Torn...

[Khasilooluv]

Well, I have an afterschool class of 36 Kindergarteners... I'm also in school with a major in Education so that I can teach my own class one day.

In the mean time, I have a question. We know that one of God's commandments is to not lie, but around holiday time what about when the kids ask about Santa or the Easter bunny? I respect that fact that not everyone's family's in the classroom is Christian and its against school rules to bring up religion anyways.

So when I tell the kids that Santa will come visit them or the Easter bunny left eggs in the play yard how do I get around that? It is almost infectious to participate in holiday traditions at school but I will knowingly be breaking the commandment.

How do I deal?

 

[Sketcher]

I wouldn't lie to the kids about them. I personally think we could do without them anyway. My belief in Santa actually made it harder for my parents, because if they wouldn't get me something because they couldn't afford it, I'd just let them know I'd ask Santa for it. And this went on, year after year.

 

[asiyreh]

On the one hand the histories of these traditions are pretty blood soaked to state the matter lightly. Filled with occult underpinnings.

One the other hand we celebrate the traditions under the banner of Christ's birth and resurrection.

It's a choice; you must choose.

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Col 2

 

[Prosper4Him]

We must be careful what holidays we choose to participate in as well..

Deuteronomy 12:29-32 (NIV)

The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

 

[Peripatetic]

It's a delicate subject. The best way to respect the families' wishes in this area and to preserve your honesty might be to refrain from initiating conversations about Santa or the Easter Bunny. If you're asked a question, you can always suggest that the kids ask their parents.

 

[paul1149]

It may be the kind of thing that taking a stand on would do more damage than not. If you look at the Biblical story of Naaman, the healed Syrian leper, you'll find that Elisha gave him an exemption for performing a pagan ritual that was part of his duties back home. Perhaps there's a way to participate more passively, and also mention that not everyone celebrates the same traditions if they ask.

 

[tturt]

Could you just put the ball in their court by asking what does your parents say?

 

[preachingofthecross]

It may be the kind of thing that taking a stand on would do more damage than not. If you look at the Biblical story of Naaman, the healed Syrian leper, you'll find that Elisha gave him an exemption for performing a pagan ritual that was part of his duties back home. Perhaps there's a way to participate more passively, and also mention that not everyone celebrates the same traditions if they ask.

I like this, I've done a similar thing around Christmas before when in conversation with family. I will 'turn ' the conversation from Santa and suchlike onto the original story and then the original story of stories.
Use it as an occasion to preach to them.

Somthing like, saying the following,

..............& of course santa was just made out of a true story....... he was invented because st.Nicalous ( nice images of the orthox icons they have in the web )

He was a very nice old man who helped local villiagers get gifts when he converted to Christianity after being a really mean old man...... You can also then go on to say and he was a man who copied a story that is true about our God Jesus Christ who used to feed both bad and good little children fish and bread loaves when they were hungry out on the hillside, a long time ago.... the way st Nic and the Lord provided for others is a lot like Santa does but in Santas case he isnt real/// and just leave it at that. #But if you have interest you could go on and talk about how the man who fed the 4000 loaves is still alive as he came back from the dead after they killed him all those years ago and then you might find in 10 years one of those kids might remember what you said and grow up into a good Christian. I myself had the parables taught me in school and now I am the only Christian in my family! so Godbless your efforts!

Just remember to make Jesus Christ the center and you cant go far wrong

 

[Khasilooluv]

Thank you all for your wonderful advice!