Disrespect for Religious Imagery

There are times when someone makes art or makes a product that uses images of our Gods and Goddesses in ways that are not exactly respectful. When that happens I often have friends saying to me, “Why do they do this to our Gods? Why do they pick on us? Is it because they don’t respect us? They’d never dare do these things to the Gods of other religions.”

I want you to know that that isn’t the case.

It may feel like we’re being picked on, but the fact is there’s lots of artwork that uses Christian themes in tremendously disrespectful ways. Products too. I promise you, we are not being singled out.

In the hopes that it will make you feel a little better about things like Barbie dolls dressed like Kali Ma and Ganesha leggings, I’m going to share some links and pictures of some similar things for other religions. This is not a comment on whether it’s right or wrong to do this, but just done to help show that we are not alone in having our Gods used in these ways.

If you are sensitive to disrespect given to religious images, please do not read on!

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Jesus Leggings: Virgin Mary Boxer Shorts: Cartoon of Jesus (Bad Language)

Sexual Jesus T-shirt

Dolphin Jesus: Barbie as Jesus and Mary:


Some Mohammad depictions: http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Muhammad#Depictions

Images from “Everybody Draw Mohammad Day”

Jesus and Mo Cartoon

Why Support Everybody Draw Mohammad Day?

There’s plenty more out there. There may be fewer for Islam because of the fear that radicals have instilled in people. That isn’t the same as respect, though. Killing people or threatening to kill people because you’re offended by a drawing doesn’t make you look strong, it makes you look like a lunatic. No one has respect for that behavior.