A friend of a friend recently posted a Facebook picture from an art exhibit in Toronto. (This isn't that picture, but another one I found of the same piece.)

Okay, at first I didn't realize it was a life sized piece of artwork. I actually thought it was a quirkly alarm clock or collectable statue. However, upon looking at the photo a few times, it started to look vaguely ... familiar.

I asked my friend, and then researched it myself to find out that the modern version is called "piETa", because of it's resemblance to Michelangelo's sculpture "Pieta", meaning "pity" in Greek, of Mary and Jesus after Jesus was crucified. (Legend has it that Michelangelo himself considered the multi-faith moon backdrop with double menorahs and Star of David base, but then thought, "Nah ... too much".) I do, however, question the role assignments. I feel that E.T. should have played the part of Jesus, and Yoda the part of Mary.

Here's why:

• E.T. could raise the dead (plants anyway).
• E.T. healed Elliot's cut from the circular saw.
• E.T.'s friends attempted in vain to protect him from the government, who wanted to capture and kill him.
• E.T. came back from the dead.
• E.T. was not of this world, but was sent down to Earth for a short time.
• E.T. assended to his Home (in the heavens!).
• Before leaving, reminded Elliot, "I'll be right here (pointing to Elliot's heart)" similar to Jesus' parting words, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
• AND ... let's face it ... the outfits match up better the other way around, too.

"And Yoda treasured all these things, pondering them in his heart ..."

Despite the fact that Yoda was a wise and powerful Jedi Master who taught chosen other Jedi the ways of the Force in the Jedi Temple, and Yoda usually gave advice in such a way that the listener must look past what he is literally saying to interpret the hidden meaning, I am not convinced he makes a better Jesus than ET.

Wow ... there's a sentance I never thought I'd say ...

However, ET's similarity to Jesus is not my own discovery and apparently only a coincidence:

Other critics found religious parallels between E.T. and Jesus. Andrew Nigels described the story of E.T. as "crucifixion by military science" and "resurrection by love and faith". According to Spielberg biographer Joseph McBride, Universal Studios appealed directly to the Christian market, with a poster reminiscent of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam and a logo reading "Peace". Spielberg answered that he did not intend the film to be a religious parable, joking, "If I ever went to my mother and said, 'Mom, I've made this movie that's a Christian parable,' what do you think she'd say? She has a kosher restaurant on Pico and Doheny in Los Angeles."