Zombie Nativity Scene: Hilarious Or Disrespectful?

One couple in Cincinnati has an irreverent take on their Christmas decorations, but the neighbors are less than thrilled. Their zombie-filled nativity scene has brought the ire of religious groups and the city.

Jasen and Amanda Dixon actually created the "zombie nativity scene" last year, too, but this year's display has gained national attention. Jasen runs a haunted house every year and decided to extend the horror theme to his front yard, according to local station Fox 19.

The nativity scene features Mary and Joseph, zombie wise men, and a genuinely scary baby Jesus. Jasen claimed on his Facebook page that local Baptists had left angry letters for him, saying that "God frowns upon this manger scene."

"If you read the scriptures closely, the God of the Bible is not only a God of love, but also a God of wrath," the letter read. "God never expresses even the slightest inkling of humor towards demons or, in this case, zombies."
The zombie scene has caused trouble with more than just the religious community — the Dixons' display has earned them fines from their community. Jasen told RawStory that he filed for a permit with the Sycamore Township, but the permit was denied — the display apparently takes up more than 35% of his yard, which violates the township's rules. On his Facebook page, Jasen wrote on Friday that he was fined $500 for not taking the display down. He could face additional fines of $500 a day, according to The New York Times.

Despite the fact that the display will likely incur more fines from the Sycamore Township, the Dixons don't appear to have plans to take it down anytime soon. They've started a crowdfunding page on Generosity.com to cover any future fines, and so far they've raised $1,040.

While we have to respect the Dixons for refusing to give up on their dreams (to create the creepiest nativity scene ever), it also seems like the zombie Christmas scene is an attention play. In a recent post on Jasen's Facebook page, he offered a mock-up image of a T-shirt with the slogan "Zombie Lives Matter"— unsurprisingly, it wasn't received well by the page's Facebook fans. It's one thing to buck the law in favor of justice, or a moral goal, but the zombie nativity scene seems more like a silly play for a few minutes of fame.

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