Christmas is a cultural celebration, but for many it’s also a religious holiday, which creates a tension between the secular world represented by Santa, and the religious element embodied by the baby Jesus.
That tension became too much to bear for pastor and Repent Alaska leader David Grisham, who thinks he’s on the losing side of the War on Christmas. The self-described “Christian evangelist” went to a Christmas wonderland place called Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, and, as kids waited in line with their parents to meet Santa Claus, Grisham went way too far and told them that Santa isn’t real.
Grisham uploaded a video of his little adventure.
https://www.facebook.com/david.grisham.58/videos/1924222870927831/
“I wanted to tell you kids today too that Santa Claus does not exist. Santa Claus is not real,” Grinchy Grisham said. “The man you’re going to meet today is a man wearing suit like a costume and it’s make-believe. It’s not real.”
Parents feeling the rage — and kids feeling sadness and confusion — tried their best to ignore Grisham as we went on and on, determined ruin Christmas for children and toddlers. He added that “there are no reindeer, flying reindeer.” Eventually, a Santa Claus House employee through him out, but he kept yelling about how Santa isn’t real on his way out.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Grisham did this kind of thing. Last year, he went to Amarillo, Texas, and told kids Santa isn’t real and got yelled at by a bunch of angry dads. One year he staged a thing where Santa got shot by a firing squad. Clearly, Grisham is a hateful man, and the Southern Poverty Law Center agrees, labeling his Repent Amarillo organization a hate group.
Unsurprisingly, Grisham’s decision to spoil Santa for so many was not widely supported. Even his own Facebook followers turned on him. Merry Christmas!