A 69 year old artist, who was brought up Catholic, was assured of controversy when he decided to display a crucified Santa in his front yard. The Santa represents frivolous consumption with �shop �til you drop� inscribed in Latin over his head.
[Via Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex]
Well I guess at least he had reindeer to help him carry the cross.
In related news: Santa – Blasphemer.
Santa is not a "blasphemous counterfeit" God drawing attention to himself, Victoria’s Warrnambool Catholics said after a Christian pastor slammed Santa Claus as a distraction from the "true God".
The Warrnambool Standard reports that New Life Christian Church Pastor Steve McNeilly yesterday sparked debate and a sack of letters of protest after claiming in a local paper that Santa was a counterfeit God who only confused children and distracted them from the "true God".
"The Santa myth is a blasphemous counterfeit for God that draws the devotion of children to himself," he said.
Late yesterday Mr McNeilly stood by his view that it was important to be honest with children and consistent with Christian beliefs by not supporting the Santa fantasy.
But Fr John Fitzgerald from Warrnambool’s St Joseph’s Catholic Church said Santa had a special place with children and was a good way of teaching children the gift of giving.
"In the Christmas picture Santa is a giver and can teach us the importance to give oneself and our heart to our family," he said.
Father Fitzgerald said it was important to keep Santa separate from the real story of Christmas, however, he noted a connection between Santa and Christ. "Santa is seen to share and give as Christ himself does," he said.
8 comments
Thanks for your post … here’s another “Santa” story I like.
Ah yes, “brought up Catholic.” Like Voltaire. And Luther. And Calvin. … And “Madonna.”
Re: Fr. Fitzgerald….
Wouldn’t explaining that Santa is actually St. Nicholas be a help ? The real “Santa” is more concerned with us following Christ the Pearl of Great Price than in us gaining earthly loot.
A bad piece of idea, I’ll say. I’m just waiting for the Crucified Santa to have the placard writtenin Hebrew, Latin and Greek, be flanked by Crucified figures of the Grinch and Mr. Scrooge, and wear a Wreath of Holly upon his head. Just include a Curtain rending into two and it’s complete.
Sadly though, Santa IS given much more priority over Jesus (something even he will also disagree on) that i’m waiting for people to think that Santa Claus is the one Crucified for their and rose again.
St. Nicholas, the REAL Santa Claus, Pray for us.
But, but Saint Nick is my confirmation saint! People seem to ignore that sometimes the most secular of traditions have religious roots.
The more I learn about St. Nicholas, the more I dislike the crass commercial mascot of childhood desire. Santa Claus is to St. Nicholas as Dan Brown’s da Vinci Code is to the real Mary Magdalene.
I noticed people today would be offended if Santa was shown crucified, but doesn’t care when Jesus is blasphemed in a way.
If I might add on a lighter note, Will someone direct a film titled ‘The Passion of the Claus’?