo: X/Alex B)

Porsche has apologised after being accused of airbrushing out a Jesus statue from the background of one of its car adverts. 

An advert celebrating the 60th anniversary of its classic 911 model was filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, where the Christ the King statue is a local landmark. 

In the advert, a red 911 speeds along the banks of the River Tagus and the statue's plinth can be clearly seen in the background, but the statue itself is missing. 

The omission prompted users of X - formerly known as Twitter - to question why the statue was gone from the advert. 

"Hey, @Porsche, why did you erase the statue of Jesus Christ from your video filmed in Lisbon?" said X user Alex B, alongside a screengrab of the video next to a picture of the statue.

X users accused the luxury car brand of being woke and anti-Christian. 

"Looks like Porsche doesn't want Christians buying their cars," said one.

Another said: "Well, guess if Porsche can edit Jesus out of their video 'celebrating' 60-years — we can all edit them out of our memories. Apparently, Porsche doesn't care about Christians."

Another user tweeted: "The lack of self-awareness, a company born in Europe with its Judeo-Christian roots and values, pretending to hold dear its origins while erasing one of its most important symbols. Even I as an atheist find this to be disconcerting."

Porsche has since apologised "for any offence caused" in a comment on its YouTube page, although it has not given any explanation as to why the statue was edited out of the video.

"A message to our community: in a previously-uploaded version of the 911 S/T launch film, a landmark was removed. This was a mistake, and we apologize for any offense caused. Your comments on this video were appreciated," it said. 

News
Fire severely damages historic Amsterdam church on New Year’s Day
Fire severely damages historic Amsterdam church on New Year’s Day

A major fire tore through one of Amsterdam’s best-known historic buildings in the early hours of New Year’s Day, seriously damaging the property and forcing people to leave nearby homes.

Rwanda’s president on the defensive over church closures
Rwanda’s president on the defensive over church closures

Rwandan President Paul Kagame defended the government's forced closure of Evangelical churches, accusing them of being a “den of bandits” led by deceptive relics of colonialism. 

We are the story still being written
We are the story still being written

The story of Christ continues in the lives of those who take up His calling.

Christians harassed, attacked all over India at Christmas
Christians harassed, attacked all over India at Christmas

International Christian Concern reported more than 80 incidents in India, some of them violent, over Christmas.