Santa Claus is blasphemous

[JoArtist]

I don’t think the OP understands the meaning of what blasphemy is. Here is a dictionary definition of blasphemy.
1.
impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
2.
in Judaism .
a.
an act of cursing or reviling God.
b.
pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
3.
Theology . the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
4.
irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.: He uttered blasphemies against life itself.

I really don’t think Santa fits that. I think the OP is a little extreme.

 

[adopted_heir]

It seems as if some of those who do not believe in Santa ARE the Grinch! There is hope though! Even the Grinch came around at the end!

My husband and I were talking about this last night! I asked him if I was too grinchy about Santa, since we both grew up in Santa houses but we’re not doing it with our kids. There was a commercial spot for The Big Bang Theory where Penny said, “I always tear up when the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes!” and Sheldon replied, “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a very serious condition,” and I had to laugh–I have HOCM, and yesterday was a pretty grinchy day around here. My theory is, in addition to HOCM, the Grinch is also as Aspie–note how much he hates when the Whos hold hands and sing their songs out loud and all the “noise, noise, noise, NOISE!” Sounds like touch aversion and auditory sensitivity to me! Maybe I should start wearing green makeup…

I don’t think it’s fair to blame all of one’s faith crises on Santa. That’s kind of juvenile, if I can say that in the least offensive way. (Of course the whole question is juvenile.) We don’t do Santa in our house, not because he’ll drive my kids away from the faith, but because he is a pretty strong distraction. I’m not opposed to you Santa-ing your kids, and I won’t bust their bubble, and I’m teaching my kids to respect the fairy tale, as it were, because some children don’t know he’s pretend, and that in other families, it’s okay to pretend it’s very real, just in our family, we don’t. Having an autistic child, it can be very difficult to ingrain the right message (Christmas being about the birth of our Savior) when he gets a lot more exposure from school, tv, and well-meaning family of the wrong message (Christmas is about presents and Santa).

I think it’s unfair to the kids to have Santa pushed down their throats once they figure out the myth–it belittles their intelligence and teaches them that their wisdom, what they know to be true, isn’t worth paying attention to and can be replaced by an adult who knows better telling them what they know is false. That seems like it’d be cause for loss of faith more than telling the Santa myth to begin with. Trying to force belief in a myth after it’s lost its magic is bad for the kid. At this point, like the person above said, ask if the kid would be interested in taking over the magic for the smaller kids. Of course, in our house, that won’t be an issue

As far as Santa being blasphemous, that’s kind of extreme, but it depends on the amount of emphasis a person puts on him over Christ. There are worse things in the world than a secular-Santa Christmas, but few things more ultimately pointless.

All this is, again, respecting the difference between Santa Claus and St Nicholas.

 

[tafan]

How many of you think that Genesis is a literal history of how God created the world? I dont’t, yet you would not know this from reading it, it reads like literal account if events. So was Moses lying to us when he wrote it teaching us essential truths in an allegorical manner. No, he wasn’t. He made the whole story more than true and left it up to the reader to figure out what was historical fact vs allegory.

Now, I am not comparing the fair tale of Santa to scripture, but the analogy holds. We tell how children a story, with very important truths embedded in it, and we let the listener filter out the non literal aspects with time. It is a tried and true method.

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa!!

 

[Buck_Crosswhite]

How many of you think that Genesis is a literal history of how God created the world? I dont’t, yet you would not know this from reading it, it reads like literal account if events. So was Moses lying to us when he wrote it teaching us essential truths in an allegorical manner. No, he wasn’t. He made the whole story more than true and left it up to the reader to figure out what was historical fact vs allegory.

Now, I am not comparing the fair tale of Santa to scripture, but the analogy holds. We tell how children a story, with very important truths embedded in it, and we let the listener filter out the non literal aspects with time. It is a tried and true method.

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa!!

Genesis is a real story with a lot left out.

 

[nickybr38]

How many of you think that Genesis is a literal history of how God created the world? I dont’t, yet you would not know this from reading it, it reads like literal account if events. So was Moses lying to us when he wrote it teaching us essential truths in an allegorical manner. No, he wasn’t. He made the whole story more than true and left it up to the reader to figure out what was historical fact vs allegory.

Now, I am not comparing the fair tale of Santa to scripture, but the analogy holds. We tell how children a story, with very important truths embedded in it, and we let the listener filter out the non literal aspects with time. It is a tried and true method.

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa!!

Genesis is based on a Real Story. Santa is based on a myth. There’s the difference.

 

[nickybr38]

And here we go again… I suppose the OP set the tone but it seems like there’s this whole: DON’T JUDGE ME FOR BELIEVING IN SANTA but I’m going to call you a horrible grinchy person who doesn’t understand the Spirit of Christmas because you don’t. HAH!

Gah. Sometimes the hypocrisy on these boards drives me nuts and then I think… am I turning into them too? AHHHHH!!! runs screaming from CAF

 

[tafan]

Genesis is based on a Real Story. Santa is based on a myth. There’s the difference.

Of course there is a difference. Is Santa based on a myth? I think not. Giving gifts on Christmas goes back a long, long ways.

If one knew the literal account of creation, and compared it to genesis, on could find just as many superficial differences between the it and Genesis as between Santa and St Nicholas.

If god did not create woman from a man’s rib, that is just as big of difference as St Nicholas giving a bag of gold to a needy family vs Santa giving a stuffed animal to my daughter.

Of course Genesis is much greater in importance, but that does not invalidate my analogy; unless your point is : Moses was justified in lying because of the significance in the story, and we are not because Santa is trivial.

 

[nickybr38]

Of course there is a difference. Is Santa based on a myth? I think not. Giving gifts on Christmas goes back a long, long ways.

If one knew the literal account of creation, and compared it to genesis, on could find just as many superficial differences between the it and Genesis as between Santa and St Nicholas.

If god did not create woman from a man’s rib, that is just as big of difference as St Nicholas giving a bag of gold to a needy family vs Santa giving a stuffed animal to my daughter.

Of course Genesis is much greater in importance, but that does not invalidate my analogy; unless your point is : Moses was justified in lying because of the significance in the start, and we are not because Santa Ia trivial.

sigh Moses did not lie.

Bottom line is telling children Santa is a living, breathing person who can see everything you do and who brings you presents on Christmas is a lie. Telling children God created the earth and mankind is not. How these stories are expressed is immaterial, the message beneath the story is where the lie is hidden.

 

[tafan]

For those of you who believe telling our kids Santa is real is some great evil, this is surely a very wide-spread sin, it permeates our whole culture, both the secular and religious. It goes back for centuries. Now, I can think of no other culturally ingrained sin that the Church did not at some point speak out against. So please, point me to the Papal Bull, Encyclical, Council Anathema, whatever against Santa Claus.

While you are looking for that I will give you Chesterton’s thoughts on Santa, which are the best:

*"We believed,” he wrote, that a certain benevolent person “did give us those toys for nothing. And … I believe it still. I have merely extended the idea.

Then I only wondered who put the toys in the stocking; now I wonder who put the stocking by the bed, and the bed in the room, and the room in the house, and the house on the planet, and the great planet in the void.

Once I only thanked Santa Claus for a few dollars and crackers. Now, I thank him for stars and street faces, and wine and the great sea.

Once I thought it delightful and astonishing to find a present so big that it only went halfway into the stocking. Now I am delighted and astonished every morning to find a present so big that it takes two stockings to hold it, and then leaves a great deal outside; it is the large and preposterous present of myself, as to the origin of which I can offer no suggestion except that Santa Claus gave it to me in a fit of peculiarly fantastic goodwill.

"*

 

[tafan]

sigh Moses did not lie.

Bottom line is telling children Santa is a living, breathing person who can see everything you do and who brings you presents on Christmas is a lie. Telling children God created the earth and mankind is not. How these stories are expressed is immaterial, the message beneath the story is where the lie is hidden.

Sorry, who tells children Santa is breathing? I certainly say he is living. Are not all the saints in heaven living. And how do you know, it is not St Nicholas’s prayers on your behalf to God, which gives you the graces to go out and buy that stocking stuffing for your children?

I disagree that how the stories are expressed is immaterial. I think Moses did a magnificant job telling the story of creation and the fall. Can you imagine him writing a textbook on evolution and how God directed it towards the point there was a man and woman He decided to ensoul. No, the way he told it is very material, it matters a LOT.

As to the way Santa is told, of course it is material. For you it would not be a lie if we just told stories of a Saint Nicholas who was a Greek Bishop in the 4th century. So it must be material to you. To me, it is material, because the story of Santa, as told to toddlers, helps instill in them a natural awe and belief in the supernatural. Helps to establish a mindset that the supernatural is real, and it matters.

 

[tafan]

I will say it again on this thread, I see the “anti-Santa” thoughts on a Catholic forum as curiously strange. It seems a mixture of mindset between puritanical Protestantism and the skeptic atheist.

On one hand, we should have no traditions which are not focused completely on Jesus; a logical conclusion would be to do away with family gatherings, Christmas meals, company christmas parties, etc. Of course, this has been done before, the Puritians used to take this exact same approach to Christmas and distained almost all Christmas celebrations.

On the other hand, we have no empirical evidence for Santa, so we certainly should not be telling the story to our kids as true.

And allegorical truths in a story more important than the story itself? We must deny those exist at all. Well there are two groups who do this today: fundamentalist protestants and aethiests.

Curious, I suppose this forum has a lot of converts on it. I love converts, but it is very possible they do not realize how much our protestant culture and our secular culture still affects their reasoning.

From Catholic Times : ct.dio.org/comment-and-dialogue/question-box-with-father-dietzen/catholic-author-g-k-chesterton-s-take-on-santa-claus-revisited.htmlFr John Dietzen

Call Santa Claus a myth or what you will, but in his name, parents — and all of us who give gifts at this special time of the year — are putting one another in deeper touch with the “peculiarly fantastic goodwill,” which is the ultimate source of it all. Plus, it’s fun!

 

[nickybr38]

Sorry, who tells children Santa is breathing? I certainly say he is living. Are not all the saints in heaven living. And how do you know, it is not St Nicholas’s prayers on your behalf to God, which gives you the graces to go out and buy that stocking stuffing for your children?

I disagree that how the stories are expressed is immaterial. I think Moses did a magnificant job telling the story of creation and the fall. Can you imagine him writing a textbook on evolution and how God directed it towards the point there was a man and woman He decided to ensoul. No, the way he told it is very material, it matters a LOT.

As to the way Santa is told, of course it is material. For you it would not be a lie if we just told stories of a Saint Nicholas who was a Greek Bishop in the 4th century. So it must be material to you. To me, it is material, because the story of Santa, as told, to toddlers helps instill in them a natural awe and belief in the supernatural. Helps to establish a mindset that the supernatural is real, and it matters.

I think it’s best to leave this conversation with this, otherwise we’ll be running in circles forever. Basically I reject your logic and you reject mine. That’s the end of it but:

I won’t teach my children about Santa and I won’t call you evil for teaching your children about Santa.

You teach your children about Santa and you won’t call me a grinch for not teaching my children about Santa.

And we both lived happily ever after.

 

[nickybr38]

I will say it again on this thread, I see the “anti-Santa” thoughts on a Catholic forum as curiously strange. It seems a mixture of mindset between puritanical Protestantism and the skeptic atheist.

On one hand, we should have no traditions which are not focused completely on Jesus; a logical conclusion would be to do away with family gatherings, Christmas meals, company christmas parties, etc. Of course, this has been done before, the Puritians used to take this exact same approach to Christmas and distained almost all Christmas celebrations.

On the other hand, we have no empirical evidence for Santa, so we certainly should not be telling the story to our kids as true.

And allegorical truths in a story more important than the story itself? We must deny those exist at all. Well there are two groups who do this today: fundamentalist protestants and aethiests.

Curious, I suppose this forum has a lot of converts on it. I love converts, but it is very possible they do not realize how much our protestant culture and our secular culture still affects their reasoning.

From Catholic Times : ct.dio.org/comment-and-dialogue/question-box-with-father-dietzen/catholic-author-g-k-chesterton-s-take-on-santa-claus-revisited.htmlFr John Dietzen

As a Protestant I despised Santa even more then I do now. I’m much more relaxed then I was.

I like my sister’s approach to this whole thing. She celebrates Christmas like anyone else. She celebrate Saint Nicholas’ feast day and she tells her children about Saint Nicholas and the wonderful things he did, apart from the Santa Claus myth, she leaves that out.

Her children have loads of fun because they get gifts on Saint Nicholas’ feast day AND on Christmas day. Haha. Spoiled kids.

I don’t think parents who teach their children about Santa are evil or ill-intentioned. To me it’s a lie, I think telling children about Saint Nicholas as opposed to Santa Claus is the more honest approach BUT what I think doesn’t matter!!! Each parent has to decide for themselves what’s best for their family.

I just wish people could discuss this issue without having to make things personal. ): But we’re so tied up in this culture that anyone who disagrees with it ends up being labelled puritanical, grinchy, etc. etc. etc. But we have legitimate reasons for not participating and we shouldn’t be looked down on for not participating.

And THAT is in Scripture. Do not look down on your brother for choosing not to eat the food that you are eating.

 

[tafan]

I sincerely apologize, I meant nothing personal. I wish all a very merry Christmas. Speculating on different mindsets and cultural heritages is personal, but accusing people of lying, speculating we “probably” won’t go to hell for this sin, etc. Is not personal. It does make me laugh. Again, I wish all a very merry Christmas.

And yea, there is a Santa Claus

 

[Mortification]

As a Protestant I despised Santa even more then I do now. I’m much more relaxed then I was.

I like my sister’s approach to this whole thing. She celebrates Christmas like anyone else. She celebrate Saint Nicholas’ feast day and she tells her children about Saint Nicholas and the wonderful things he did, apart from the Santa Claus myth, she leaves that out.

Her children have loads of fun because they get gifts on Saint Nicholas’ feast day AND on Christmas day. Haha. Spoiled kids.

I don’t think parents who teach their children about Santa are evil or ill-intentioned. To me it’s a lie, I think telling children about Saint Nicholas as opposed to Santa Claus is the more honest approach BUT what I think doesn’t matter!!! Each parent has to decide for themselves what’s best for their family.

I just wish people could discuss this issue without having to make things personal. ): But we’re so tied up in this culture that anyone who disagrees with it ends up being labelled puritanical, grinchy, etc. etc. etc. But we have legitimate reasons for not participating and we shouldn’t be looked down on for not participating.

And THAT is in Scripture. Do not look down on your brother for choosing not to eat the food that you are eating.

I would do it just like your sister if I had kids.

 

[CatholicFireman]

Some believe, some don’t. Saying he’s blasphemous is a little…no a LOT much. Sounds like a plant for another hostile thread with many unnecessary “deaths” (suspensions/bans/infractions/unfriending).

If you (you in general) don’t want to believe, that’s fine. But why rain on other’s parade just to prove a point? Is that productive? Is that charitable? I think not. This whole thread was nonsense (yet here I am ) from the get-go. To me Santa Claus is a catylist to the true meaning of Christmas as long as he is used this way. Christmas is Sunday. Let’s try to act appropriately.

Merry Christmas.

losing balance on soapbox and falling into a snowbank…

 

[nickybr38]

I sincerely apologize, I meant nothing personal. I wish all a very merry Christmas. Speculating on different mindsets and cultural heritages is personal, but accusing people of lying, speculating we “probably” won’t go to hell for this sin, etc. Is not personal. It does make me laugh. Again, I wish all a very merry Christmas.

And yea, there is a Santa Claus

No, you’re right. I think both sides took things a bit too far.

However, calling a lie a lie isn’t a personal attack. The speculations about your eternal destination because of this is too far.

I think people just kind of forget where the line is (myself included) and step over it at times. We could all use some lessons on debate I suppose.

 

[tafan]

You are correct, calling a lie a lie is not a personal attck, especially on a web forum written in a general way. I have not taken any thing personally; I was just contrasting the attitudes. I don’t think any of it was really taken to far, not that I have seen.

 

[oreoboy]

There are some Jews out there (I’m not one of them lol ) that think Christmas and Santa are blasphemous to the Jewish faith and are anti-semitic…

 

[centurionguard]

Two words: Naughty List

Just kidding OP. I’m glad you take the true meaning of Christmas to heart. I just don’t understand why the two things are mutually exclusive.

I do agree that the Easter Bunny is the Devil’s nephew.

Secularism and Humanism introduced by society is mixed with every Catholic Feast and observances by the Catholic Church.

Christmas, Easter, Saint Valentines Day, Halloween etc etc. The commercial secular business world will do anything to rob Christian religious observances from their true rightful spiritual meaning all for the almighty dollar.

The worst part if speaking about Santa Claus is not the innocent childhood fantasy belief in itself, its Adults who turn Christmas into something secular that has (“absolutely nothing”) to do with Santa Claus and worse nothing to do with Jesus being the Reason for the Season.

The innocent childhood fantasy Yes Virginia; there Is a Santa Claus gets a bum rap not because of childhood fantasy for its namesake, but because Adults take the secular side of Christmas to an entirely different extreme that has nothing to do with the childhood fantasy.