Find Jesus at Union Square, NYC!

Find Jesus at Union Square is finally LIVE, and I couldn’t be more proud. I started drawing it and it just kept getting bigger and bigger and more involved, and before you know it it’s way past the deadline I set, and larger than I imagined! But in the end I know it’s all for the greater good.

I’ve been told by some that their computers can’t handle the page with all those animated gifs, but I can’t stop myself! And I also know that I’ll continue to add characters as the months and years go on at the park. So it’s not going to get any easier. Hopefully computer technology will catch up to my obsession with multiple animated gifs. I thought all this shit was taken care of after the Hamster Dance craze, but perhaps I was wrong.

So have fun diving into Union Square on a quest for Jesus. He could be anywhere, doing most anything, so keep a sharp eye out! All of your favorite Union regulars are there to search through. And don’t miss the other Find Jesus boards that are available too!

Tell me how it goes.

I owe my Google placement to Sunday Schoolteachers searching “Jesus.”

The results are in and it seems to no longer be theory. I owe my Google placement, which is my main source of advertisement, to the Sunday schoolteachers. Make me a cake, rent out the ballroom, and start throwing confetti, my ultimate plan has come full circle! Hate mail page 418 is written in stone.

I owe my Google placement to Sunday Schoolteachers searching “Jesus”

“…stumbling across your site. I found it while searching the web preparing a Sunday school lesson for the 8-13 yr. olds class I teach.”

Subject: Just stumbled onto your site

Dear Normal Bob,

Hey just wanted to drop you a note after stumbling across your site. I found it while searching the web preparing a Sunday school lesson for the 8-13 yr. olds class I teach. I just wanted to say I love Christ, who I believe was God’s son and died to show us how much He loves us His children. I’m not going lay into you or yell, rant and rave. I’m an average man who’s done my share of good and bad. The fact that God loves me is almost too unbelievably good to me. And I know He loves you too.

I have always felt that I don’t have to defend Jesus when I see something like your site, because He is just bigger than your mockery. You’ve obviously got a lot of creativity and talent, hopefully someday you will know His love for yourself and put it to a better use. If he can reach Saul and me, he can show you too. Usually something like your work comes out of a life hurt by the church or Christian’s themselves. That may be an oversimplification but if it’s true let me say that I’m sorry.

Love in Christ,

Chris Cucchiara

bigfishpro@yahoo.com

Hello Chris,

One of the biggest misconceptions Christians have about non Christians, or nonbelievers like me who voice their disbelief, is that we’ve been somehow hurt by the church or Christians themselves. This misconception is probably one of the most repelling assumptions because it immediately puts you in the superior position and the nonbeliever in the pitying position. It’s an awful way to open up any sort of dialog with a stranger, and quite simply an innapropriate way to approach the rest of the human race.

I’ve often thought the main reason Christians so openly stereotype nonbelievers as these lost, wounded strays is for the exact purpose of establishing the upper hand thus to avoid the very real reasons for disbelief; Reasons the Christian has trouble grappling with within himself. I’ve reached this conclusion through continual dialog with believers who one after another refuse to accept that there are extremely legitimate, sensible, healthy reasons for not believing in the gods you worship and their irrefutable commands.

Chris, you have a belief that drapes a trenchcoat of pity and love over a lust for the apocalypse & the Second Coming of your god. Your tenchcoat is colored in mercy, good deeds & valentine shaped teardrops, but it hides beneath it a paradise for yourself while everyone else burns infinately for the trivial act of disbelief. The trenchcoat you come to me in hides the very real belief in scapegoats and the insanity of blaming your wrongs on someone else, someone whom you’ve only met telepathically.

Nonbelievers have very logical and sane reasons for not believing in the madness you buy into so willingly. I think your belief is destructive, unhealthy and a threat to this beautiful thing we call life on planet earth. That is why I voice my disbelief so bluntly.

So now that we’ve cleared that up.

Hi! How are you? Want to help 8-13 year olds instead of hurt them?

Bob

“… I come out on the side of faith.”

Bob,

Thanks for responding to me. You make a lot of strong points that make me see how self serving my note to you was. One of the things I’ve wanted most lately is to have some continued, open and non-vitriolic dialog with people who have strong views outside of my Christian tradition. I come from a place where I see that the church, Christians and I have spent a lot of time saying “Tisk-tisk” to those outside our camp. I want my love for Christ to mean more than that. I guess I rather smugly thought you might say “Hey this guy is fairly level headed for one of those Christians.” when I wrote you. Just to be up front there is a part of me that will always want anyone I come in contact with to believe that Christ is who he said he was and accept the relationship I believe he extends. That being said I just relish the idea of some honest talk.

Your website is like an open letter to the world that I stumbled onto. As with anything in the world of ideas that someone might have disagreement with, I could have chosen just to ignore it. I chose to respond to it as the possible opening of a dialog between us. Your shot over my bow you might say. As such I hope you understand what an affront Jesus BDSM gear would be to anyone who claims to love him. If just for the fact that you chose to make Jesus the subject of your dress up and not Ghandi, Ben Affleck or for that matter any other one of the billions of people ever to exist on this planet must say something. I took a stab at why and I was wrong. I do acknowledge there are many very serious reasons to doubt the existence of any god, let alone the one I believe in. I know because I do wrestle with many of the same issues myself, yet putting all things in the balance I come out on the side of faith.

You said some things in your response that pointed to me coming across as looking down on or pitying people outside my faith. Even without any gods or if there were no religions on earth I think we would all see ourselves as having flaws. I know my own better than I know anyone elses and any finger pointing I do is at myself. Yet I see that I still come off as wrapping myself in that self-righteous trenchcoat to you. It’s like we are both standing in front of the same painting and I have no idea why you see it the way you do. I want to understand.

If the thought of teasing out the thoughts of someone who claims this love God intrigues you like the chance to understand more of what makes you come to your conclusions does me, I would like the opportunity to continue to talk. However I understand if this is just not something you are interested in. Either way, thanks for hearing me out.

Sincerely,

Chris Cucchiara

bigfishpro@yahoo.com

Well of course you side with faith. Faith allows you to believe whatever you want, whether it’s true or not, based solely on how good it makes you feel. It’s the essence of selfishness fed by self-induced ignorance. Ignore your logic, the evidence, even ignore what’s better for humanity, just as long as it soothes you inside. Your illusion of eternal paradise, guardian angels, scapegoats, and pretending to know things no one could possibly know are the prizes you’re challenged to forfeit. The “heroic” act of Faith is a far more attractive and easy option.

Have you ever considered why it is you don’t use this same Faith in any other part of your daily life? Are there other important decisions you regularly make that go against common logic and the evidence simply because your life would be easier if it were so? Not filling your car with gas would sure make life a lot easier. Does that work? Instead of interviewing a babysitter would you simply pick a stranger off the street to save time? Do you immediately send your bank account numbers to the Nigerian Son of the Ex President because he promised in an email to deposit five million dollars in it if you did?

I could use the exact same “Faith” to believe any one of the hundreds of bibles there are for each different religion, belief, or written account of history. Discard my critical thought and logical examination and any of it could seem real! Hell, why limit myself to pre-written texts? Why not simply believe whatever my head tells me is true, avoid any study or research on the subject and believe anything solely on Faith? That’s what the guys who flew planes into the Twin Towers did. They came out on the side of Faith as well. Do you respect them?

Obviously I’m more than happy to discuss this with you because it’s clearly a subject that interests me. Steering people clear of the madness of faith and its destructiveness is something I really enjoy doing. And of course as you’ve already guessed, it’s my way of avenging the Sunday schoolteacher who backed into my mailbox.

Bob

 

I did a search on Jesus just to see how many sites came up after a discussion in Sunday School this morning.

Bob,

I did a search on Jesus just to see how many sites came up after a discussion in Sunday School this morning. I was appalled to see your site “Jesus Dress Up”. What you are offering is a mockery to the Jesus that died on the cross for your sins and mine. Please consider removing this from your sites. Other figures would be more appealing to Christians and the example you are setting for non-Christians is disgusting.

Most sincerely,

Helen Rose

luvpiano813@yahoo.com

Wow, you’re serious. You really don’t see anything wrong with your beliefs, huh? Like, you don’t see how scapegoats are a bad thing for people to think they’ve got? What’s the logic behind how you think it’s at all possible for someone else to pay for your wrongs? I’d be so curious to hear that explained.

And you’re serious about believing these stories about a guy rising from the dead and flying up into the sky like a balloon, and you’re not the least bit suspicious it’s make believe? I mean, you do know that Muslims think their Muhammad flew up to heaven on a flying donkey too, right? Do you believe that? Or how about Buddha levitating? You know, lots of the gods we’ve invented flew all around, some as far as outer space! Some even had wings on their backs! It’s really exciting.

I’m happy you stumbled across the site. I always enjoy hearing the beliefs people like you have. They’re so fantastic. They give me goosebumps!

Please email me back more stories.

Bob

It’s called FAITH!”

It’s called FAITH, my friend. Plus, my God’s name starts with a capital G. As I am writing this, I am praying for you.

Helen Rose

luvpiano813@yahoo.com

Faith is believing whatever you want despite the evidence, logic or commonsense. Correct? Is your complete lack of critical thinking supposed to impress me? Are you equally impressed with others who believe their religions based on the exact same Faith? How about your god, is he impressed with them too? Does the obviousness of their foolishness spark any inner turmoil within yourself at all? How about teaching this method of believing whatever you want to kids? Any moral dilemma there? Or has not thinking about these things pretty much become the normal way you go about things now?

I believe these are very interesting questions that most nonbelievers would like to know the answers to.

Pretend I’m one of your Sunday school students. I’m really dying to know these things from you.

Bob

Crazy Christians!

More unique and bizzare hate mail from delightfully crazy Christians.

“ you are going to be struck!”

Subject: Hey Man

Hey Man you are going to be struck! you should pray for forgiveness.

1800INEEDJESUS

Thanks Bob

Philip Gatlin

Struck by LOVVVE!

I can’t wait.

Bob

what makes you think hell is cool?

Whats you belief man? what makes you think hell is cool?

Philip Gatlin

Hahaha, you believe in hell!

Do you believe every ghost story you’re told too?

Jesus Christ, people are so gullible. We’ve hardly evolved at all, huh?

Bob

“…evolution??”

So you believe in evolution??

Philip Gatlin

Do you believe you’ve inherited traits from your parents?

Bob

“Yes i do?”

Yes i do? whats that mean?

Philip Gatlin

Then you believe in evolution too, just at a smaller scale.

Bob

“i came from GOD!”

Nope i dont come from monkeys. i came from GOD!

Philip Gatlin

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

You’re smart!

Bob

Are you an accident…?

Why thank you. I want to know what you really believe? Are you an accident or just something random that happen?

Philip Gatlin

Was your God an accident, or something random that just happened?

Bob

Niether

Niether He was always there! So?

Philip Gatlin

Oh Jesus. Okay, so you believe he was always there. Then you’ll believe anything.

You rest your own case.

Bob

there is more proof to the bible then anything! did you know that?

yet wrong there is more proof to the bible then anything! did you know that?

Philip Gatlin

There’s more proof to the bible than anything? Okay, you’re 15, aren’t you.

You do realize there are other things that have more proof behind them than the bible, right?

I’m gauging to see just how blank you really are.

Bob

I’m 19. im a science major

No I’m 19. Age dosent matter in this conversation anyways what do you think has more proof than the bible, you think Darwins book of evolution does? Do think that has proof to back it up science has no proof to it and you could see it in a simple college chem class im a science major and you can see the flaws in science one variable can change the whole outcome of a problem its easy to see. But really what do you think has more proof then the Bible, It has more books and evidence to back it up than any history story written. Even the own history of our county!

Philip Gatlin

lilgat1991@comcast.net

Well, of course your age matters. I mean, there’s a reason why our Universities don’t have 19 year old professors, or you can’t be 7 and get a driver’s license, or why there’s an age minimum for the presidency. Saying there’s no matter for age in a conversation such as this would mean if you were 8 years old it wouldn’t make any difference, because what you believe doesn’t require any intelligence or life wisdom, or even a 5th grade education! And regretfully this statement hurts your argument more than it helps.

Phillip, have you ever been to a Natural History Museum? One in your city, or abroad? You should go if you have not because there they have all sorts of evidence to prove Darwin’s theories. There are fossils, charts and graphs, logical explanations, and at the one here in NYC there’s even hands-on experiments you can partake in! There are films where you can watch a cell divide again and again and again completely on its own (without mating or consuming other life). There are time-lines and fossils to prove how and when they existed, and diagrams for every step of their evolution.

There’s also a section of the museum where you can look at dinosaurs and their bones and see exactly how they fit into our planet’s history, and how we are but a blip on the screen compared to all that’s happened prior.

You can also see how tiny we actually are compared to our universe and the many other galaxies and planets that’ve been spinning about for billions and billions of years without even the slightest regard to whether or not we gave them any notice.

And this is just the Museum of Natural History! The process of evolution is so proved and factual it’s actually used to grow food that tastes good, animals that make better rib roasts, and medicines to fight deadly diseases or even breed a racehorse to win the Kentucky Derby! Evolution is so real it’s a method implemented into the science of our daily lives, and we hardly even notice because we’ve got it so good.

On the contrary, there is no proof that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born. You can’t prove that, even if it happened today with doctors present at the birth and everything! You can’t prove Jesus walked on water, turned water to wine, rose from the dead or flew up into the sky afterwords. You can read stories about it, but there’s also similar stories about many such gods we’ve invented, like Hercules, Thor the God of Thunder, Medusa’s head of snakes, Buddha speaking words as an infant, and the Prophet Muhammad flying into the sky on a donkey. Because the words are written down about these characters does not substantiate their claims whatsoever. People make up all sorts of stories and write them down. It’s our job as adults to cross off the ones that sound made up, and underline those which sound plausible. And reading your bible, it’s clear to any thinking person, much of it should be crossed out.

Philip, simply because one variable can change the outcome of a science project, that does not indicate in the least that science proves nothing. Quite the contrary. To indicate that science proves nothing there’d have to be NO change in the variables and a different outcome each time. Then you’d have a leg to stand on.

You’ve got much to learn as a science major, and your age is absolutely to blame for your ignorance. But that’s okay! You’re learning, and questioning as any good scientist should. Keep it up, and email me when you realize science proves there’s no need for God in the first place. It’ll blow your mind!

Bob

Artist, Atheist, Anthropologist