Christmas spirit sometimes manifests itself in the intense desire to illegally obtain a ceramic likeness of the baby Jesus. Yes, that's right -- people steal JC out of church nativity scenes.

So far in 2008, there have been several such Jesus-nappings, leading churches to take the approach of a Wellington, Fla., community center who was able to get their stolen Jesus back last year after a GPS device hidden in the figurine led authorities to the apartment of an 18-year-old woman, who was subsequently arrested for theft. Hidden cameras are also becoming more prevalent as a means to keep tabs on little lords.

Some wonder if the phenomenon has to do with anti-Christian sentiment. Authorities, however, suspect it's mostly just pranks. "Clearly, there are adults with an agenda to remove Christ from Christmas," said Mike Johnson, an attorney from the Alliance Defense Fund. "But they tend to occupy themselves with the courts and courtroom of public opinion."

Of course, if you happen to be looking to replace your stolen savior, we recommend waiting until January rolls around, when the black market price for tiny JCs bottoms out.