Any idea, however wonderful or tacky, can make a person rich in America if they happen to be clever (or lucky) enough to hit upon something people will pay for. Mel Gibson is making a bundle by selling brutal scenes of Jesus being beaten and killed. "Normal Bob Smith" is hoping to make money by selling a magnetic Jesus dress-up figure - complete with things like bunny slippers, skirts, and sun glasses.

NBC5i reports:

"I did a double take. It just seemed unbelievable to see something like that," said Gerry, a man who didn't want to use his last name. From a distance, the item looks like a kid's dress-up game. But when you look closely, it is a magnetic Jesus dress-up figure. ... He said he was shocked by the magnetic game showing Jesus on the cross, clad in underwear with interchangeable outfits like a devil costume, a skull T-shirt and a hula skirt.

People will be offended by this - however, we no longer live in a country where it is a crime to do, say, or sell something that offends people's religious beliefs. Those who try to stop the sale of this are no different than Muslims who tried to stop the sale of Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses." The censorial impulse is the same in both cases: this offends my religion, therefore no one should ever see it.

This thing is rather tacky and it is unquestionably blasphemous. Urban Outfitters has said that they sell it "to reflect a diversity of opinion among its customer base," but you don't believe that, do you? They sell it for one reason only: they think it will sell well and make them money. They aren't going to carry anything that "reflects diversity" but doesn't sell.

I'm not complaining about that because, after all, that's how retail stores have to be run. I'm sure they knew this would provoke negative reactions, so I assume that they figured the negative publicity would ultimately help drive sales by people who would never have known about it and never would have considered buying it. You can also buy it on the internet.

Read More:

• Recent Books on Free Speech
• Court Decisions on Free Speech and Censorship