Ohio man fined for displaying zombie-themed Nativity scene

An Ohio man got a $500 fine for displaying a zombie-themed Nativity scene in his front yard, the Washington Post reported.

Jasen Dixon’s Nativity scene features the same elements that you would expect to see in any manger scene — except all of the characters in Dixon’s Nativity are undead.

Mary, Joseph and the wise men are ghostly and skeletal with rotting teeth. Baby Jesus mirrors that of Gollum from “the Lord of the Rings,” with eyes that are yellow and pupil-less. To complete the look, Jesus has blood oozing from his razor-like teeth down his stomach.

A spooky version of “Silent Night” plays alongside colored lights that provide the Nativity scene with a frightening glow.

For the second year in a row, he said he has received backlash from religious groups and town zoning officials. Sycamore township officials claim their problem isn’t with the ghoulish creatures, but with zoning regulations. 

Dixon, who includes in the Facebook description that his family is “not atheist,” said they faced the same problem last year and after they filled out permit documents, they were denied due to zoning code not allowing for accessory structures in a front yard.

The family began dismantling the scene on Friday, but ultimately decided to keep it up minus the roof to see what would happen. They were fined $500 and would continue to be fined that amount each day that he leaves the structure up.

The Dixons, who call their Nativity scene “artwork,” not religious commentary, set up a crowdfunding page to help raise money for charity and to help with next year’s diorama.

Contact Caitlin Lilly at clilly@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @caitiesmith