Scottish Catholic Observer

Paperchase, an international stationery retailer with over 130 stores, was criticised by the Catholic Church this week for selling cards depicting Jesus Christ, captioned with ‘It’s my birthday and I want a Pony’ and ‘I totally rock the beard thing better than Father Christmas.’

Others appear to poke fun at the Holy Family, with one card showing Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus with the caption ‘Let’s name him Wayne.’

Catholics in Scotland have also criticised the retailer for selling the cards, with one woman, who wished to remain anonymous, telling the SCO she ‘felt disgusted and left the shop’ after noticing the cards in in Paperchase’s store in St Andrews.

Insulting

She told the SCO she felt the cards were a ‘direct insult to all Christians.’

The woman commented that no other religion is portrayed in the same offensive way as the cards portrayed Christianity.

“I feel it simply shows the next generation that it is okay to insult Christians but not any other religion,” she continued.

“Perhaps if more people took the viewpoint that enough is enough and said to companies like this that it simply isn’t acceptable, they wouldn’t have a market for these cards. I certainly hope they don’t plan on extending the range to mock every religion during specific festivals of other faith groups!”

Mockery

The Paperchase revelations follow similar criticism of a Yorkshire-based gift company, Love Layla, which is selling cards of a similar nature.

One Love Layla card shows a sketch of the Holy Family, alongside the caption: ‘Mary just needs to admit she slept with someone else,’ an insult referring to the Virgin birth.

Another card read: ‘Jesus was born to save t***s like you,’ while another reads: ‘I am sorry that your December birthday is overshadowed by a bloke that wore socks with sandals.’

Love Layla founder Stacey Dennis claims the cards ‘did not set out to deliberately upset anyone’ and that Christmas ‘isn’t just about religion, it’s also about having fun and enjoying ourselves.’

‘undermining’ sanctity

A spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Scotland said: “Religious symbols and iconography such as Christmas cards and nativity scenes help bring the joyful reality of Christmas to life. This display of offensive cards is a sad reflection of a society in which it has become acceptable to openly deride and undermine the sanctity of Christian customs and traditions.

“Many Christians feeling marginalised and mocked are beginning to ask why they are not afforded the respect extended to other minority groups, and in the meantime may decide to take their custom elsewhere. It is impossible to imagine any other faith being so casually mocked in this way.”

Paperchase, which has a flagship store in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street, was approached for comment.