Nothing says Christmas in Sycamore Township, Ohio like Jasen Dixon’s zombie shepherds, gathered as if to greet the zombie baby in a manger, while Christian protesters huddle nearby handing out pamphlets.
Dixon, who – with the help of his (wholesome appearing) family and friends, first built the controversial nativity scene in 2014, says the display is good advertising for his haunted house. No doubt the recent popularity of zombies through shows like ‘The Walking Dead’ have made it a much talked-about attraction. Dixon says he gets mixed reviews. “My father hates it. The other neighbors, they drive by and give me a thumbs-up,” he said. However, he noted that Christian protesters handed out pamphlets Sunday in front of his display reading “God frowns upon this manger display,” accompanied by Biblical verses
The township may succeed where protesters have failed. This year, the township is hitting Dixon with enough red tape to wrap the display as a present, and fining him $500 for every day that the nativity scene is up. “I think it’s the theme. It just rubs people the wrong way and it puts the spotlight on me. that’s why they’re coming down so hard on me,” said Dixon whose attempts to navigate township applications and zoning snafus have met with resistance.
What do you think? Would closing the odd scene really a success for the township, or should someone be able to assemble a tasteless display in their own yard, even if the members of a church disapprove?