Christians denounced a Canadian-based ice cream chain Sweet Jesus for its blasphemous and misuse of the name of the Lord.

At least two online petitions are gathering support to boycott the ice cream parlor until it changes its name, reports Sight Magazine.

Based in Toronto and founded in 2015, the ice cream company operates at least 20 stores in Canada and is expanding into the U.S. Owners Andrew Richmond and Amin Todai defended their company name, saying they had no intention of offending anyone. They argued that ‘Sweet Jesus’ came from a common expression when people feel enjoyment, surprise, or disbelief.

CitizenGO said Sweet Jesus’ menu selection, with ice cream flavors such as Red Rapture, Hella Nutella, and Sweet Baby Jesus, proves that the owners mock Christ and Christianity.

A petition on Change.org has 1,500 signatures and said Christians were “deeply offended” by the name. The website urged people to stop patronizing the ice cream brand.

Meantime, the CitizenGO Canada website already has 10,000 people supporting the cause. On its website, it reads, “The message is clear: ‘Sweet Jesus’ is all about trashing Christianity and mocking the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The campaign not only denounces the company name, it cries foul over the marketing and promotional materials used by the ice cream chain, reports Mail Online.

CitizenGO said Sweet Jesus’ menu selection, with ice cream flavors such as Red Rapture, Hella Nutella, and Sweet Baby Jesus, proves that the owners mock Christ and Christianity.

Christians were also horrified with Sweet Jesus’ logo: using an inverted cross for the “t” in “sweet.” The ice cream parlor also placed the upside down cross in its spoons and cups. In various advertisements, the company tweaked religious references, including ‘Eat like it’s your Last Supper’ and ‘Thou Shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain, but God damn that’s delicious.’

Despite the criticisms, Richmond said they would not be changing the company’s name. He said, “In our experience, the majority of people understand that we’re not trying to make a statement about religion.”

Sources:
Sight Magazine
Mail Online