It's more "make believe" then lying I would think. When my son was younger I used to tell him all sorts of fairy tales and stories for his entertainment and edification. If I read Aesop's fables to my son to teach him some of the lessons found therein would I be "lying" to him because none of those stories took place in any historical sense?
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"Only love overcomes the fragmentation of human nature."
St Maximus the Confessor
"For one who loves transforms all that he loves into himself, while one who hates loses even what he has. One who loves belongs to the loved one while one who hates does not even belong to himself. "
Really people some of you need to lighten up, let children be children. I did not think my parents were lying to me when I found out about Santa.
Lucky you.
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Don't mess with Yoda!
"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done.""
-C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (emphasis mine)
"You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul."
-Chef at the beginning of Ratatouille
Really people some of you need to lighten up, let children be children. I did not think my parents were lying to me when I found out about Santa.
Originally Posted by Godschild87
Lucky you.
I think beardedad's experience is more typical than lucky. I don't know any children, either in my generation or my children's, who upon finding out the truth about Santa, felt betrayed or that parents who lied to them or questioned their faith or the Bible (as some have said will happen). I think there must be more going on in a family if the end of the fantasy of Santa causes a major trust issue. Santa just happens to be the last in a long line of things or the easiest target to point at without addressing the real issues.
Godschild, if you felt that the fantasy of Santa caused a problem with you being able to trust your parents, then I'm sorry for you. But how many more pass from believing to not believing in a man in a red suit with a sack of gifts with no issues at all? Santa is relegated to the bookshelf of childhood next to Cinderella, the Frog Prince and the Three Bears and will soon be joined by Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and all the other things that make childhood fun.
__________________ "If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." Galations 5:15
"...a vice does not lose its nature, though it becomes ever so fashionable" -John Wesley
"To study too much in retreat can become an inexcusable indulgence. It behooves us to share what we have learned, to practice in administering to others what we have gathered from our experience with books" -the Brother Superior of the Glauxian Brothers of the Northern Kingdoms
I think beardedad's experience is more typical than lucky. I don't know any children, either in my generation or my children's, who upon finding out the truth about Santa, felt betrayed or that parents who lied to them or questioned their faith or the Bible (as some have said will happen). I think there must be more going on in a family if the end of the fantasy of Santa causes a major trust issue. Santa just happens to be the last in a long line of things or the easiest target to point at without addressing the real issues.
Does it have to be a major problem to be an issue? And if it doesn't cause a major problem but has the potential to, should it still be done? Will it be talked about openly?
Godschild, if you felt that the fantasy of Santa caused a problem with you being able to trust your parents, then I'm sorry for you. But how many more pass from believing to not believing in a man in a red suit with a sack of gifts with no issues at all? Santa is relegated to the bookshelf of childhood next to Cinderella, the Frog Prince and the Three Bears and will soon be joined by Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and all the other things that make childhood fun.
How do you know there are no issues at all? Are you in their heads?
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Don't mess with Yoda!
"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done.""
-C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (emphasis mine)
"You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul."
-Chef at the beginning of Ratatouille
I was one of those children, who upon finding out Santa was not real, mistrusted my parents from then on. And since when is it "okay" to lie? Does Scripture not say that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire (Relevation 21:8)? Whether a child is damaged by this deception is secondary at best. The real issue is the perpetual lying being done and the foolish justification to protect those lies. Here's my problem with this lie: First, Santa is assigned the Divine quality of Omniscience, "of Knowing all things, "knowing what children have been naughty or nice.". Then Santa rewards children according to their deeds, just like JESUS does. Next Santa comes on Christmas Eve, (Dec 24) The very same night when Christians all around the world believe The Saviour was born in a manger, who is Christ The Lord. Next, parents are forced to tell more and more and more lies about Santa as their children grow older and begin to question Santa, such as "How can Santa come to our house, we dont have a fireplace?" Lies. Lies. Lies.
When is it acceptable to God for anyone to tell lies? People can justify this Santa lie all they want until Christ comes, but it is still a sin, because even a "little white lie," separates us from God. The truth is this, anyone who tells a child that Santa Claus is real is a liar. This is an article that I would like the OP to read: Christians and Santa Claus. We are suppose to be like Christ and Christ would not tell lies to appease others. I suppose I will never understand why Christian parents will look their children in the eyes and tell them a bold-faced lie about Santa being real. They can rationalize it all they want by saying "but it's all in fun," but the bottom line is that they're telling them a story that they know for a fact is completely untrue; and that, by definition, is a lie. And then they're going to try to teach their children honesty? Hypocrisy. And all for what? So that they can believe that someone other than their loving parents bought them their presents? It doesn't make any sense to me why this "tradition of man" is perpetuated by Christians.
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Warrior Bride of Christ
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Last edited by WarriorBrideofChrist; 2nd November 2009 at 05:50 PM.
I was one of those children, who upon finding out Santa was not real, mistrusted my parents from then on. And since when is it "okay" to lie? Does Scripture not say that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire (Relevation 21:8)? Whether a child is damaged by this deception is secondary at best. The real issue is the perpetual lying being done and the foolish justification to protect those lies. Here's my problem with this lie: First, Santa is assigned the Divine quality of Omniscience, "of Knowing all things, "knowing what children have been naughty or nice.". Then Santa rewards children according to their deeds, just like JESUS does. Next Santa comes on Christmas Eve, (Dec 24) The very same night when Christians all around the world believe The Saviour was born in a manger, who is Christ The Lord. Next, parents are forced to tell more and more and more lies about Santa as their children grow older and begin to question Santa, such as "How can Santa come to our house, we dont have a fireplace?" Lies. Lies. Lies.
When is it acceptable to God for anyone to tell lies? People can justify this Santa lie all they want until Christ comes, but it is still a sin, because even a "little white lie," separates us from God. The truth is this, anyone who tells a child that Santa Claus is real is a liar. This is an article that I would like the OP to read: Christians and Santa Claus. We are suppose to be like Christ and Christ would not tell lies to appease others. I suppose I will never understand why Christian parents will look their children in the eyes and tell them a bold-faced lie about Santa being real. They can rationalize it all they want by saying "but it's all in fun," but the bottom line is that they're telling them a story that they know for a fact is completely untrue; and that, by definition, is a lie. And then they're going to try to teach their children honesty? Hypocrisy. And all for what? So that they can believe that someone other than their loving parents bought them their presents? It doesn't make any sense to me why this "tradition of man" is perpetuated by Christians.
Your parents never read you a bed time story?
Did they ever explain to you that the Easter bunny doesn't really hide eggs?
Was the stork or the cabbage patch explained away as well or did you have a sit down with mom and dad at age 7 and learn about the birds and the bees?
I'm down for being honest with your children as well.
What's that got to do with letting a kid be a kid?
__________________ I'd be a atheist if it weren't for God.
Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
"Here lies an atheist; all dressed up and no place to go." Epitaph in Maryland cemetery
I tried atheism for a while, but my faith just wasn’t strong enough.
Those who go to Heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay their own way.
--John R. Rice
other "fairy tales" are just fiction and children know that. They are much smarter than we think. Santa is different since He substitutes for Jesus. what's the big deal? How do you explain the incredible rising percentage of atheists and those who don't believe in the bible???? This is just one of many falsehoods that "Christians" propagate.
__________________ When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth he either ceases to be mistaken or begins to be dishonest.
other "fairy tales" are just fiction and children know that. They are much smarter than we think. Santa is different since He substitutes for Jesus. what's the big deal? How do you explain the incredible rising percentage of atheists and those who don't believe in the bible???? This is just one of many falsehoods that "Christians" propagate.
You're blaming atheism on Santa?
When I was a kid I believed in Santa. I also knew that we were celebrating the birth of Christ.
You said, "kids are smart". If you're giving them some kind of credit to replace Santa with Jesus on their intelligences, "which doesn't make any sense" then you should be able to see that they're smart enough to understand Santa and Jesus are two totally different things.
__________________ I'd be a atheist if it weren't for God.
Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
"Here lies an atheist; all dressed up and no place to go." Epitaph in Maryland cemetery
I tried atheism for a while, but my faith just wasn’t strong enough.
Those who go to Heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay their own way.
--John R. Rice
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