Just to pop back into the thread for a moment - I'm BTW pleased to note that it hasn't (yet, but give 'em time...) been taken over by trolls and that some of the Mudcat heavies have deemed it worthy of their attention.

That poster was intended by the Catholic church that put it up to shock, to catch attention and to make people think. In the local conditions here in New Zealand, you do that best by making people laugh first.

Let's not forget that the Roman Catholic church adopts a strongly anti-abortion stance, so there are undertones of this in the semiotics of that image. "What if" - Mary had decided not to go on with it? Modern women - particularly young unmarried ones - have that choice (in most civilised countries, that is, certainly in NZ), and that's against that particular church's teachings. What would it have meant for the world if she hadn't?

But I tend to agree with Crowhugger, and didn't find any element of unhappiness in the figure's expression. Apprehension, maybe, but not sadness. And it's a story to which everyone knows the answer, anyway. She *did* go ahead with it, and we are now getting ready to celebrate the outcome.

Even most of the atheists of my acquaintance are busy putting up decorations, buying each other presents and singing Christmas carols. Pity that religion has to obtrude on the festival of commercialism, put there you are..