In response to a complaint by the Catholic League, eBay, the Internet auction site, has withdrawn an offensive item from its listings, the “Weird Tattooed Jesus Statue!” The statue depicts Jesus with three eyes, vampire teeth and a dagger tattoo on his chest. The base is covered with roses and green painted skulls. It was designed by Michael Brown, an artist from Washington, D.C.
Catholic League president William Donohue was delighted with eBay’s decision:
“The Catholic League commends eBay for acting quickly and responsibly, just as it had earlier this fall when a ‘Virgin Mary Immaculate Conception Condom’ was removed from its website. We know it is virtually impossible to police the huge numbers of items submitted for auction. What matters is that once an obscene item is brought to the attention of eBay officials, they do the right thing and not hide behind some half-baked theory of individual liberty.
“That anyone would make an item that defames Jesus is disturbing. That anyone would think there is a market for such trash is even more disturbing. It is our sincere hope that everyone involved in this ugly venture rediscovers the true meaning of Christmas.”
