According to the headline on this MSNBC story, we’re all just a bunch of Scrooges. Sans the redeeming visiting spirits and a short trip to hell wrapped in chains bit. The title reads Atheists ramp up message for holidays: Humbug! Of course the actual message was nothing of the sort:

Just as the winter season is a time when major religions to trumpet their beliefs, it is also a time when atheists spend extra energy pushing back against the influence of religion in public life, especially in government. In Leesburg, Va., an atheist display depicting a skeleton in a Santa suit nailed to a cross caused a ruckus. The nonprofit American Atheists is putting up seasonal billboards calling for atheists to go public with their beliefs. And a group in Utah is taking the message to the heart of Mormonism.
“Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies,” reads a banner in one of the Santa Monica displays, quoting Thomas Jefferson.

Not sure about that Jefferson quote, there are many fakes floating around. But regardless of the origin, it’s a factually accurate statement.

In the photo I see what looks like Poseidon, Jesus, Santa, and I guess some sort of modern incarnation of Beelzebub or a senior minion. Not entirely sure on that last one. As Richard asked in comments, Hagar the Horrible maybe?

It’s funny how no one believes in Santa Claus, at least beyond third grade, yet we can all delight in the myth of Claus without getting all up in each other’s grill over the One True Way® to worship Kris Kringle, his Madonna Claus, or the sainted elves. But when it comes to the Jesus, why anyone who doesn’t believe a magic invisible sky-wizard disguised itself as human and faked its death to make us feel bad about the nature it created in all of us, why that’s beyond the fucking pale. The message sent by believers tends to be rather split-brain: no Christmas for you, you can’t have Christmas, and BTW, why the fuck aren’t you properly celebrating Christmas?