Santa Claus and your children

[Russell Roberts]

I think Santy claus is a clever attempt by the left wing liberal media to replace God with a man in a red suit. Let's think about this for a second.

Who could actually visit ALL the children in the world in one night? Only someone who is omnipresent.

Who could actually know which children had been good or bad?

Only one who is omniscient.

Who could reward children for being good and punish those who were bad?

Only one who is omnipotent.

It's really genius if you think about it. Who better to replace God than a fat man in a red suit with a long white beard and a pointy hat with a ball of cotton on top?

I think Santy is satanic and if you celebrate Christmas you are going to hell. As for me, I'm just dumb enough to believe the scriptures that plainly tell me that all liars and idolators (TREE worshippers) are going to hell.

[Shellie]

I don't think children should be allowed to pretend. After all, isn't that kinda like lying to ones self - endangering the child to the eternal torture of hell. All Liars DO have their place in hell. Doesn't lying to yourself in the form of pretending damn people to hell?

Why do you have to be so aggressively agitative about our responses? Neither Poimen or myself have come across as what you have tried to play here. I just don't get it.

[fezzik]

Fezzik -

Do you isolate your children from books, videos and TV that present a fantasy world? The Little Mermaid doesn't exist, you know, so is it a lie to allow kids to enjoy the imaginary character? How about talking fish? Nemo can't REALLY speak.

No isolation from those things, but telling my kid, "This is from Santa" seems to be a bit more of a stretch of reality than letting him or her watch The Little Mermaid. I'm pretty sure they know the difference between TV and reality - or they soon will - but telling them Santa came through the chimney and brought a bag of presents seems like a long stretch for me.

Plus, I would prefer to hear my kid say, "Thanks Dad" instead of "Thanks Santa." I also don't like the idea of telling them that they better be good, Santa is watching! That goes beyond having a creative imagination and goes into some level of disception in my opinion.

[fezzik]

I think Santy is satanic and if you celebrate Christmas you are going to hell. As for me, I'm just dumb enough to believe the scriptures that plainly tell me that all liars and idolators (TREE worshippers) are going to hell.

A lot of people here have read your posts and responded with thoughtful, serious, prayerfully minded answers. Why do you insist on making a mockery of this discussion with your failed attempts at humor?

[Russell Roberts]

Feezick,

I guess whether an attempt at humor is a 'failed attempt' would be in the minds of those who read what I wrote. What I said was not mean-spirited. It was said in jest. If, in my 'failed attempt' at humor I hurt someone's feelings, I apologize.

[Brian]

Why do other people always worry so much about what other people do or don't do? I understand that feezik may have an honest inquiry into the subject but too many of us are so concerned about what others are doing that it isn't funny. It's no one's business if I teach my kids that Santa is real and that he comes down the chimney and has a sack of gifts or that he eats the milk and cookies zack left for him.
I don't need the credit as the gift giver just yet. I enjoy the bright smile on his face when he see's what he believes Santa has brought him. And you better believe that I milked it for all I could when I told zack that we were gonna tell Santa for him being bad. shameful as it may be... I even said I had Santa's cell number and I whipped my phone out a few times.

I am not advocating lieing, but please stop taking yourself so seriously.

[ImaPK]

Why do other people always worry so much about what other people do or don't do? I understand that feezik may have an honest inquiry into the subject but too many of us are so concerned about what others are doing that it isn't funny. It's no one's business if I teach my kids that Santa is real and that he comes down the chimney and has a sack of gifts or that he eats the milk and cookies zack left for him.
I don't need the credit as the gift giver just yet. I enjoy the bright smile on his face when he see's what he believes Santa has brought him. And you better believe that I milked it for all I could when I told zack that we were gonna tell Santa for him being bad. shameful as it may be... I even said I had Santa's cell number and I whipped my phone out a few times.

I am not advocating lieing, but please stop taking yourself so seriously.

APPLAUDING VIGOROUSLY!!!!!

[Pastor Gary]

...please stop taking yourself so seriously.

This is what happens when we read the Bible as a list of rules and not as a narrative of God's love for us, and his desire to be in fellowship and relationship with us.

[oletimer]

Russell Roberts wrote

I think you should make it a point to crush their imaginations. Don't let them believe in Santy claus like the other kids, or the tooth fairy or dragons or dwarfs.

Then stress all the stuff that will make them go to hell like drinking a beer or having long hair or, God forbid, letting their own children believe in nonsense like santy clause.

I think that's a fun idea. Bring them up in the FEAR and admonition of the Lord. I stress the fear part. After all, we have an Angry, hateful God ready to pour out his wrath if we slip up and sin.

Russell when it comes to imaginations, I don't know anybody on Jude-2 nor any where else and wheither you mean it in jest or and the rare chance you might be serious has a greater imagination then you. Boy you ain't right.

Some of the things that you put together as if being no different then the other.

As for as Santa most kids will grow out of it by first grade, well maybe except Rambo .

[pastorables]

Saint Nicholas, a.k.a. Santa Claus, is real and very likely in heaven. From a child, we have always taught our son about the real Santa Claus and his spirit of giving. By the same, we have never tried to discourage what he chose to believe on his own about the character of Santa today. His grandparents have always had his pictures made with Santa, except for this year. He just didn't seem to desire it.

Having said this, we are able to watch him believe in Santa of his own accord and in his own way. It allows us to have a lot of fun at Christmas without ever having mislead him once concerning Santa. We have also been forthcoming when asked about other fictional characters, i.e, the tooth fairy, the easter bunny, etc...

He has made his own choice about believing in Santa, or other fictional characters, with a great understanding of reality vs. make believe. Pastor Gary is correct, there is a lot to be gleaned from allowing the "childhood magic" room to flourish in a child's life or even an adult's for that matter. We are able to do that without ever having attempted to mislead our child in anyway, yet we do play the game when he so desires.

pa

[RamboPreacher]

...
As for as Santa most kids will grow out of it by first grade, well maybe except Rambo .

next thing you know, someone is going to tell me that the backyardigans aren't real! hehheehhehe

as to the point in seriousness. several have already expressed my views.

in my past, I did go with the Santa is real for my kids. but it was all in good humor/fun. They would even seem me make the purchases or making the present, and then watch me wrap it and write that it was from Santa (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). (no, they weren't right there most of the time, they were sneaky about it, but we parents have eyes behind our ears, you know).

My mom, still writes on the gifts that they are from santa.

[Russell Roberts]

Oletimer,

If you were able to form a coherent sentence I think I would respond to that.

Kudos to Pastor Gary and Brian. That was the point of my sarcasm.

People fail to read the bible as a narrative of God's love for his creation. It is, for many, a list of rules dictated by an angry vengeful God. And just like the Pharisees, there are way too many people out there looking for someone to condemn who don't conform to THEIR OWN standard of what they consider to be acceptable behavior.

Brian said it well. It is nobody else's dang business if I teach my son about santy. If that's what it takes (condemning others because they don't look like me, smell like me, or believe exactly what I believe) to be holy, count me out.

P.S. Shellie, none of what I have said on here has been directed towards you. I actually liked your comments on the whole thread and agreed with them.

[dolfan]

We do Santa full bore at my house. "He" left a thank you note (for the cookies, carrots and milk) on MS Works on the netbook my daughter found under the tree on Christmas morning. He signed it, "S.C." That's right, she knows him that well.

We have a magic key that we hang on the front porch for him to get into the house. We tracked him on NORAD satellites online from the time he was in southern Europe, all over Africa, and until he was over the Atlantic.

Santa Claus is harmless fun. Anyone who claims they were harmed by him has far greater problems in life than learning the truth of Santa Claus. Santa gets scapegoated.

Now, do we want to criticize commercialism? Sure, let's fire away. But, as Santa is now a symbol of all that, he is no more so than the birth of Christ has been co-opted by secularists to symbolize a general "peace on earth" and overall warm fuzzy about "the holidays". We don't distance ourselves from nativity scenes even though they are marketed and sold in the run-up to Christmas.

So, whether as harmless fun fantasy or as equally exploited symbol, Santa is what "he" is and not much more. Kids usually figure out the truth intuitively before being told explicitly, and most of them giggle about having been part of the whole thing and then go on with their lives.

[Paully_44]

We do Santa full bore at my house. "He" left a thank you note (for the cookies, carrots and milk) on MS Works on the netbook my daughter found under the tree on Christmas morning. He signed it, "S.C." That's right, she knows him that well.

We have a magic key that we hang on the front porch for him to get into the house. We tracked him on NORAD satellites online from the time he was in southern Europe, all over Africa, and until he was over the Atlantic.

Same here. Our youngest is 9 and our "Santa" christmas' are nearing an end. My oldest is nearly 13. We did the same with him. But when he started asking questions and directly asked if we were Santa I did not lie. Now he is part of the Santa secret in our house.

You can go here and order a personalized letter fromSanta to your child. It is pretty cool to watch your kids eye's when they are on the receiving end on the Santa letter.

[Linda]

I just want to say that Mickey Mouse is REAL and I won't listen to anyone that tries to tell me any different!!!

We did the Santa thing until the girls grew up and ask questions. When my youngest found out, she said we had been "lying" to her all this time. Each child handles it different. To me, it's just fun, but we always stressed the true meaning of Christmas.