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Sale of offensive Jesus t-shirts cops fine

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Sale of offensive Jesus t-shirts cops fine

3News NZ

Police seized the "Vestal Masturbation" tops, from the merchandise range of British metal band Cradle of Filth

Police seized the "Vestal Masturbation" tops, from the merchandise range of British metal band Cradle of Filth

An Invercargill retailer has been fined and ordered to destroy his remaining stock of garments which featured the slogan "Jesus is a c***" and a picture of a semi-naked nun masturbating.

Impuls'd owner Warren Skill, 35, was charged with possessing objectionable material after someone complained to the Internal Affairs Department about people wearing the clothing around Invercargill last year.

Police seized the "Vestal Masturbation" tops, from the merchandise range of British metal band Cradle of Filth.

Skill was fined $500 and an order was made to destroy the eight remaining t-shirts and hoodies when he appeared in Invercargill District Court on Tuesday, the Southland Times reported.

He had earlier said the garments were one of his fastest-selling items and was unaware they were banned.

In 2008, the chief censor banned t-shirts with the same wording, making it illegal to wear it or sell or distribute it after they were deemed to be demeaning and degrading to women and Christians, especially involving a highly offensive word.

NZN

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Comments

25/06/2012 11:42:32 a.m.

Another Atheist in Hell wrote:

Christians need to chill out, it's a joke, firstly it also says jesus is a C**t not jesus was a c**t. I don't know if you are so out of whack you still believe he's alive today maybe you do then that argument doesn't work. They sell Osama Bin Laden masks that could also be deemed as highly offensive too and could lead to racial and religious hatred but no ones is being fined or taken to court. Is it only because they are disrespecting Jesus that this has become an issue? Loosen up people, I have nothing against you or your faith, what ever floats your boat or get you through the day but let's be real - not everyone is reading the same books from the fiction section that you guys are.

16/02/2012 12:37:09 a.m.

Kate wrote:

Since when is christianity law? Separation of church and state? Nah, it's cool. We'll just pretend once again that Christian's rights are more important than any others......

15/02/2012 9:35:09 p.m.

Ruz wrote:

Although the wording is extreme, I wonder how anybody would find out that the garments (and or wording) had been previously banned by Internal Affairs. It seems that if the retailer had absolutely no idea that possessiion was illegal then perhaps he should have been simply warned and then ordered to destroy the remaining stock. It sounds to me as if he had no intention of breaking the law and that thus should have been taken into account. But then the Judge may have been a practising Christian and therefore personally offended.

15/02/2012 2:47:20 p.m.

ivan wrote:

@dan freedom of speech is ok. but not freedom of verbal abuse

15/02/2012 2:21:59 p.m.

Dan wrote:

No way freedom of speach gone \m/

15/02/2012 2:14:48 p.m.

Noone special wrote:

I think that people should get over, i actually own two of those shirts and people laugh about it.I dont wear them anymore as i have grown up, but its an expression of young minded people. Why not Ban gang patches completely in New Zealand? same thing but much worst as it resembles the person wearing it is a violent person. wear a metal shirt resembles listning to a type of music. i do understand that its offensive to Christians, but take it how you will. Yours Kindly. Me.