‘Sweet Jesus’ Ice Cream Chain Accused Of Hate Speech Because Of Their Name
Toronto-based Sweet Jesus Ice Cream is drawing the ire of some folks who think that the chain’s name constitutes hate speech.
According to the Star, right-wing activist platform CitizenGo has launched a petition attacking Sweet Jesus Ice Cream, calling for them to change their name and publicly apologize for “openly (attacking) the Christian community.” The petition has accumulated over 8,000 signatures from folks who feel that the ice cream shop’s name is offensive and revolting.
While CitizenGo claims that “Sweet Jesus is all about trashing Christianity and mocking the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ,” their founders say that it is anything but. Co-founder Andrew Richmond told the Star that the name was inspired by the reactions an employee often gave after tasting the ice cream, and wasn’t inspired by religion at all.
To be honest, the name doesn’t seem offensive at all. The term “sweet Jesus” is one of shock and endearment, to describe how unexpectedly pleasurable something can be. In the case of the ice cream chain, this holds true, and should be considered a compliment to the chain’s quality, not a jab at Christianity. It’s no different than the typical “OMG” response people give to surprising events these days, and should be treated as such, not as hate speech.
In terms of how this controversy unfolds, we’ll have to wait and see whether CitizenGo ups the ante on their attacks, or whether it all melts away faster than, well… ice cream.
