Autographed Photos of Jesus Join List of Unusual Christmas Presents

Shoppers with a sense of humor for religious icons can purchase a 5" x 7" framed picture of Jesus with a personalized autographed message and stamped with the "Sacred Seal of Authenticity."

(PRWEB) December 1, 2005 -- Pet rocks, singing fish, Chia pets and dogs barking out Jingle Bells are all part of the American appetite for things slightly weird and unusual. Joining the list of Christmas oddities this year are personalized, autographed photos from the "reason for the season," Jesus himself.

Available through Ebay, the online marketing service that lets everybody pretend to be a retail super-store, shoppers with a sense of humor for religious icons can purchase for $6.95 a 5" x 7" framed picture of Jesus with a personalized autographed message and stamped with the "Sacred Seal of Authenticity."

The pictures and messages shown on eBay include Jesus touching his heart and saying, "Carol, Scout's honor. I won't leave you behind." Another photo is of a laughing Jesus with the message, "Mark, Dude, you rock. Party on!" A third photo is of a more medieval looking Jesus with the message, "Bob, I may rule the universe, but you rule the bbq grill!"

The entrepreneur for this venture of dragging Jesus in the world of gag gifts is Paul Peterson of Royal Oak, Michigan – a person with years of first hand experience in the world of religion. Peterson has served as a minister and worked in a variety of other religious positions. According to Paul, "I've been a long time member of the Jesus fan club, but unlike most celebrity fan clubs, there was no place to write and get an autographed photo from the Star."

The genesis of the idea (pun intended) came while sitting in an ice cream parlor that had a small framed picture of Jesus on the wall. "I told my kids," recalled Peterson, "that it should be signed by Jesus with a message like 'Your ice cream is heavenly.' That Christmas my kids gave me an autographed picture of Jesus saying to keep up the good work."

When asked whether writing and signing humorous messages on pictures of Jesus could be considered sacrilege, Peterson responded, "Only to someone who believes that God doesn't have a sense of humor. Sadly, given the number of religious wars in history, there does seem to be several of those kind."

Peterson doesn't worry about profiting from the celebrity status of Jesus. "Any money I make will go to the worthy cause of paying off my seminary student loans," said Peterson. "Working for Jesus doesn't pay much, but if this is really successful, maybe I'll step up a level and become a televangelist," he said tongue-in-cheek.

Depending on the success of this venture, Peterson is considering expanding the product line to other famous people from history. According to Peterson, "Who wouldn't want an autographed picture from Genghis Kahn or Attila the Hun?"

The autographed photos are available for purchase on eBay or from Peterson's web site, www.double-predestination.com/photos

Photos online are available for press use.

Contact information:
Paul Peterson
248-302-1211
3825 Crooks Rd. #20
Royal Oak, MI 48073

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