Jesus replaced with a Gregg's sausage roll.

I would say ‘ fortunately’ durhamjen ( did you want one?)
I can’t imagine why anybody would want one at that price, must be just for corporate gifts ( which are often rubbishy anyway.)

Yep, it shows them up as stupid, elegran. That has never been at issue. Quite a lot of ads are stupid.

Other faiths are not out of bounds. No philosophical viewpoints are out of bounds however much violent thugs would like to force that.

A Greggs spokesperson said: "Novelty advent calendars have been around for years, so we thought it was time to take the concept up a notch. Fans won't be disappointed by what's behind the doors – there's a delicious Greggs gift to enjoy every day of the December advent season, from sausage rolls to Christmas sandwiches and of course our infamous Festive Bake. It's the perfect Christmas gift for every Greggs fan."

The calendar is worth between £35-£60, and the vouchers can be redeemed in shops from December 1 up to and including Christmas Eve. Gift cards are valid for up to 12 months.

Unfortunately it's only on sale in 17 shops, and only one in Newcastle.

What is not banned is not necessarily to be recommended.

Elegran I have probably read more into this than you meant but are you suggesting adverts should be banned because they offend some Christians?

42% think there are more important things to be worried about

I'm with them, Jen.

Is it too late to say I thought the sausage roll in the crib was funny?

Not at all - it was It seems however that their sort of Christianity gives some people a sense of humour bypass.

If you are a christian we expect you to take mockery and unkindness and say nothing,

I don't 'expect' you to say nothing. Freedom of speech means you to can argue your case. What I 'expect' (actually I don't) is that you too will understand that free speech means you may be subjected to 'mockery and unkindness'. Neither Christianity or any other religion is above such things - not in this country at least. The only thing not allowed quite rightly, by law, is hate speech.

I felt totally neutral, still do. I’m sure and indeed hope for mankind, that god has his eyes set above such trivialities.

Hmmm. It still shows them up as pretty stupid, Baggs. What is not banned is not necessarily to be recommended.

Perhaps if it didn't succeed in getting their sausage rolls sold and revenue fell after they used that marketing ploy they wouldn't use it again. Joe and Josephine Public are the ones holding the purse strings, they set the tone.

For those who think it was funny, may I just ask (in all seriousness) what it was that you thought was funny about it?

A poll in one of the local papers.
20% think it was offensive.
38% think it wasn't.
42% think there are more important things to be worried about.

Is there anyone more pompous on Christian values and beliefs than an atheist ?

Yes, a certain type of Christian.

I think it got past all the echelons because even outrageous, and outrageously bad, 'jokes' are allowed in a free society.

And I still think Minibaggs was spot on when she said it's not about Christianity, it's about sausage rolls. I don't think the imagery being Christian changes that. Neither does a comment on Twitter that they missed a trick by not mentioning the Three Wise Pies while they were at it.

Mockery and crass jokes are allowed. We don't have to like them but we do have to allow them. So the echelons allowed it.

I don't feel it as a personal blow as you do, Annie but I do think that making the sausage roll into an equivalent is upgrading the roll and downgrading the Christ child beyond a joke. Particularly a pork sausage roll - Jesus was a born Jew and never renounced that faith, and that would have been an unclean food to him and all his contemporaries.

I still think that the ad was conceived in unthinking ignorance rather than a deliberate two-fingers-up, but I don't know how it got past all the echelons of people who would have had to OK it. Perhaps they were also unthinking and ignorant, or perhaps they thought they were being "edgy" or "progressive" or that any publicity is good publicity.

I can agree with a lot of that Elegran and whilst not expecting everyone to be bothered by the Greggs gaffe do think it would be polite/ pleasant/ sensitive to allow for others on GN ( and in RL) to try and understand the point of view of those who are bothered about it.
There have been rants about Christianity, rants about politics and what newspapers other posters read and all kinds of nonsense on this thread.
It was no doubt a silly marketing thing, which Greggs now
regret, some of us see this and are pleased they have now apologised, but those posters who couldn’t give two hoots about it ( their prerogative) must allow others who do give two or more hoots to have their say without being told how all round wonderful Greggs are and that sausage rolls are the staple of ‘the poor’.I don’t think they are for a minute, but it has nothing to do with the situation anyway.

Wilma, was the Christchild replaced by anything in those programmes? No. Seems few seem to understand it was replacing The Christ Child in the crib with the bloody roll that has hurt me , stick one in the mouth of a sheep or donkey ok, but not what they have done

Is it too late to say I thought the sausage roll in the crib was funny?

60% of the UK still identifies the as Christian and 25% don't identify, with any religion, so this kind of irreverence is completely different from jokes about the other religions in the UK. They are very much in the minority, so jokes outside their own communities would clearly be inappropriate and a sign of intolerance.

How many people took offence at the Christmas episode of the Vicar of Dibley where Alice had her baby in the stable? Or the Father Ted one where all the priests were trapped in the lingerie section of a department store?

No, Greggs did not offend me.

I am weighing in here having read only some of the 25 pages of comments, so please ignore my post if I am repeating anything or saying anything daft.

I don't think a silly joke "shames" religion. Religion is only shamed when something bad is done in religion's name.

But if there is any shame it is on those who thought it a great marketing wheeze to compare their product with the leading figure in one of the the main global religions. That just shows a really stupid over-statement of the importance of their pedestrian little snack, and a most peculiar sense of humour. If they wanted to link in their sausage rolls to the Christmas season there are plenty of ways to show them off as a major part of the festive food, and as humour they could have had Rudolph and friends rejecting carrots for a plate of Gregg's rolls - maybe vegetarian ones, specially baked for them?

That said, I think that it is overkill to get too worked up over a bit of mindless stupidity when there is active persecution of people of all faiths happening everywhere. Dismissive scorn would work better here than hurt and outrage.

Is there anyone more pompous on Christian values and beliefs than an atheist ? Nop

If you are a christian we expect you to take mockery and unkindness and say nothing,

GG views on Christians

No need to be afraid GGM2 Perhaps you could enlighten me as to my "misunderstanding" .

Gilly has more Christian values than many other atheists here , she hasn't difficulty in u derstanding them. It is you GG who doesn't u derstand them.

I sounds as if you too have misunderstood them. Where is the Christian value that says you should "never knowingly or deliberately say or do something to cause hurt to another."

Message deleted by Gransnet.

I don't think that gillybob has misunderstood at all - it is possible to follow some Christian values without adhering to them all.