‘Santa died for your MasterCard’
Man nails Claus to cross to protest commercialism of Christmas

Crucified Santa controversy


updated 4:34 p.m. ET, Mon., Dec. 24, 2007
BREMERTON, Wash. - Art Conrad has an issue with the commercialism of Christmas, and his protest has gone way beyond just shunning the malls or turning off his television.

The Bremerton resident nailed Santa Claus to a 15-foot crucifix in front of his house.

"Santa has been perverted from who he started out to be," Conrad said. "Now he's the person being used by corporations to get us to buy more stuff."

A photo of the crucified Santa adorns Conrad's Christmas cards, with the message "Santa died for your MasterCard."

The display is also Conrad's way of poking fun at political correctness. He believes people do not express their feelings because they are afraid of what other people might think.

His neighbors found the will to express their feelings this past week. Some were offended but many were just curious.

Jake Tally walked by on Friday and chuckled, but did not pretend to understand the message.

"I don't really know what to think. I know it's about God but Santa has nothing to do with it," he told the Kitsap Sun newspaper.

I actualy kinda got happy when I saw this on tv, though "santa" is not deserving to share crucixtion with my lord. Santa is evil on my humble;^]

I saw this on the news and thought it was a weird way to make his point. If people want to stop commercializing Christmas all they have to do is stop doing it to themselves. Stores do not make you buy presents, stores do not make you over spend, stores and santa are not the reason for commercializing, we do that ourselves.

My problem isn't commercialisation, as I don't believe christmas has anything to do with christ anyway. It's all the lies that piss me off;^]

Thanks for speaking on my behalf...I dont use Credit Cards...so keep your damned judgements to yourself

Just wait, a few thousand years from now the holy trinity will be God his son Santa and the easter bunny.

Awesome. Not the clearest message, but still awesome.

it's a people thing not a Christ thing.....

Sorry, but I had to smile.
I will say though, that I agree with dragoness.

I think it's a natural responce for 'most' people to want to give back. Unfortunately, so many have been raised with the idea that a gift is best bought and paid for. All the kids who have been raised with new toys under the tree, only know what they have been taught. New, gift equates to buying.

I was not raised that way. Oh, we did have plenty of new toys under the tree, but our allowance, our earning power back then, was not enough to begin to 'buy' a gift. So my mother helped us to make them. Cooking, crafts, and sometimes just offering our services on a home made coupon.

I only rarely had the money to buy nice gifts, and those were reserved for my parents. But, I would spend many months making gifts for all my little cousins.

My family is spread out, and we don't get to see each other like we did years ago. But when I make my phone calls on Christmas day, they tell me how the day's conversation always includes someones memory of a gift I gave. It may be a funny story, or a sentimental journey. But knowing that a silly hand made puppet, crocheted dragon, or a gingerbread sleigh filled with homemade cookies is the memory of a gift that has lasted as long as 30 years, is enough for me to know "what" gifts are truely appreciated. Their cost was pennies, but they were worth a fortune.

I still make most of my gifts to people, for all occasions. I just enjoy the time I spend thinking about the person while I making it.

Redy:
"..But when I make my phone calls on Christmas day, they tell me how the day's conversation always includes someones memory of a gift I gave. It may be a funny story, or a sentimental journey. But knowing that a silly hand made puppet, crocheted dragon, or a gingerbread sleigh filled with homemade cookies is the memory of a gift that has lasted as long as 30 years, is enough for me to know "what" gifts are truely appreciated. Their cost was pennies, but they were worth a fortune.

I still make most of my gifts to people, for all occasions. I just enjoy the time I spend thinking about the person while I making it."

-- The heart gifts are the best gifts