# Are 'Zombie Jesus' jokes offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156 "2012-04-08T05:42:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/1 "2012-04-08T05:42:20Z")
It’s Easter Morn, invariably, some folks start joking about ‘Zombie Jesus’. Done by good people, making light fun, who would never think to insult someones’ beliefs in other circumstances; should they knock it off or should Christians just thicken their skin? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/2 "2012-04-08T06:02:01Z")
I wouldn’t tell such a joke to a someone who was a Christian unless I knew them fairly well. In public, it should be regarded no differently than a political joke: inappropriate in business or any setting where you want to be extra careful not to offend anyone, but not otherwise out of bounds the way, say, a racist joke would be. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/3 "2012-04-08T06:36:04Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > . . . or should Christians just thicken their skin? When the jokes are funny, I think we Christians should laugh. When they are dumb, we should ignore them. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/4 "2012-04-08T06:52:01Z")
Well, they’re not exactly sparklingly original at this point, so mainly I’d think the joker was kind of boorish. But as to the general category of religious jokes, I think **Alan Smithee** has the right of it, making fun of peoples beliefs isn’t and shouldn’t be particularly taboo, but you should probably know your audience when you do it. Offending a bunch of people that you’ll have to work with is probably not a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/5 "2012-04-08T06:57:14Z")
I find them not so much offensive as merely lame. In any case, the resurrected Jesus was not a zombie; he was a reverse vampire. He wanted everyone else to drink _his_ blood. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/6 "2012-04-08T07:05:31Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > In any case, the resurrected Jesus was not a zombie; he was a reverse vampire. He wanted everyone else to drink _his_ blood. That’s funny! I never thought of that! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/7 "2012-04-08T07:13:18Z")
I’m not a Christian, but I’d be willing to offer up a prayer of thanks if I can get through this Easter without hearing another fucking zombie Jesus joke. I don’t think my odds are good. Although they’ll improve dramatically if I don’t come back to this thread, because posting that pretty much guarantees that someones going to post a zombie Jesus joke to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/8 "2012-04-08T07:42:31Z")
It was kind of funny the first 20 times I heard it. Now it’s just old. I’m a Christian, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/9 "2012-04-08T11:26:30Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > In any case, the resurrected Jesus was not a zombie; he was a reverse vampire. He wanted everyone else to drink _his_ blood. Which is also why the Second Coming didn’t happen right away like the believers of the time expected. Crosses and holy words drive off vampires, and that makes it really hard for him; every time he tries to come back someone yells “praise Jesus” and waves a cross at him, sending him away again. And bursting into flame upon entering a church is just plain embarrassing. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/10 "2012-04-08T11:28:49Z")
Since you asked (not sure what debate there can be about something so subjective): Yes, I find them offensive, mildly so, in the same way I find other things that are principally “Hey, listen to me piss all over something you hold important!” childishness. IOW, at least to a small extent, I give the joke teller exactly what he wants, a rise. :mad: I have always been defensive and competitive, less so as I get older. Heck, I grind my teeth over the opposing team’s fans doing mocking chants against my team. In this instance, though, I do remind myself that this does not reduce Jesus to even a small extent. It’s silliness. BTW, I am not someone who forces my religion down anyone’s throat, and I respect others’ non-intrusive beliefs (including atheists). You leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone. To me, it’s just common courtesy not to ridicule something someone else holds sacred, so long as they leave me the @#$% alone about it. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/11 "2012-04-08T11:49:17Z")
I like zombies, but I’ve never heard a zombie Jesus joke. [Here’s one.](http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg255/Diz07/zombiejesus1-1.gif). Who cares if the jokes are offensive? If they weren’t offensive to someone they probably wouldn’t be funny. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/12 "2012-04-08T12:14:28Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Which is also why the Second Coming didn’t happen right away like the believers of the time expected. Crosses and holy words drive off vampires, and that makes it really hard for him; every time he tries to come back someone yells “praise Jesus” and waves a cross at him, sending him away again. And bursting into flame upon entering a church is just plain embarrassing. I"m stealing this. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/13 "2012-04-08T12:21:19Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > I"m stealing this. Glad you liked it; feel free. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/14 "2012-04-08T12:26:05Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > It’s Easter Morn, invariably, some folks start joking about ‘Zombie Jesus’. Done by good people, making light fun, who would never think to insult someones’ beliefs in other circumstances; should they knock it off or should Christians just thicken their skin? In my opinion it is just rude if they do it to a believer. And I wonder what the purpose is? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/15 "2012-04-08T13:01:01Z")
The same purpose as any of the more obnoxious acting out done by my atheistic brethren. It is supposed to make the teller feel cool, daring, and iconoclastic. If the person to whom it is told objects, then the teller gets the bonus of feeling superior to him as well. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/16 "2012-04-08T13:15:00Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > In any case, the resurrected Jesus was not a zombie; he was a reverse vampire. He wanted everyone else to drink _his_ blood. Teehee ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/17 "2012-04-08T13:16:35Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > I have always been defensive and competitive, less so as I get older. Heck, I grind my teeth over the opposing team’s fans doing mocking chants against my team. Please tell me you don’t participate in mocking chants against opponent teams. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/18 "2012-04-08T13:23:37Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Please tell me you don’t participate in mocking chants against opponent teams. I do. I am a hypocrite in that regard. I don’t taunt, but I have been known to join in a rousing chorus of “Hey, hey! Goodbye!” for example. Less so as I get older though. I find myself feeling bad for the other team’s fans when the camera pans the crowd if my team is winning big, for example. In my younger days, I would have cackled over their crestfallen expressions (especially if it was Cowboys’ or Mets’ fans). Now I think of how I would feel. I can even look at them celebrating when I’m on the other end of an ass-kicking, and think, “That must feel great” instead of wishing them great bodily harm. It’s a level of maturity that is detracting from my sports viewing experience, frankly. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/19 "2012-04-08T13:29:17Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > In any case, the resurrected Jesus was not a zombie; he was a reverse vampire. He wanted everyone else to drink _his_ blood. Not reverse. That’s how vampires make more vampires. Convert folks, if you will. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156/20 "2012-04-08T13:43:30Z")
A few years ago, I did notice that a television station aired “Night of the Living Dead” on Easter morning. Laugh, it made me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-zombie-jesus-jokes-offensive/618156.md?page=2)