Christians are having a cow over Marge Simpson's Playboy cover

The issue of Playboy magazine now on newsstands bears an image of a semi-nude Marge Simpson, the cartoon matriarch of The Simpsons.

The ploy is in part a tribute to the Fox Broadcasting Company show, which at 20 years is one of the longest-running television shows in history.

No matter that Marge Simpson is neither really nude nor, well, real, some people are not happy to see her on the racy magazine's cover.

The American Family Association, which calls itself “an outspoken, resolute, Christian voice,” is asking 7-Eleven stores to reconsider its decision to sell the issue.

“Pornography promotes a hedonistic lifestyle that is often highly addictive, harmful to marriages and influences anti-social and sometimes criminal behavior,” AFA says.

7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris at the corporate office in Dallas, said the company has no plans to carry Playboy on a regular basis. “It is not a recommended item for company stores,” she said, adding that franchise stores are independent contractors and some carry Playboy.

But just seeing the cover will do damage, the AFA said. “It's irresponsible of 7-Eleven to display porn in front of boys who pop into 7-Elevens for a hot dog or a Slurpee,” said Randy Sharp, AFA special projects director. “A cartoon is going to be appealing to a child. Playboy and 7-Eleven and Fox are allowing that to happen,” he said.