MB Civic

During the month of December, American Atheists paid for a billboard in Times Square. It showed a photo of Santa Claus, with the words “Keep the Merry,” and a photo of Jesus on the cross, with the words “Dump the Myth.” (Photo below)

http://i.imgur.com/NrTuJ.jpg

Setting aside the mean-spiritedness of the billboard (there are plenty of less mean-spirited ways AA could have made its point), the billboard was incorrect: it is Santa who is the myth, not Jesus.

There is very little argument over Jesus’ existence, even if He was simply “just some guy,” and not a rabbi, prophet, or the son of God. (Yes, there are those who claim that Jesus never existed, but, like Holocaust deniers, they are a fringe group.)

Meanwhile, although Santa Claus is based loosely on a Turkish priest who lived in the early 4th century, “Santa Claus” himself – i.e., an actual immortal guy who lives at the North Pole, has a red-nosed reindeer, and delivers toys to “good” boys and girls once a year – is, of course, a myth.

So while there may be nothing “merry” about Jesus’ death and resurrection (though one could argue that there was certainly alot of “good” about His life and teaching), it seems that American Atheists got it exactly backward.

Peace.