A Tale of Two Stories: Jesus and Santa Claus

Recently in researching a new book on early Christian heresies I have come across many academics who have spent their life attempting to debunk Christianity.  Some attack Sacred Scripture as inauthentic or the musings of men, while others direct their attack toward Jesus – was he truly a historical person?  And if so, were his “miracles” and “divinity” simply mythical constructs of his early followers? 

This made me think of Santa Claus.

How many scholars can you name who have spent their entire life’s work devoted to debunking the historicity of Santa Claus and his story?  I don’t know a single person with a PhD in Santaclausology.  Yet with millions of wee ones anticipating his visit on Christmas Eve, I should think that there would be plenty of books, podcasts and seminars shouting out “Santa isn’t real!” 

Now, common sense tells us that most people over the age of 6 know that there is no Santa Claus living at the North Pole with magical elves and reindeer.  Furthermore, many of us know that today’s fables are loosely based on St. Nicholas (d. 343 AD) an early Christian Bishop who lived in what is now modern-day Turkey.  Still, there is no active movement to deny the existence of St. Nicholas, or argue against the tales that grew up around him.

Then there is Jesus’ story.

Many millions of children and adults around the world believe that Jesus was a real person, and that he was not only human, but also divine.  And yet, there are those who have – especially within the past 200 years – sought to publicly destroy both the historical Jesus and/or discredit his divinity and miracles. 

Listen closely and you can almost hear these grinches in their gilded cages (the quotes are mine, based upon their writings):

“Jesus of Nazareth was a myth.”  (Thomas L. Brodie, b. 1943, Irish Dominican Priest).

“Jesus may have been a historical person, but the stories about him being divine are fables created by his followers.” (Bart D. Ehrman, b. 1965, former Evangelical-Christian-turned-atheist, and author of “How Jesus Became God”)

“There are no such things as miracles or the supernatural.” (Friedrich Schleiermacher, d. 1834, German Reformed Theologian and Philosopher)

“God does not exist.” (John Dewy, d. 1952, American Educational Reformer, and Congregationalist-turned-atheist, and Friedrich Nietzsche d. 1900, Philosopher and Lutheran-turned-atheist)

“God is a Creation of the mind of Men.” (Ludwig Feuerbach 1804-1872 German Philosopher and Lutheran-turned-atheist)

You get the drift. 

Yet I still ask, why is it so important to these men, especially for those with “Christian” backgrounds, to spend their life demystifying Christianity?  Seriously, from a strictly intellectual standpoint - why would I care anymore about debunking Christ than Santa Claus if I truly believed he did not exist?

Perhaps, the answer is in the stories themselves.

Santa Claus is fun!  He is harmless, jolly, and embraces gift giving.  He’s a feel-good guy!

Jesus Christ, on the other hand, is not fun, or jolly, yet he too wanted to give a gift to humanity – the greatest gift in the form of reconciling individuals to God.

Oops!  There it is!

Baby Jesus in a manger is harmless enough, but then he grew up and his ultimate story is disconcerting to many.

Some people do not want to hear that there IS a God, that they are in need of him, and that they will be held accountable one day for their actions. Human pride is a great motivator to rebuff what one does not want to hear, and the story of Jesus – though one of true love – confronts human pride that is gift-wrapped in human wisdom.   

For these sages above, and more, their wisdom exceeds Sacred Scripture and Tradition, yet the Apostle Paul wrote in First Corinthians (3:19), “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” (Here Paul refers back to the Book of Job 5:13).

The wisdom of this world is a prideful snare.  I know firsthand - I was once a Christian-turned-agnostic – and can testify that one does not turn back to God through pride or human wisdom, but through humility to seek the truth which is God.

Matthew reminds us in Chapter 18:2-5, “Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Those who believe in Jesus Christ do not do so out of some childish ignorance which needs to be outgrown, or corrected by indoctrination of a materialist world view.  Those who believe in Jesus Christ understand that it is with childlike humility we acquiesce to Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and acknowledge that humanity is not the measure of all things, but that God is.

Happy Birthday Jesus!  Thank you for your love and gift of salvation!