Churches cross over chocolate Jesus

Jesus: should not be chocolatey
Germany's churches criticised a businessman on Tuesday for selling thousands of Jesus chocolates.

Frank Oynhausen set up his 'Sweet Lord' chocolate Jesus-making business saying he wanted to restore some traditional religious values to Christmas in Germany.

But the German Protestant Church criticised the idea as 'tasteless' and the Roman Catholic Church was not amused.

'I started thinking about how I could reintroduce traditional religious values into this commercial world,' said Oynhausen, who had been unemployed since losing a recycling business two years ago.

Together with a friend, a local chocolatier, Oynhausen, 54, developed the concept of 'Sweet Lord'.

It is terrible that Jesus is being wrapped up in gold foil and sold

It is growing fast in his home town of Duisburg and on the internet, at www.goldjesus.com.

Oynhausen said thousands of people have put in orders for the figures wrapped in gold foil. But church associations expressed dismay.

'It is terrible that Jesus is being wrapped up in gold foil and sold along with chocolate bunnies, edible penguins and lollipops,' said Aegidius Engel, a spokesman for the archbishopric of nearby Paderborn.

'This is ruining the symbol of Jesus himself,' he added.

Oynhausen is now custom-producing the chocolate Jesus figures, at a cost of 15 euros for 100 grams, but by Easter he hopes to have a partnership with a mass producer.

'We're hoping to be able to export them around the world one day,' Oynhausen said. He reckons there are parts of the United States where they will be especially popular.

In 2007, a life-size chocolate sculpture of a naked Jesus - similarly named My Sweet Lord - caused an outcry from Roman Catholics when an art gallery in New York wanted to exhibit it in a window.

what a load of piffle.

i agree......how petty !!!

The general Public will and should determine if this is a good or bad idea by buying or not as the case may be.

many of the religious eat the body of christ at communion weekly so doing so as chocolate does not seem a problem and if its creating jobs then I cant see a problem.

wayside wrote:The general Public will and should determine if this is a good or bad idea by buying or not as the case may be....

I think it should be left to Jesus to decide; If he has a problem with it he should take that problem up with the German chocolate maker, and if He doesn't have any problem then the Church should pipe down.

Of course the problem with this is that Jesus isn't real, and the religious zealots enjoy being outraged by anything and everything, sad fools.

Troy McClure, one can deduce from your post that you may be a little (just a little) anti The Man?

Pete Burtenshaw wrote:Troy McClure, one can deduce from your post that you may be a little (just a little) anti The Man?

Nar, I think Jesus 'The Man' was my kinda guy (even if he was a bit nuts), but the bastardised image that those that claim to be his followers portray, and the twisted, evil, bigoted way in which they force their beliefs on others as if it was some higher power's wishes I do have a problem with.

I think we have found some commoin ground at last.I actually find myself agreeing with your post..........Jeeeeeez, I must be going soft.

Pete Burtenshaw wrote:I think we have found some commoin ground at last.I actually find myself agreeing with your post..........Jeeeeeez, I must be going soft.

No, you've just seen the light.

Now go forth and preach the sermons of Troy.

I'll get round to writing my 'Book', but essentially they like Christianity... but liberal, and without the hate and bile... and lunacy.... Oh, I guess I'm gonna have to get to work on that book aren't I?

I am not worthy............

Pete Burtenshaw wrote:I am not worthy............

Truer words hath never been spoken