Sure, the apple is the icon for the original sin and all, but “blasphemous”? Some extreme Orthodox Christians in Russia are up in arms about what they say is Apple’s “blasphemous” logo.
According to a translation of a Russian news report that’s been kicking around the Web, some conservative believers see the image of the bitten apple as a symbol of Adam and Eve’s original sin in the Bible. Some have gone so far as to cover up the logo and replace it with an image of a cross.
The backlash could be connected to the church’s sensitivity over what they see as threats to the influence of the church. After punk rock band “Pussy Riot” staged a controversial protest inside one of Russia’s main cathedrals, the church pushed for the jailing of the band’s leaders. Now, they may be looking to clamp down on anything else they perceive as a sign of disrespect.
I guess it doesn’t matter to the church that Apple’s name and original logo were inspired by the story of Isaac Newton and the iconic fruit that fell out of the tree and landed upon his head. (I’ve never really thought about the current logo being connected to the bible. I always figured the missing piece of the Apple was somehow connected to taking a “byte” out of the Apple.)
New anti-blasphemy laws are being proposed in Russia’s parliament that could actually bar Apple from selling products carrying its own logo in the country. So far, Apple has had no comment on the story.
If push comes to shove, Apple could have some allies in Russia. Russian political party Yabloko has been a big critic of the efforts to create what it is calling a “clerical-police state” that it says is “deliberately fueling a conflict between the Russian Orthodox Church and secular civil society.”
Yabloko is a natural ally for the Cupertino firm for another reason too — the party’s name is also the Russian word for “apple.”
