Funk Cites Bible as Example of Garbage

The youth-oriented platform, which targets viewers aged 14 to 29 and is funded by mandatory broadcasting fees, published an Instagram post on Monday about lunar debris. According to Nius, the post detailed approximately 200 tons of human-generated material left on the moon, citing NASA calculations as the basis for the claim.

The controversial graphic listed items supposedly abandoned on the lunar surface by space missions, including spacecraft parts, ash, golf balls, bags of human excrement, and the Bible. The visual presentation placed the Bible in a row alongside other objects, including illustrated bags of waste represented by vomit emojis, feces emojis, and a bag of yellow liquid apparently depicting urine.

Funk’s rationale for the post centered on space shuttle logistics. The broadcaster explained that returning spacecraft needed to maximize cargo space for moon rocks and scientific samples, necessitating the abandonment of various items on the lunar surface. However, the editorial decision to categorize the Bible as “trash” alongside human bodily waste triggered immediate backlash from social media users.

Facing mounting criticism in the comments section, Funk issued a clarification stating that the word “trash” was not meant pejoratively. The platform insisted the term simply referred to objects that would not be present on the moon without human intervention, adding that the Bible and urns naturally do not constitute garbage.

The episode represents the latest controversy for Funk, which has previously drawn attention for content that critics view as lowbrow or inappropriate. Past posts have included material titled “now we’re going to shit,” offering defecation advice, and another piece encouraging young women to speak with their “Yoni,” a Sanskrit term for vagina.

According to Nius, Funk recently deleted a separate post complaining about receiving “only” 45.8 million euros annually in mandatory broadcasting fees, after the figures cited proved incorrect. The deletion followed public criticism of the platform’s apparent dissatisfaction with its taxpayer-funded budget.

The public broadcaster’s editorial choices continue to raise questions about how Germany’s compulsory media levy is being utilized to reach younger audiences. Critics argue the content demonstrates a pattern of irreverent treatment of traditional values while failing to justify the substantial public funding the platform receives.

Funk operates as the youth division of Germany’s public broadcasting system, drawing its budget from the country’s mandatory household broadcasting contribution. The platform has not clarified why it chose to publish the lunar debris content or addressed whether the visual placement of the Bible alongside human waste imagery was editorially appropriate.

With information from Nius