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Santa Clause
- Thread starter jtroth
- Start date
Cheers Photini and thanks for the full story of St Nicholas I learnt a lot and will pass this on to my children and others.
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Rubbish Raterus,
It isnt lying It is roll playing a fantasy, as I have previously said my Kids soon sussed out what was going on.
In fact it is a good lesson. It teaches kids to be a bit more sceptical and questioning about the world.
I would like them to come to thier faith at the end of a real and honest search. Not just because i tell them it is the truth.
Can you only have fun at Christmas by throwing out your cultures traditions and isolating your children from the rest of the world?
It isnt lying It is roll playing a fantasy, as I have previously said my Kids soon sussed out what was going on.
In fact it is a good lesson. It teaches kids to be a bit more sceptical and questioning about the world.
I would like them to come to thier faith at the end of a real and honest search. Not just because i tell them it is the truth.
Can you only have fun at Christmas by throwing out your cultures traditions and isolating your children from the rest of the world?
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"your arguments could easily be used to put down Jesus' use of parables."
Not at all.
In His teaching from nature, Christ was speaking of the things which His own hands had made, and which had qualities and powers that He Himself had imparted. In their original perfection all created things were an expression of the thought of God. The earth is now marred and defiled by sin. Yet even in its blighted state much that is beautiful remains. God's object lessons are not obliterated; rightly understood, nature speaks of her Creator.
Christ had truths to present which the people were unprepared to accept or even to understand. For this reason also He taught them in parables. By connecting His teaching with the scenes of life, experience, or nature, He secured their attention and impressed their hearts. Afterward, as they looked upon the objects that illustrated His lessons, they recalled the words of the divine Teacher. To minds that were open to the Holy Spirit, the significance of the Saviour's teaching unfolded more and more. Mysteries grew clear, and that which had been hard to grasp became evident.
Jesus sought an avenue to every heart. By using a variety of illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers. Their interest was aroused by figures drawn from the surroundings of their daily life. None who listened to the Saviour could feel that they were neglected or forgotten. The humblest, the most sinful, heard in His teaching a voice that spoke to them in sympathy and tenderness. And He had another reason for teaching in parables. Among the multitudes that gathered about Him, there were priests and rabbis, scribes and elders, Herodians and rulers, world-loving, bigoted, ambitious men, who desired above all things to find some accusation against Him. Their spies followed His steps day after day, to catch from His lips something that would cause His condemnation, and forever silence the One who seemed to draw the world after Him. The Saviour understood the character of these men, and He presented truth in such a way that they could find nothing by which to bring His case before the Sanhedrim. In parables He rebuked the hypocrisy and wicked works of those who occupied high positions, and in figurative language clothed truth of so cutting a character that had it been spoken in direct denunciation, they would not have listened to His words, and would speedily have put an end to His ministry. But while He evaded the spies, He made truth so clear that error was manifested, and the honest in heart were profited by His lessons. Divine wisdom, infinite grace, were made plain by the things of God's creation. Through nature and the experiences of life, men were taught of God.
Not at all.
In His teaching from nature, Christ was speaking of the things which His own hands had made, and which had qualities and powers that He Himself had imparted. In their original perfection all created things were an expression of the thought of God. The earth is now marred and defiled by sin. Yet even in its blighted state much that is beautiful remains. God's object lessons are not obliterated; rightly understood, nature speaks of her Creator.
Christ had truths to present which the people were unprepared to accept or even to understand. For this reason also He taught them in parables. By connecting His teaching with the scenes of life, experience, or nature, He secured their attention and impressed their hearts. Afterward, as they looked upon the objects that illustrated His lessons, they recalled the words of the divine Teacher. To minds that were open to the Holy Spirit, the significance of the Saviour's teaching unfolded more and more. Mysteries grew clear, and that which had been hard to grasp became evident.
Jesus sought an avenue to every heart. By using a variety of illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers. Their interest was aroused by figures drawn from the surroundings of their daily life. None who listened to the Saviour could feel that they were neglected or forgotten. The humblest, the most sinful, heard in His teaching a voice that spoke to them in sympathy and tenderness. And He had another reason for teaching in parables. Among the multitudes that gathered about Him, there were priests and rabbis, scribes and elders, Herodians and rulers, world-loving, bigoted, ambitious men, who desired above all things to find some accusation against Him. Their spies followed His steps day after day, to catch from His lips something that would cause His condemnation, and forever silence the One who seemed to draw the world after Him. The Saviour understood the character of these men, and He presented truth in such a way that they could find nothing by which to bring His case before the Sanhedrim. In parables He rebuked the hypocrisy and wicked works of those who occupied high positions, and in figurative language clothed truth of so cutting a character that had it been spoken in direct denunciation, they would not have listened to His words, and would speedily have put an end to His ministry. But while He evaded the spies, He made truth so clear that error was manifested, and the honest in heart were profited by His lessons. Divine wisdom, infinite grace, were made plain by the things of God's creation. Through nature and the experiences of life, men were taught of God.
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Raterus
He Slices! He Dices!
! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ?super slug said:
Are you a christian? If you are I'd seriously re-examine your faith if you believe lying to your child is good way to teach them to be more sceptical and questioning the world. It's great if "Santa" is coming from someone else, you can teach them that way, but as their parents, we must not conform to this world!
If you're not a christian, then Christmas can be exactly what you want it to be.
Christmas is very over-commercialized in my opinion, and I think even I overlook it's true meaning and significance. I do know it's true meaning, but other things get in its way.
--Michael
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feral
Dostoyevsky was right
Why would you lie to your children and present them a fictional story about someone to believe in? I hear many parents in stores threatening their children that Santa won't bring them gifts if they misbehave. Why bother? Buy your child presents if that's what you're about and say they are from you, not some fictional fat wacko flying around in a sled and holding stranger's children on his lap. 
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Is playing a fantasy, lying to my children. My children must be more inteligent than most, because they know the score, we have a good laugh about it all (read my previous posts on this thread).
We can use the commercialism of Christmas and the Story of St Nicholas / myth of father christmas to bring some very important truths to our children.
We can talk about generosity, we can talk about keeeping our eyes on the Lord, we can talk about our need to love and care for those on the margins of society.
But we cant use the commercialism of chiristmas as a bad example or santa as a good example if we do not let them see it.
We give our children some gifts from us but the 'big one' for example will come from 'santa'. They know it is from us but they get the message that perhaps it is good to give without expecting thanks.
Christmas is a great time in our house, we celebrate the coming of jesus, with all the traditional trimmings, the pagan youle log, the christmas tree, lots of food and drinks, dancing singing, playing games. But we go to church, pray with our children and let them know that not everyone in the world can enjoy this celebration with as many of Gods blessings than we are able to have.
I am sorry but what bit of our christmas is God going to be displeased with.
We can use the commercialism of Christmas and the Story of St Nicholas / myth of father christmas to bring some very important truths to our children.
We can talk about generosity, we can talk about keeeping our eyes on the Lord, we can talk about our need to love and care for those on the margins of society.
But we cant use the commercialism of chiristmas as a bad example or santa as a good example if we do not let them see it.
We give our children some gifts from us but the 'big one' for example will come from 'santa'. They know it is from us but they get the message that perhaps it is good to give without expecting thanks.
Christmas is a great time in our house, we celebrate the coming of jesus, with all the traditional trimmings, the pagan youle log, the christmas tree, lots of food and drinks, dancing singing, playing games. But we go to church, pray with our children and let them know that not everyone in the world can enjoy this celebration with as many of Gods blessings than we are able to have.
I am sorry but what bit of our christmas is God going to be displeased with.
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jayswife29
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Well since you asked.... When my kids were little, we celebrated Christmas, Santa and Kris Kringle too. When we lived in Germany Kris comes on the 6th of Dec and the children leave a shoe outside the door Kris then delivers a sweet or a stick depending on how you have behaved, on Christmas Eve we baked and decorated a birthday cake for Jesus and celebrated the blessings of the holidays and how blessed we are that He came into the world. My children are grown now and we still love the beauty of the lights and the tree and all the wonderful carols and hymns that the holidays bring. I think it's how you go about talking to your children that counts, we are a very close knit family and we enjoy spending the day with each other. Jesus does want us to make Him first in our lives but I believe He also knows that we celebrate Because OF Him not in spite of Him.
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lucaspa
Legend
I haven't read all the thread, but let me throw my 2 cents in about this. Yes, Christmas is about Christ's birth. However, isn't Jesus supposed to be all about being totally unselfish? Committing the ultimate sacrifice so that others can live?jtroth said:
Well, when you buy presents and put the name of Santa Claus on them, what are you doing? You are making yourself totally anonymous. You are giving a present not so your child will love you or thank you or think you are generous. After all, they have no idea the present is from you! So, by having "Santa" bring presents you are giving for the sole purpose of making the kid happy; nothing for you beyond that. Unselfishness. Just the happiness of seeing the looks on their faces when they open the presents. That's all the reward you are going to get. At least until the little white lie is exposed. But what's the problem of teaching kids to give for the sole purpose of giving, not for a reward?
Yes, you do have to avoid the whole commercialization that Santa can represent, but you have to do that anyway. (Hint: either keep the TV off during November/December or tape the shows you want so you can fast forward thru the commercials, avoiding the commercialization.) So Santa can't be an unlimited giver. But then, there are always limits on what you can give, and get.
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Tami
Your friendly neighborhood FUNdie at your service!
We don't celebrate Santa Claus at our house because it's a lie and lying is a sin. St. Nicholas was a real person but he's dead now and in Heaven. He doesn't fly around in the sky every Christmas Eve and bring toys to all the good little girls and boys. To tell a child that he does, is a lie. It's not fantasy. It's a lie. That's why we don't tell our kids that Santa brings them presents. We let them know that they are from us. We don't tell them about the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny either because those are lies, too. Our kids still love the holidays and don't feel deprived of anything.
Tami
Tami
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I grew up doing the Santa Claus bit too and have decided to pass it along to my daughter. I also am teaching her about St. Nicolas. His feast is celebrated on 12/6 by the Catholic Church. There is little known evidence of his ancestry or of his life, except for the fact of his episcopacy. The best known story of St. Nicholas is his charity towards a poor man who was unable to provide gifts (dowries) for his three daughters of marriageable age. Without a dorwy, a girl had little chance of marrying. Rahter than see the firls forced into prostitution, Nicholas put gold coins in a small bag and tossed the bag through the open window of the girls bedroom. When they awoke the next morning a bag of gold was discovered in one of their shoes. (This is also a tradition among Catholic Germans who now put candy in the shoes of children on the Eve of 12/5). This generous act was repeated by the bishop 2 more times, thus enabling all 3 daughters to be married.jtroth said:I am wanting to see what others think about Santa Clause. I grew up with doing the whole Santa Clause bit but also knowing the true meaning of Christmas. But my husband never did the Santa Clause bit in his family and not that it really bugs me but yet it does becaue he is saying that wehn we have kids we won't be doing the Santa Clause bit at all. To me I feel that you can do both as long as you emphasize on the true meaning of Christmas. To me it builds imagination with kids and we let them imagion other things so why not this?
Just wanting to see what others feel, and say about it.
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faith177
growing
I agree tammy we took it out along time ago because it just did not feel right to me, and I stressed being honest with my son so much that I couldn't justify lying about this, my children are not deprived although I have been verbally attacked for taking these out even though I dont care if other people do it or not. everyone has to live their lives the way they feel they should I believe that we should always be striving to do what Jesus would have us do and that is different things at different times for different people so dont judge me for what I do and I will not judge you for what you do. I wish the world was like this.
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Tami
Your friendly neighborhood FUNdie at your service!
That has nothing to do with the topic at hand. No one is saying that fanatasy or imagination is wrong. Lying is what's wrong. Telling a kid that Santa is going to bring them presents isn't allowing the child to use his imagination. He's simply believing what his parents tell him. It's not something that he made up himself. When I read stories to my kids they know they're not true stories and if they ask me if it's a true story I tell them that it's not. I don't lie to them and tell them all the stories in the books are true. It's not fantasy or imagingation unless you clue the child in on the fact that it's not really true. It's a lie.armed2010 said:Ya, a world without fantasy and imagination would be so much better
Tami
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feral
Dostoyevsky was right
I'm all for imagination. If you want to read your kids fiction stories and encourage imagination and pretend, that's cool. But so often santa claus becomes the major focus of peoples christmas celebration when instead for believers anyway it ought to be christ. If you're secular and want to pretend there is a jolly fat man magically sliding down the chimney, okay, but it's still stupid to tell your kids it's real. If your holiday doesn't involve religion, which is the case with me, why revolve it around some elusive fellow with the power to know good and evil?
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