Comedian Larry David is under attack from critics who say he pushed the mocking of religion and Christian belief in miracles over the edge in the latest episode of his HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which the cable network defended as "playful."

On the show's most recent installment, which aired Sunday, David urinates on a painting of Jesus Christ, causing a woman to believe the painting depicts Jesus crying.

Deal Hudson, author and publisher of InsideCatholic.com, said he doesn't find any humor in the episode.

"I don't think it's funny," Hudson told Foxnews.com. "Why is it that people are allowed to publicly show that level of disrespect for Christian symbols? If the same thing was done to a symbol of any other religions -- Jewish or Muslim -- there'd be a huge outcry. It's simply not a level playing field."

Hudson said an apology from the show's producers and writing team should be issued.

"Somebody should [apologize]," Hudson said. "When is it going to stop? When is common sense going to dictate that people realize this willingness of artists to do to Christianity what they would never do to Judaism or Islam?"

In a statement to Foxnews.com, HBO downplayed the controversy.

"Anyone who follows Curb Your Enthusiasm knows that the show is full of parody and satire," the statement read. "Larry David makes fun of everyone, most especially himself. The humor is always playful and certainly never malicious."

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, also criticized the episode, saying David should "quit while he's ahead," and that the show is proof that the comedian's best years are behind him.

"Was Larry David always this crude? Would he think it's comedic if someone urinated on a picture of his mother?" Donohue said in a statement. "This might be fun to watch, but since HBO only likes to dump on Catholics (it was just a couple of weeks ago that Sarah Silverman insulted Catholics on 'Real Time with Bill Maher') and David is Jewish, we'll never know."

During Sunday's episode, David, who created, wrote and produced "Seinfeld," visits a bathroom in his assistant's home and splatters urine on a picture of Jesus. Instead of wiping it off, David leaves the restroom. Minutes later, David's assistant enters the bathroom and concludes that Jesus is crying. She then summons her mother to the bathroom, where both women kneel in prayer.

"When David and Jerry Seinfeld (playing himself) are asked if they ever experienced a miracle, David answers, 'every erection is a miracle,' Donohue's statement continued. "That's what passes for creativity these days."

The episode, "The Bare Midriff," primarily revolves around David's assistant and her belly-revealing attire. According to the show's Web site, a "new pill" increased David's urine flow, leading to the "misunderstanding about a miraculously weeping Jesus."

HBO promoted the controversial scene on the show's site, complete with a "squirm-o-meter" that ranked the urine incident ahead of David's confronting his assistant about her exposed midriff.

Larry David Blasted for 'Curb' Episode Where He Urinates on Jesus Painting - FOXNews.com

If this was a picture of Mohammad, the Muslim community would be after his head, but since it is "only" Jesus, Christians will have to suck it in and take it as usual. I don't know much about Larry David, but he sounds like a real A-hole.

It was friggin hilarious. Not that he pissed on Jesus, but the reaction by that woman to it.

I am pretty sensitive to religious tolerance and especially to the way Christians get treated, but in this case, it's much ado about nothing.

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The voice in your head that says "you can't do this" is a LIAR!!!

If that's such a true statement, then where are the episodes that would get the National Organization of Women upset?...

Where are the episodes that have Shapton and Jackson protesting?...

Where are the episodes that have B'ai B'rnith up in arms?...

Where are the episodes that have the LGBT groups boycotting?...

Truth is, there aren't any episodes that do those things...you know...the ones where HBO says (and I quote) ""Larry David makes fun of everyone"...

They don't exist...and they won't either...

Christianity is fair game, while other pre-approved selected groups will never be shown in Larry David's "playful and certainly never malicious" manner...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

I'm sorry c, but this is bull****. That show takes swipes at EVERYBODY. And its all just playful.

Catholics have a tendancy to get indignant about the silliest things. I know, I'm a Catholic that gets indignant about the silliest things.

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The voice in your head that says "you can't do this" is a LIAR!!!

Believe me, I don't take personal offense to much, and I'm not offended here...

...but I'm looking for CONSISTANCY...

It's irrelevant if someone's intention was to offend or not...The Libs and Elites of this world have already made it QUITE CLEAR that as long as people are offended by language, then punishment should be doled EVEN IF there as no intent to offend so the person who offended would "understand" that actions such as this have consequences and be "more in touch" with diversity and inter-group communications...

We see commercial from gays that tell others that just SAYING "That's so gay" is offensive even when they weren't attempting to offend anyone...

We see young children in school being punished for saying it even though a vast majority are clueless as to what it even means and are just mimicking what they've heard (and it could've even originally come from a teacher!)...

We see a much-loved actor and comedian get run into the ground when he tries to return-volley heckling by using the word "ni**er" when he was just trying to be funny...

We see a well-established actor and director get vilified when he goes on a drunkin' rant and starts yelling about Jews...

Get it yet?..."I" am not offended...

But what I WANT to see is the usual suspects cry foul like they do on other issues...

...which won't happen...The black-mark of shame is selective...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

I'm just saying in this particular instance, there's nothing to be offended about. It was portrayed as being an accident and Larry's poor handling of the accident and all the shenanigans it spawned.

I think its all a tempest in a tea cup. Now if it had been portrayed that he intentionally pissed on the painting and all that, I would see the issue. But it was really funny the way it was done. I think Donahue is trying his best to remain relevant and painting this as the "Christ in a urine bottle" art piece that caused such a fire storm. It wasn't anything like that at all.

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The voice in your head that says "you can't do this" is a LIAR!!!

I think you are missing the point.

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Every step taken toward the installment of Sharia law will be justifiable to the person who values appearance more than freedom and democracy.

What point? It's a tempest in a tea cup this time.

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The voice in your head that says "you can't do this" is a LIAR!!!

Had it been the koran we would be calling out the riot squad right now and obama would be apologizing to the muslim world for the offense. Tempest in a tea cup? Only because it was a painting of Jesus and for no other reason.

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Courtesy of Swissman

A gun in the hands of a free man frightens and angers the autocrat, not because he fears the power of the gun, but, rather, the spirit of the man who holds it.

ANONYMOUS

Well speaking of many comics that poke fun at ALL communities, the GLBT population has been mostly silent. The reason is that MOST comedians who poke fun at all groups poke fun at the stereotypes and do it in a manner that is a form of satire on how these groups are viewed by others. It's not that the comedian actually has those views. Lisa Lampanelli "The Queen of Mean" does it and selects members of the audience to poke fun at. Don Rickles does this as well.

Maybe the old saying is true... "If you can dick, you can take a joke!"

There are always going to be some in each community that are overly sensitive and don't see the satire for what it is.

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The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to permit the conquered Eastern peoples to have arms. History teaches that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so.

-- Hitler, April 11 1942