The Vatican acted yesterday to condemn the sale of Jesus Christ fancy dress kits, which can be bought within walking distance of St Peter's Basilica. The "Jesus Party Wig", available across Italy to wear at the street festivities that precede Lent, costs €12 (£8) and comes complete with a flowing beard and a plastic crown of thorns.Senior Vatican figures called it "blasphemous" and "shameful". One added that a similar Mohammed outfit would cause widespread outrage. "The vilifying of religion is a crime and this should be investigated by the police," said Bishop Velasio De Paolis, Secretary of the Apostolic Signature, the Vatican's Supreme Court."It's come to the point where the Catholic faith has no defence and it is something to be laughed at, to be made a joke of. The Christian doctrine is exploited but everyone is very careful to be respectful of Islam."A Milan firm, Widmann, distributes the outfits, which are made in China.

It also offers a luxury version, at €24, which adds a long white tunic and a plastic staff. Father Vittorino Grossi, secretary of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, said: "This is regurgitated paganism and is a shameful insult and blasphemous to millions of believers. It's worse than the Roman graffiti of 1,800 years ago that showed Christ with a donkey's head."No one at Widmann would comment yesterday. But one stockist, who would not give his name, said: "I don't see what the problem is. To me it's just a novelty wig and beard."

View: Full Article | Source: Telegraph

LOL- thats hilarious, is there anthing they ont complain about. dont they know imitation is the greatest form or flattery.

I still say 'Jesus the musical' video on youtube is funnier.

what an ambivalence...
--->
...

That's so silly - I have to say, that if people wanted to look like Jesus, they shouldn't have to buy a costume....
And why would you want to dress up as Jesus anyway? Reminds me of school lent plays...

That's just wrong....on so many levels.

Boo Hoo to those that dont like it. People sometimes fancy dress up as darth vader is that a crime against star wars. It is just a costume.

Well, seeing as more people put Jedi as a religion on our census than Scientology, I guess your allowed to claim that it's an insult to the Star Wars religion as well

The thing is it is just a costume. No big deal.


It could be a costume of jesus christ ,darth vader or a care bear it is just a costume not some terrible crime.

But why would people want to dress up like Jesus?

I love the way everyone has so far ignored the most interesting point in the OP: If they were selling costumes of Mohamed, there would be riots and burnings throughout the Middle East and Europe, there is no way the sale of those costumes would be allowed after the first complaint was filed, yet I doubt we will see the same reaction from government to this complaint, NOR will we see riots and burning from "outraged" Christians.

No, I saw it, I just chose not to comment on it...(wait, thats the same thing as ignoring, right?)

Besides, Christians stopped burning back in the nineteen hundreds. Now, they just sue.

Because fanatical Christians (or fanatical Catholics in this case) slowly stopped burning books less than 200 years ago, seeing as they were kicked out from interfereing with many governments - in Germany 1900+ the Vatican were dismissed and were ignored, which meant the government had complete control in education and everything else, and wasn't being controlled by a foriegn influence. England split with the Vatican in around 1534. Of course the Vatican were angry and such, but meh.

The only reason they aren't rioting is because the Vatican lost a lot of power while Catholic countries began to cut all ties with them, meaning if the fanatics did run out with weaponry they'd be stopped in their tracks pretty fast, seeing as they have no hold over a country to force them to support the Vatican.

Also the Koran (Q'uran) forbids any paintings or drawings of Mohammed. So that'd cover imitations of him as well.

Edit. Spelling

jesus would be proud?

To be honest the only people who have a right to complain are Mohamed or Jesus themselves not complete strangers who worship them. No one really has a personal relationship with God,Jesus or Mohamed some people just believe they do, but it is not like you go walking down the street and you have a nice chat with Jesus/Mohamed and they tell you how there day has been and what they have been upto and that you should meet up again for a few drinks and a game of darts. The point is no one really knows Jesus or Mohammed on a personal level so they have no right to complain about a costume of them.

I can't believe people get so worked up because of stuff like this talk about getting upset for no reason. If people would only follow the one simple rule jesus taught this world just might be a better place . Love everyone that also goes for that dick brain Osama.

Given that quite a few Christians have absolutely no ties to the Vatican, that cannot be the only reason they aren't rioting.


Thanks, chaos, you just called me and a bunch of other people liars. With the amazing mind-reading powers you must posses in order to ascertain what I do or do not know, why are you wasting your time on this forum instead of opening a nice tent in some circus?

if people would just DROP all the religions i PROMISE u world would be MUCH better place... PEOPLE live in present not future... try to make best of ur life... thats why u were put here on this world... stop going on about my religion is better than his bla bla bla.... just freaken live ur life... worry about heaven when u get there... live now for now.. belive me if u live ur life the way u want it god will understand...

Son: mommm loook i am a gangster....
Mom: jesus crist son why cant u dress up as a nice guy like JESUS...
Son: i would mom but Vatican might sue

Oh yeah... because Protestants are really in league with the Vatican. The extract speaks of the Vaticans anger at this not the whole christian popluce, which is why I'm leaving the protestants out - seeing as there is nothing said about them.

So yeah, I'd say it is one of the reasons they ain't rioting in the streets

Edit: Typo - it'd bug me all day if I didn't change it...

I did not mean to call you liar you know that. But do you really have conversations with Jesus i mean REALLY have conversations with him not one sided ones. Does he talk back to you like as if you and me were talking to each other if we ever met. Does Jesus talk to you like other people talk to you to you're face not in a dream or a gust of wind on the face i want to know if jesus has proper conversations with you. Because that is what i mean by personal realationships.

It's just a costume folks. Just remember that's all it is...a costume.

Well, given that you and I are only humans and the only way we could talk to each other would be audibly, and given that Jesus is God, He is not constrained by that requirement. He "talks" to me in a myriad of ways that are completely unavailable to you and me. However, and this may just be me, I do not consider myself to be talking to Jesus, I'm talking to God, Jesus is, a person, but He is also a manifestation of God, part of the Trinity not separate from it. Anyway, I don't think I can explain how God communicates with me, because at times it very much feels like I'm having a conversation with someone standing in front of me (or actually sitting next to me as I drive or work). And yes, they are conversations, not one sided to me, although they would certainly seem so to an observer.

Hmmm...think they'd really get ticked off if they saw this...?

Click to view attachment

I agree that the above statement is truth. Dressing up and parading Jesus is very dis-tasteful, I can't believe such things are sold. Sure is might not mean much to certain people, giving the fact they do not follow the religion, however, think up a scenerio in which it might bother you. Picture someone dressing up as yourself and walking around town acting like an idiot. Would this not be dis-tasteful to you, and your family ?. Are you seriously going to turn a blind eye ?.

I'd go to a fancy dress party dressed as Jesus and the Kaaba (Black Box in Mecca).

I don't think muslims would find it offensive to dress like mohammed since alot still do. now the tone might be another matter. does it outrage you that costumes of jesus are on sale or the fact that the tone is funny?

the difference between christians and muslims in this respect is that muslims find the images themselves wrong - just like some christians do not put up pics of jesus , god ect.... for the same reason. it's called idol worship to do so.

Actually, I'm not outraged by it. I expect nothing more from people who are spiritually lost.

jesus just spoke to me and said 'he's not offended why should anyone else be?' since he's a laid back kinda guy that answer makes alot of sence.

he absolutly thought this was hysterically funny -http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8075724674317499248


this is a great site http://www.javierprato.com/

that is your sole opinion - they may very well be more spiritual than you .


who are you to say they are spiritually lost? God? I thought God told you to judge lest ye be judged?

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

I would hope that someone who was spiritually mature would not steep to making fun of someone else's beliefs.

so did you repeat that line when the cartoon of Mohammed was published too? or are you a hypocrite?

christians want respect for thier religion but don't respect others -

"About 9 or 10 other guards handcuffed me behind my back real hard and put leg shackles on me and made me go in a room with all of them. Then they shoved a table in front of the door so nobody could get out. Then . . . the Asst. Supt. said that I am going to get a hair cut one way or the other and that they didn't care if I was Geronimo . . . . [T]he guards all took my leg shackles and handcuffs real hard and held me down and this barber . . . came over and cut my hair into a raggedy mess. That is when they all started laughing and [the major] said that now I could get some white religion."

488 U.S. 897 (1988) (denying inmate's claim* and giving very weighty deference to assertions of prison officials that Lakota inmate's long hair posed security, safety, and sanitation threats, which included clogged drains, lice, and increased homosexuality).

* religious in nature

Interview of Lenny Foster by Little Rock Reed, in White Man's Prisons, supra note 1, at 62. Lenny makes it clear that prison officials refuse to give him the same respect and deference as they give to other religious leaders who administer religious services inside the prison. Additionally, prison chaplains (usually Christian) are paid by the prison for their services, yet native spiritual advisors are not. The lack of deference shown toward native spiritual leaders and medicine teachers is just an extension of the mistreatment of native prisoners by prison officials.

* ROLLIN ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING * OMFGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Actually, yes, I did think the same thing then. I think making fun of anyone's beliefs is a sign of immaturity, both psychologically and spiritually. I also thought that it was moronic of all those muslims to riot and burn stuff in response to some cartoons, but they were disrespectful.

First of all the Church uses/adopted many symbols that belonged to other religions that could exist with a few believers or followers,isn't this a crime as those symbols belongs to something before Jesus?

Are they used disrespectfully? How is the use of symbols a crime?

As for the "christians want respect for their religion but don't respect others"...

...those people that accuse are not showing respect. Do you also accuse Muslims, Catholics, Athiests, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Wicccans, etc,...to that mix?

You can play the blame game all you want. I see more people, that claim not to believe in God, spending an abundance of time in the religious section of UM than the people that do...merely because the ones that do become weary of defending themselves.

Yes because they changed the original meaning of it for their own believes not respecting the original ones,they used it for inquisition which killed more people than Nazis did.

This pope said once that people from neo-paganism and/or wicca represents satanism,nazism,racism,withcrafts and many other bad things,I would like to ask to that pope what represents catholic and cristians,I hope he could answer pedofilia,money,conspirations,toward-minds,brainwashers,.......

So, if the meanings are not the same, then the symbols did not have a specific meaning in and of themselves and pagans can keep using their meanings for the symbols, I doubt any "copyright infringement" laws were violated.

Boy the Vatican really hates us Pagans everything they don't like they blame on us like WWII. We do like to dress up as our Gods to honor them. I don't care if they use our symbols they can to as they like with them, but I wish they would stop blaming us for everything they see as bad in the world.

I saw a Jesus doll that said scripture, don't ask me why, but I would have really like to have had one. I am just a bad Druid I guess. LOL

those other religions which are just as valid as christanity do still use those symbols. like the 'christmas' tree , celebrating on Dec. 25 the rebirth of the sun. ect.. the only reason christians use the same symbols was to try and convert pagens , wicca ect ........ Jesus wasn't born on Dec. 25.
actually the christian religions seems borrowed from lots of other beliefs that came first. Guess they couldn't think of any of thier own.

The actual birthday of Jesus was forgotten by the early Christian movement. in those days, various groups celebrated his birth on JAN-6, APR-21 and MAY-1. By the 4th century, the church selected the approximate time of the winter solstice as the date to recognize Jesus' birth. They picked up this date from Pagan sources. As luck would have it, the autumn equinox might have been a more accurate choice.

The winter solstice occurs about DEC-21 each year. It is the day of the year when the night is longest and the daytime shortest. Using the crude instruments available, ancient astronomers were able to detect by DEC-25 of each year that the daytime had become noticeably longer. This date was chosen, and remains, the traditional date for followers of many different Pagan religions to celebrate the rebirth of the sun. Following the solstice, each succeeding day has slightly more sunlight than the previous day. It was seen as a promise that warmth would return once more to the earth. Numerous pre-Christian Pagan religions honored their gods' birth or rebirth on or about that day. Their deities were typically called: Son of Man, Light of the World, Sun of Righteousness, Bridegroom, and Savior. Some examples are:

Roman Pagan Religion: Attis was a son of the virgin Nana. His birth was celebrated on DEC-25. He was sacrificed as an adult in order to bring salvation to mankind. He died about MAR-25, after being crucified on a tree, and descended for three days into the underworld. On Sunday, he arose, as the solar deity for the new season. His followers tied an image of Attis to a tree on "Black Friday," and carried him in a procession to the temple. His body was symbolically eaten by his followers in the form of bread. Worship of Attis began in Rome circa 200 BCE.
Greek Pagan Religion: Dionysus is another savior-god whose birth was observed on DEC-25. He was worshipped throughout much of the Middle East as well. He had a center of worship in Jerusalem in the 1st century BCE. Some ancient coins have been found in Gaza with Dionysus on one side and JHWH (Jehovah) on the other. In later years, his flesh and blood were symbolically eaten in the form of bread and wine. He was viewed as the son of Zeus, the Father God.
Egyptian Pagan Religion: Osiris is a savior-god who had been worshipped as far back as Neolithic times. "He was called Lord of Lords, King of Kings, God of Gods...the Resurrection and the Life, the Good shepherd...the god who 'made men and women be born again'" 5 Three wise men announced his birth. His followers ate cakes of wheat which symbolized his body. Many sayings associated with Osiris were taken over into the Bible. This included: 23rd Psalm: an appeal to Osiris as the good Shepherd to lead believers through the valley of the shadow of death and to green pastures and still waters
Lord's Prayer: "O amen, who art in heaven..."
Many parables attributed to Jesus.

Worship of Osiris, and celebration of his DEC-25 birth, were established throughout the Roman Empire by the end of the 1st century BCE.

Persian Pagan Religion: Mithra was a Persian savior. Worship of Mithra became common throughout the Roman Empire, particularly among the Roman civil service and military. Mithraism was a competitor of Christianity until the 4th century. Their god was believed to have been born on DEC-25, circa 500 BCE. His birth was witnessed by shepherds and by gift-carrying Magi. This was celebrated as the "Dies Natalis Solic Invite," The "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun." Some followers believed that he was born of a virgin. During his life, he performed many miracles, cured many illnesses, and cast out devils. He celebrated a Last Supper with his 12 disciples. He ascended to heaven at the time of the spring equinox, about March 21.

The Babylonians celebrated their "Victory of the Sun-God" Festival on DEC-25. Saturnalia (the Festival of Saturn) was celebrated from DEC-17 to 23 in the Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor Aurelian blended Saturnalia with a number of birth celebrations of savior Gods from other religions, into a single holy day: DEC-25. After much argument, the developing Christian church adopted this date as the birthday of their savior, Jesus. The people of the Roman Empire were accustomed to celebrating the birth of a God on that day. So, it was easy for the church to divert people's attention to Jesus' birth.

I think it's just sad that people think of it as fun or funny it's just disrespectful. i feel sorry for anyone who thinks it's funny but to each his own.it's there problem.And it's only my opinion so don't get all crazy!!

do you ask those people in the religious section at Uof M about thier religious beliefs? and why would you think to ask in the first place? the big 3 , christians , jews and muslims are the ones that for the most part . don't respect one another nor any other the most. Wiccans have never gone out of thier way to destroy christians as christians have them. Athiests have never declared war over beliefs. ( can't vouche for hindu's after seeing the film Water )

weary defending themselves? so that keeps them from going to the library? has anyone ever seen a debate going on in a library? Maybe they don't wish to be there learning the history and fact behind what they believe because it would cause them to question what has been spoon fed. remember , the bible and koran and talmud agree debate is good. and things change , even the bible has.

Haha, how ironic that many religions promote peace, yet, just a mere discussion of comparison causes this much frustration. I'm a spiritual person, but I am in no way religious. I realized a while back all religions are man made. What the muslims are doing now is no better that what the Catholics did back in the 12th century with their holy wars and crusades. Back then, religion was even more political than it is already now. It has always been about power. It's hardly the sheppard guiding the sheep. Look at the ruckus a few months ago with the Pope's remarks of Muslims. To make peace with them, he bowed to their God and prayed to him. According to the Bible, you will only adore one God. In the eyes of religion, this is a definite no-no. Yet, the Pope got away with that. Religion is more a form of brainwash than a concept of belief. That's my two cents.

If you want to follow something, follow your heart.

This is just sad...

No, this is just true...

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Moan moan moan - that's all they seem to do, isn''t it?

At a Halloween '06 party I went dressed all in black and wearing a Joey Jordison mask and Slipknot cap. Was that a crime? I don't think so, more like saying I'm a fan of Slipknot and like 'em enough to wanna dress as one.

My aunt went dressed like a h*oker, is that an offense to illegal activity? I don't think so!

Then my little cousin went as a zombie cos he loves all those modern zombie films. An insult to the undead? Whatever!!


Whatever you go dressed as to a party, it's all novelty and for a bit of fun and novelty ain't illegal. But I have to agree with the rest: Who would wanna dress as Jesus??

I love to dress like Jesus; makes me feel all Holy and stuff.

Go dressed as the devil, be unholy....much funner. Murder, sacrifice, arson....can't get better than that