Atheist English journalist Polly Toynbee has penned this Grinch-like article at lefty paper The Guardian confessing that she likes all the Christmas trappings and wrappings: carols, mince pies, cheerfulness in the bleak mid winter and all the traditions of Christmas, but she hates Christmas itself. To put it bluntly, she wants the presents without the Real Presence.

This happens every year. Atheists put up billboards of Santa with captions, “Be of Good Cheer. Jesus is a myth”. Gay couples intentionally offend Christians with outdoor nativities with two Josephs painted pink.

And we put up with it. They wouldn’t mock the prophet Mohammed in such a way I suspect.

This is no less than cultural appropriation. It’s a cultural smash and grab. They’re smashing our beliefs and grabbing the nice bits of our religious traditions. The irony of all this is, at the same time they love to publicize their own tired old myths that Jesus is just the pagan god Mithras dug up and warmed up and therefore Christianity (and especially Christmas) is all a lot of baloney.

How weird is this? The early Christians were fake because they (allegedly) purloined the Saturnalia or the celebration of Sol Invictus, but its okay if we steal Christmas from the Christians.

(BTW, spend just a few moments on a Google search and you’ll find these humanist myths soundly debunked–and not debunked only by Christians, but also by fellow humanists and atheists who are serious about history and something called “facts”)

In the spirit of cheerful Christmastime I’m calling them out. The Magi were non-Jewish sages who had the wisdom and humility to go on a journey to find the true Christ child. Maybe the humanists like Polly Toynbee ought to learn a lesson here. Why not have the same humility and curiosity and open mindedness to go on a genuine search for the truth rather than simply swallowing the easy atheism of your parents, grandparents and peers?

The foolishness of this cultural appropriation is that it make humanists like Polly Toynbee into the most outrageous of hypocrites. Christians are accused of not living up to their creed and being fake. The humanists jump into the Christian carol service, picking and choosing what bits of Christmas they like and dress up this blatant hypocrisy and cultural smash and grab as being intellectually honest, brave pioneers. In so doing they add a monstrous self righteousness to their hypocrisy.

The end point of course, is that it will all fizzle out. The celebration of Christ’s birth without Christ is a birthday party sans the birthday boy. What’s the point? How much longer can a society generate seasonal good cheer based on no more than shopping, tinsel, Santa Claus and mince pies? The atheist humanists blame Christian Christmas for being a historical fiction–a magical fairy tale dreamed up by the early Christians. They have no time for angels, magic stars leading exotic wizards on a long trek, but they smile indulgently at singing snowmen, flying reindeer and an exotic fat elf who makes a global trek every year cramming goodies (and himself) down everyone’s chimneys. Yes, yes, I know they don’t believe in Santa Claus, but those stories which are obvious fantasy tales are all that is left when the Lord Jesus is slaughtered.

Did I say the atheist humanists were Grinches stealing Christmas? I take it back. They are more like Herod the Great who tried to kill the Christ Child.