Can Jon Stewart Goose Oscar? Take a Look in the Crystal Ball.

Despite the best efforts of the conservative Christian group American Family Association, by press time only two NBC affiliates in smaller markets had said they would not air tonight's first episode of "The Book of Daniel," a drama series about an Episcopal minister with a Vicodin habit who sees and talks to Jesus.

"New NBC show demeans Christians. Act now! Time is short!" AFA said on its Web site, instructing its followers to call their NBC station to protest, or send the group's form letter of protest before "Book of Daniel" debuts, which also means before they've seen one minute of it. AFA also says that the show is written by "a practicing homosexual who describes himself as being 'in Catholic recovery' and is interested in Buddhist teachings about reincarnation."

Meanwhile, the Episcopal Diocese of Washington wonders where the AFA comes off speaking for the church and has launched its own "The Book of Daniel" Web log on which viewers can comment.

The limited series stars Aidan Quinn as the Rev. Daniel Webster, whose oldest son is gay and struggling with the loss of his twin brother; whose teenage daughter is selling pot to finance her manga obsession; whose teenage adopted son is something of a skirt chaser; and whose wife is coping with the loss of her child with the help of lunchtime martinis. Garret Dillahunt ("Deadwood") plays Jesus, who, according to NBC, "serves as a sounding board and encourages Webster to find the answers to his questions within himself."

The AFA has "zero audience in the Episcopal Church. . . . They are at odds with us on almost every major issue of public concern," Jim Naughton, spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, told The Post's John Maynard.

"So, the idea that these people are setting themselves as arbiters of how our church should be portrayed on television is ridiculous."

NBC affiliates in Terre Haute, Ind., and Little Rock have announced they will not air the first episode of the series. (Both stations are owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, based in Irving, Tex. Little Rock is the country's 57th-ranked TV market and Terre Haute is No. 150 out of 210 markets.)

KARK-TV in Little Rock said viewer protest was behind its decision to pull the show. In that market, NBC has arranged for the show to air tonight on the WB affiliate.

But on the Web site for WTWO-TV in Terre Haute, General Manager Duane Lammers said he was pulling the show for two reasons entirely other than its content.

"Our relationship with NBC always provided for the right to reject programming. I am reaffirming that right to let them know I will not allow them to make unilateral decisions affecting our viewers. Second, I want to draw attention to the worst offenders of indecency on television . . . the cable industry, which faces no decency regulations, nor a license renewal. If my action causes people in our community to pay more attention to what they watch on television, I have accomplished my mission."

Okey-dokey.

NBC, meanwhile, was sticking with its official statement, issued while, we assume, dancing the happy dance over all the free publicity.

That statement is as follows: " 'The Book of Daniel' is a fictional drama about an Episcopalian priest's family and the contemporary issues with which they must grapple. We're confident that once audiences view this quality drama themselves, they'll appreciate this thought-provoking examination of one American family."