that mystical man in the red suit

[JerryNumbers]

How many teach their children about to watch the sky for that mystical man in the red suit? Teaching them to believe in him, yet never teaching about the One who truly will descend from the heavens one day for His own.

And I'm thinking many that call their self Christians that attends church services quite often.

[Anon]

Santa does not offend me...however its wrong in my opinion to teach children that he is real. Once they find out you were lying about Santa, they'll figure you were lying about Jesus, too.

I don't tell my kids Santa is sinful or wrong because I want them to know that lying is sin, and a bad attitude is sin....a funny guy in a red suit is not sin...it is just a silly story that doesn't really matter.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

But there are millions who will lie to their children all over the world, telling them, "Santa will be here tonight, you'd better go to bed" or "Look what Santa left under the tree for you."

The truth is, it isn't just "a silly story." The devil is very crafty. The similarities between the man in the red suit and Jesus Christ are astounding, to say the least.

The devil has given to the world "another Christ". One that bids the children to come to him just as Jesus calls children to Him. (Matt. 19:14) One that wears a red suit to imitate the robes of Christ dipped in blood. (Rev. 19:13) One that lives in the North just as God does ( Ps. 48.2) One that has white hair like Jesus (Rev. 1:14) One that is omniscient like Jesus.

This man in the red suit is praised by millions of children all over the world, and many of those promoting him are professing to be Christians. Lying to their children with no sign of remorse whatsoever.

Hebrews 12:8-10 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

No remorse for lying? No chastisement? God's Word reveals they are not His sons at all who are without chastisement.

[LindaR]

Here is a link to the best sermon I have heard on Santa Claus by James Knox, pastor of Bible Baptist Church in DeLand, FL:

Santa Claus

[quinkie]

I am in my late 60's. When I was a child, there was 1 man in a santa suit that would be at a certain department store for about 1 week. I was told that Santa would bring me a present. And when I found out that there was no santa, I did not feel crushed. I did not feel I had been lied to. He was not what Christmas was built on, he was an accessory, like the tree. The tree was not the major thing about Christmas. Christ was.
Christmas has gotten so commercialized, it lasts from Halloween til New Years. Now santa is a major thing. The toys are a major thing. The gifts are a major thing. It was not like that when I was growing up.

[no name joe]

Santa was "real" when I was a child, and I, nor any of my brothers or sisters thought the story of Christ was false when we learned Santa was not real. Santa is a fun game to play with children. It is so magical to them. He visited our house this year.

The danger is in making Chritmas just about gifts and not about the celebration of the birth of Christ. We went to our Christmas Eve service and went through Advent leading up to Christmas preparing our hearts for the celebration of the birth of Christ, so Chrit is central to it all. But gifts and Santa and all of that is just plain fun.

They know the difference.

Edited December 27, 2011 by kindofblue1977

[Pastor Matt]

According to Scripture, is the principle of telling a lie to your children ever justified?

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Not that I can see, Brother Matt.

A lie is a lie is a lie. It can never be the truth.

The man in the red suit is a perpetual lie. One that continues in people's hearts year to year.

Paul admonished the Romans with a question as to whether they should continue in sin, with a resounding "God forbid!"

Paul said once he became a man, he put away childish things.

Should we be teaching our children a lie? Does not this teach them that lying is OK? The Word of God tells us to "Buy the truth and sell it not." Sadly, many would rather perpetuate the lie than truth.

[no name joe]

Santa Claus is not a lie. It is a game of imagination. God gave us creativity and imaginatinos. My girls love Disney movies, and when we went to Disney World, they fully believed the princesses were real. They are children, and having fun and using those imaginations are a large part of the fun of childhood.

I understand and respect why some do not do Santa, but do not see those who do are participating in sinful behavior. It is fun. It is imaginative. It part of the magical time of childhood. They will outgrow Santa and his games, as they will outgrow Disney princesses, or my youngest daughter at age two loves Spiderman. It i all fun and games. I will not take away the magical times of childhood, as they will outgrow that soon enough. In fact, I am a child at heart, so I will participate and join in the fun. Santa Claus is adults entering into the imaginative world of children. It is a way adults can see the world as a child again and see the world through a child's eyes.

Playing games of imagination or games of pretend is in no way lying. My 2 year old daughter is contantly saying she is Eugene (the prince from Tangled), or Dora, or Spiderman. Is she lying to me when she says that? No. She is simply using her imagination.

Edited December 27, 2011 by kindofblue1977

[Anon]

I won't lie to my kids....They know there is no Santa, no tooth fairy, no Easter Bunny.

I just don't want to tell them Santa is "wicked" because to me, if they put "Jolly St. Nick" they see around this time of year into the same category as, say, other things we call "wicked" like rock music and cursing...well...someday they might say "Santa Claus isn't wicked so maybe rock music and cursing isn't really wicked, either."

Thus, again, we will not lie to our children. Santa Claus is NOT wicked...it is a fairy tale story, that is all. I want my kids to know the difference between a fairy tale, and something that is sinful that is not allowed in our home.

[Pastor Matt]

If it is not a lie, then why the BIG secret?

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Fairy Tale? Is that what they call lies nowadays?

[LindaR]

From the Way of Life Encyclopedia: CHRISTMAS

With the toleration of Christianity under Constantine, both December 25 and January 6 became Christianized feasts (Christmas and Epiphany, respectively). Symbols, originating largely from classical or Teutonic-Celtic paganism, such as lights, greenery, and special foods, gradually became associated with Christmas, as did St. Nicholas, whose feast on December 6 had been a time for giving gifts, especially to children" (New 20th-Century Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, pp. 181,182).

All of these things can still be observed in some pagan religions. For instance, in Hinduism, there is a festival of lights in early winter that features bright lights, special foods, the giving of gifts, the alleged visitation of a goddess who bestows blessings on those who are good, etc.

The Santa Claus observance is a Roman Catholic/pagan myth. The Catholic Pocket Dictionary of Saints has this to say about "Saint" Nicholas: "His popularity, already great, increased enormously in the West when his relics were brought to Bari in 1087, and his shrine was one of the great pilgrimage centers of medieval Europe. He is the patron of storm-beset sailors (for miraculously saving doomed mariners off the coast of Lycia), of prisoners, of children ... which led to the practice of children giving presents at Christmas in his name and the metamorphosis of his name, St. Nicholas, into Sint Klaes, into Santa Claus by the Dutch. It should be noted though that the figure of Santa Claus is really non-Christian and is based on the Germanic god Thor, who was associated with winter and the Yule log and rode on a chariot drawn by goats named Cracker and Gnasher" (Dictionary of Saints, pp. 369,370).

We don't have to reject every social pleasantry of the Christmas season, but God's people are plainly warned to beware of philosophy, the tradition of men, and the rudiments of the world which are not after Christ (Col 2:8). Christmas can be a pleasant social holiday, and there is nothing wrong with such things; and I see nothing wrong with remembering the wonderful birth of Christ, so long as the emphasis is not on His birth but on His death, burial, and resurrection.

At the same time, we reject the paganism and the Catholicism of the occasion. Our children have never believed in Santa Claus; we have never had Santa's image in our home. I believe that is idolatry. My wife was talking recently with a Hindu woman who thought that the Christian's God is Santa Claus, and that Santa Claus had a son who is the Christian's Savior. Sadly, for many professing Christians, that is probably close to the truth; because they glibly and mindlessly follow such pagan traditions.

Santa Claus is much more than a fairy tale or a game of imagination....he is a lie and a substitute for Jesus Christ Edited December 27, 2011 by LindaR

[JerryNumbers]

Santa Claus is not a lie. It is a game of imagination. God gave us creativity and imaginatinos. My girls love Disney movies, and when we went to Disney World, they fully believed the princesses were real. They are children, and having fun and using those imaginations are a large part of the fun of childhood.

I understand and respect why some do not do Santa, but do not see those who do are participating in sinful behavior. It is fun. It is imaginative. It part of the magical time of childhood. They will outgrow Santa and his games, as they will outgrow Disney princesses, or my youngest daughter at age two loves Spiderman. It i all fun and games. I will not take away the magical times of childhood, as they will outgrow that soon enough. In fact, I am a child at heart, so I will participate and join in the fun. Santa Claus is adults entering into the imaginative world of children. It is a way adults can see the world as a child again and see the world through a child's eyes.

Playing games of imagination or games of pretend is in no way lying. My 2 year old daughter is contantly saying she is Eugene (the prince from Tangled), or Dora, or Spiderman. Is she lying to me when she says that? No. She is simply using her imagination.

Is there really a man in a 'red suit' that travels around the world on Christmas delivering presents?

Of course not, so its a lie & your trying your best to justify that lie, doing so you have to stretch the lie even more. I believe you can leave out adult entertainment.

[no name joe]

Is there really a man in a 'red suit' that travels around the world on Christmas delivering presents?

Of course not, so its a lie & your trying your best to justify that lie, doing so you have to stretch the lie even more. I believe you can leave out adult entertainment.

Well, he certainly visits our house. I'm not sure how having fun and participating in childhood imagination is a lie.

I certainly can see how some can see Santa Claus as taking away from the celebration of the birth of Christ. That is a very valid concern. However in my house, Santa and gifts are all fun and games and the emphasis is clearly on Christ.

However, saying Santa is a lie is just ridiculous. Santa is like a fairy tale. Of course there are not princesses and talking animals, and girl who shrinks when she drinks the tea, following a rabbit down a rabbit hole, and Santa Claus or the tooth fairy. However, they are fun and games that children love. I don't go to great lengths to say Santa is or is not real, or whether Spiderman is or is not real, or whehter Snow White or Repunzal is or is not real. I tell the stories, and let them have fun. With Santa we set out cookies and milk and he left a doll house and ate the cookies. When she gets old enough, she will know Santa is a fairy tale, and that is great as it is part of the growing process. My two year old will learn that she is not Spiderman and cannot shoot webs from her hands, but it is ok that she thinks she can right now.

If you want to attack Santa Claus on the basis of him taking away from the true meaning of Christmas, that is fine, and you can have a valid point. However, to say Santa is a lie is ridiculous. I understand you may have valid concerns about Santa. But a lie? Really?

So would you take away all fairy tales since they are not true and real? All works of fiction? Are they all lies as well. Good grief, Charlie Brown. Heck, I guess you would take away Christmas all together since its origins are Catholic.

My point is I fully understand concerns about santa and kids getting reality and fantasy mixed up, though I respectfully disagree with that. We could have a good discussion on that point. But calling Santa Claus a lie is just plain silly.

I guess your comment about adult entertainment was about my comment of fathers and mothers entering into the imaginatinos of children. There is nothing but good from doing that. Getting into an imaginary world of a son or daughter is one of the most fantastic blessings that God gives us. It is a time of incredible joy and bonding with a child. It is a time to laugh together, to have fun together, to joke, and to play. It is times like those that I will remember when my girls are grown and out of the house. I will always remember her preparing cookies and milk for Santa, and my 2 year old shooting me with a web because she is Spirder man, or my girls prancing through the house in a princess dress with the other one being a prince, while I am the bad guy trying to get them. If fairy tales and pretending and make believe with children is a lie, then I will just always be a liar, whether it be Santa, or princesses, or Spiderman, or what not.

So if you want to disucss your meritorious concerns about Santa, then great. But if not, then you can just call me a liar, because that is what I will always be if it means making children laugh and have fun. Edited December 27, 2011 by kindofblue1977