Jesus Christ, It's Bacon! Check Out This Crispy Delicious Nativity Scene (And Others)

Jesus Christ was born more than 2,000 years ago, so it's safe to say there is no one alive who was there to witness it.

That said, many artists and entrepreneurs have taken liberties in depicting the blessed event in their own way, such as by portraying Jesus, Mary and the three wise men as cats, dogs, strips of bacon -- or even cans of spam.

Some might think it sacrilegious -- or "sacri-licious" in the case of the pork-inspired nativity -- but Christian author Mark Oestreicher sees it as proof that God works in strange and mysterious ways.

"Many cultures depict manger scenes using elements familiar to them," Oestreicher told HuffPost Weird News. "Some manger scenes made in Africa depict the participants as African instead of Middle Eastern, and I've seen some made in India that used an artistic style that is more common in Buddhism."

Those depictions aren't Oestreicher's cross to bear, but for the past five years, he's been collecting photos of what he believes are the worst nativity scenes ever made and posting them on his blog.

"I find the ones that depict the nativity with cats or dogs to be hideously laughable," Oestreicher said. "Same with the kitchen timer that features Jesus, Mary and Joseph."

But Oestreicher's comments regarding the nuttier nativity scenes have made some people cross.

"I've had a few sour comments about how the blog post displeases God," he admitted. "But I point out that this is the same God who created laughter."

Though Oestreicher used to think that depicting the birth of Jesus with rubber duckies "sucked," but had an epiphany that helped change his tune.

"These are peoples' whimsical attempts to engage in a profound mystery," he said.

He's even found inspiration from some nativity scenes that helped him explain the concept of God and Jesus to a group of junior high school students.

"I told them, 'Imagine a giant Lego set and you decide to go into the Lego scene,' " Oestreicher said. "That's what God did when he sent his only son down to Earth."

Comments

[Billybladerunner]

07:30 AM on 12/23/2011

I don't like the Head line .....insulting right off the bat....

[ces1llc]

09:40 PM on 12/11/2011

Bunch of stupid jews on here.

[clemdane]

12:22 AM on 12/08/2011

Yes, I'd like the meat nativity medium rare, a side salad and the s'mores nativity for dessert.

[Streit Rhoades]

10:08 AM on 12/06/2011

Technically, the 'baby Jesus' should be chocolate-covered bacon, that was the case until European painters got a hold of him.

[PMJ79]

10:59 AM on 12/06/2011

Chocolate-covered bacon? Why not just a chunk of lard?

[Streit Rhoades]

11:36 AM on 12/06/2011

Our Lard and Saviour?

[Streit Rhoades]

09:31 AM on 12/06/2011

It's very sad that Jesus never knew the pleasure of eating bacon.

[Mekales]

11:23 PM on 12/05/2011

Personally, I liked the S'mores the best...I would eat...er, MAKE that one first....

[season555]

12:37 PM on 12/05/2011

Leviticus 11:7-8 ESV / 42 helpful votes

And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you

[YankeeCanuck]

11:33 AM on 12/05/2011

Nothing says "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" like a shotgun shell nativity.

[Jimm Milenski]

10:28 AM on 12/05/2011

If this is blasphemy at least it's got good taste.

[Llib Noswad]

10:00 AM on 12/05/2011

Look, in the manger, it's the baby bacon, no the baby Jesus, no it's the baby obama; all three one in the same.

[clintnapril2]

12:53 PM on 12/04/2011

" And Jesus wept "

[onlyway2goisup]

11:55 AM on 12/04/2011

time to clear/clean the air....the vermin has a bodacious odor and what was attempted to be done to it's purity

[KateInMT]

07:48 PM on 12/04/2011

Would you like to tell us what this post means, onlyway?

[onlyway2goisup]

08:51 AM on 12/05/2011

it's self explanatory and clear using the properties of the ennglish language

[onlyway2goisup]

09:04 AM on 12/05/2011

huff n puff....it''s amazing to me that the use of bacon or whatever for what is very holy to some...get's lost in such a question...'us' ? r u speaking for others kateinmt.....'would you like to tell us what this post means'.....community moderater...don't get caught up in these accumalated badges...one would think u're an employee

[YankeeCanuck]

11:27 AM on 12/05/2011

Funny! And better than babelfish.

[onlyway2goisup]

12:03 AM on 12/06/2011

what's babelfish

[corsair807]

10:16 AM on 12/04/2011

I SAW JESUS IN MY EGGS TODAY,HE SAID HELLO.

[YankeeCanuck]

11:28 AM on 12/05/2011

I saw him too. He said "Jell-O"!

[hrdbal51]

09:48 AM on 12/04/2011

The Huff Post presents articles such as this one to demonstrate how irreverent they can be. Why not messages on the true meaning of Christmas. You will never see it. Instead you present garbage and call the birth of Jesus a 'cult' event. If it was up to these liberal progressives they would eliminate the story of the Nativity scene all together. Shame on the Huff Post and all the blasphemous posts that followed.

[KateInMT]

07:51 PM on 12/04/2011

What is irreverent is using God as a bumper sticker, or deciding what God thinks about the many little oddities we humans do. I'm sure God has a wonderful sense of humor and is way weary of being expected to sit on a cloud, passing judgement and scowling.

And yes, I am a liberal Christian. We can pray and think at the same time.

[hrdbal51]

06:45 AM on 12/05/2011

A bumper sticker ends a message to make you think if the message is biblically based. This article is an attempt to degrade Jesus and is far from biblically based.

[rjh252a1]

08:24 PM on 12/05/2011

Good luck explaining that to Him when you meet Him.
He doesn't sit on a cloud, it is a throne and no one thinks it is all he does and He is a perfect not a permissive parent. He will help you as much as you will let Him and He is a rewarder of A's and a disciplinarian of F’s… (or if you prefer a rewarder of obedience and a discipliner of rebellion) Get serious liberal – Thou shall not re-create God to suit you. When you get there, He will be the same God He was in the beginning is now and forever shall be….
Lastly, when you pray, maybe you should stop thinkin' and start listen'....

[eltrip]

05:26 PM on 12/07/2011

Attacking the messenger?

[voteRepub2012]

07:31 AM on 12/04/2011

Don't let the athiest liberals see this. They already want to ban Christmas.

[duke9109]

07:35 AM on 12/04/2011

im a athiest and a liberal and i love christmas. whats your problem?

[voteRepub2012]

07:38 AM on 12/04/2011

Well then may God bless you.

[sidewaysdesign]

01:12 PM on 12/05/2011

I'm also atheist, rather liberal, love Christmas, but vegetarian as well. Can we stick to nativity scenes without an expiry date?

[clemdane]

12:24 AM on 12/08/2011

No the Puritans who settled this country for Europe wanted to ban Christmas. Funny, they said it was a pagan holiday.