A screenshot of Dingdong Dantes as Jesus Christ from PEP's online forum

Although it was meant to be simply artistic, not a few netizens found something to complain about Kapuso actor Dingdong Dantes’ latest photos that appeared in Yes! Magazine’s Life Stories ‘bookazine.’

The photos, taken by some of the country’s leading photographers including Jay Tablante and Lon Liwen among others, had the matinee idol depicting a battle-scarred warrior, a vampire, Superman and Jesus.

The fourth -- which had the 29-year old model-actor re-creating Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection--got the goat of some bloggers who deemed it “disturbing” and “sacrilegious”.

A blogger said she had no problem with the actor posing in different guises but, “trying to do Jesus in that context, with him being a teen idol and an underwear model…is disturbing. I worry how the church might see [it].”

“Having Darna as girlfriend—I’d surely feel like [a] Superman…but Jesus? I don’t know what to say—personally I think it’s kind of offensive. I’m sure some moralist might react to this,” wrote another.

E! Entertainment’s third sexiest man in the world is the first celebrity to be featured in the said ‘bookazine,’ which is supposed to be an amalgam of a book and magazine.

The issue meant to unveil Dantes’ “personal and private realities, from his deepest dreams to his darkest fantasies.”

Dantes said portraying the various characters allowed him to fulfill an inner need.

“… I'm proud of the fact that my friends see me as someone who gives good advice, someone who can analyze situations objectively and come up with sensible solutions [but]…many times in my life, with my own problems, I can’t see as clearly. I can’t see as objectively. It’s not so much as [having] a messiah complex, but this wish---that I could have as much courage as these figures…they can go it on their own. They can do what needs to be done, no matter how hard. I’m hoping that acting them out for the camera can give me a little of that.”

That said, Dingdong put a warning on the cover: “If you’re not ready to handle my truth…then don’t turn the page.”

According to a Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) representative, the publisher of the bookazine, Summit Media, had asked for their advice regarding Dantes posing as Jesus Christ.

However, when CBCP asked Summit Media to send them copies of the pictures or at least to show how they plan to go about it, CBCP said they never heard from the publisher again.