Santa Claus is blasphemous

[nickybr38]

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…

Now this is interesting. How so? I’d be curious to hear the reasoning behind this.

 

[oreoboy]

Now this is interesting. How so? I’d be curious to hear the reasoning behind this.

It’s really based on opinion… If you go to the Huffington Post you’ll see all these Jewish apologists who hate Christmas ands bash it to no end; I’ll try to find some links for you …

Personally I celebrate both Christmas and Jewish holidays because my family is mixed Catholic/Jewish but there’s a lot of Jews out there who like to have attention on the holidays so they rail on Christmas… Ignore them lol…

 

[adopted_heir]

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.

Amen. Adults are terrific at ruining things and taking things too far. I’ll let you have your Santa, if you let me have some peace about not caring to involve him (general you). I won’t horrify your kids telling them he’s a myth, and you won’t condescend to my kids trying to convince them the literal reality of a myth we don’t use. It’s cultural, unfortunately Santa has become mostly secular. He’s used to sell things. Nice as he is, he never puts the stress on Jesus’s birth unless someone works really hard against the message of the rest of the world to make that distinction, and God bless them for it. Myth is necessary to any culture, but, unlike the truth of religion and God, no single myth is necessary to every culture.

Let’s all chill out about it and not get offended. If you’re not guilty of Santa blasphemy, If you are, it’s not going to be solved by arguing online. If Santa is a ‘tool’ to express a greater truth found in the Eternal Gift born on Christmas, good for you. If he’s not, if he’s not a figure in your home, good for you, too. Find something to make Christ the center, not the periphery, with or without any myth that works in your family.

God bless.

 

[nickybr38]

It’s really based on opinion… If you go to the Huffington Post you’ll see all these Jewish apologists who hate Christmas ands bash it to no end; I’ll try to find some links for you …

Personally I celebrate both Christmas and Jewish holidays because my family is mixed Catholic/Jewish but there’s a lot of Jews out there who like to have attention on the holidays so they rail on Christmas… Ignore them lol…

Cool beans. Thanks.

 

[centurionguard]

It’s really based on opinion… If you go to the Huffington Post you’ll see all these Jewish apologists who hate Christmas ands bash it to no end; I’ll try to find some links for you …

Personally I celebrate both Christmas and Jewish holidays because my family is mixed Catholic/Jewish but there’s a lot of Jews out there who like to have attention on the holidays so they rail on Christmas… Ignore them lol…

It’s really based on opinion… If you go to the Huffington Post you’ll see all these Jewish apologists who hate Christmas ands bash it to no end; I’ll try to find some links for you …

I never bothered going to Huffington Post to read any reference to what your speaking but neither do I doubt it not to be true.

It would be interesting to hear what part Jewish apologists hate most about Christmas …the Jesus part, the Secular part or both?

The Jewish religious symbolism of Hanukkah is beautiful taken from the Old Testament in Maccabees. Is it fair to say that even amongst various Jewish sects with some being far less Orthodox/Traditional that they celebrate aspects that are more secular in nature?

If it happens in the Christian world the Jewish people would be no less affected by secularism. For Jewish apologist to blame such secularism on the Christian/Catholic religious observance of Christ-mas is absurd.

Every Catholic has to sift out the secular influences to humbly find the true meaning of Christmas.

 

[oreoboy]

They just don’t like the Jesus part… I’m talking only the hard core Jewish apologists who unfortunately think everyone and everything not Jewish as anti-semitic…

Heck according to these same people I’m anti-semitic for not being an Orthodox Jew lol…

 

[pismopal]

You have my permission to get rid of Santa Claus and all his helpers. Get back to me when your mission is complete.

 

[Matrix_Refugee]

Ditto. It is a strawman that comes out every year. Hey, I think the OP has some good ideas that he can apply to his family. For me and mine, we are still awaiting Santa’s arrival down the chimney. At six, I think my son is about to catch on and this may be our last year. Blasphemy, though? Ridiculous. The good thing about being Catholic is that we have a Church that can help us to understand what sin is, and what sin isn’t. Santa Claus isn’t on the Church’s naughty list.

Amen, brother. If anything, having a sense of the fantastic can actually help bolster a person’s faith. Josef Pieper wrote as much in his short book. "Leisure, the Basis of Culture. If anything, I’ve found that the people who weren’t allowed to read fairy tales and fantasy or who didn’t have Santa Claus as part of the family mythos as a kid end up with a shakier sense of faith as adults.

Methinks the OP took it hard when they discovered that Santa as such isn’t real…

 

[Neildown]

This is just another example of people being oversensitive in our socially-coddled society. No offense. I contend that Santa Claus is actually a very good teaching tool. You may contend that it teaches children to distrust their parents or God - I contend that it teaches children to think for themselves. Children aren’t supposed to be expected to believe everything that comes out of their parents mouths without some sort of proof or reason - Santa Claus emphasizes this. When they find out Santa isn’t real it kind of helps something click - it shows them that they need to find things out for themselves. You see this even before they find out its fake - who hasn’t been determined at least one time in their childhood to see if he really would come down a chimney, eat the cookies, and leave some presents?

I could go on and on about this but I’ll just leave it at that for the moment.

 

[oreoboy]

This is just another example of people being oversensitive in our socially-coddled society. No offense. I contend that Santa Claus is actually a very good teaching tool. You may contend that it teaches children to distrust their parents or God - I contend that it teaches children to think for themselves. Children aren’t supposed to be expected to believe everything that comes out of their parents mouths without some sort of proof or reason - Santa Claus emphasizes this. When they find out Santa isn’t real it kind of helps something click - it shows them that they need to find things out for themselves. You see this even before they find out its fake - who hasn’t been determined at least one time in their childhood to see if he really would come down a chimney, eat the cookies, and leave some presents?

I could go on and on about this but I’ll just leave it at that for the moment.

There’s another thread out here about Santa being Satan

 

[nickybr38]

This is just another example of people being oversensitive in our socially-coddled society. No offense. I contend that Santa Claus is actually a very good teaching tool. You may contend that it teaches children to distrust their parents or God - I contend that it teaches children to think for themselves. Children aren’t supposed to be expected to believe everything that comes out of their parents mouths without some sort of proof or reason - Santa Claus emphasizes this. When they find out Santa isn’t real it kind of helps something click - it shows them that they need to find things out for themselves. You see this even before they find out its fake - who hasn’t been determined at least one time in their childhood to see if he really would come down a chimney, eat the cookies, and leave some presents?

I could go on and on about this but I’ll just leave it at that for the moment.

And those children who are traumatized rather then helped by this are…? Just slow? Mentally imbalanced? You might want to amend that Santa Claus CAN be a very good teaching tool… depends on the child, the family situation, etc. But lack of Santa Claus won’t hurt a child either so choose whichever you feel is best.

 

[Neildown]

There’s another thread out here about Santa being Satan

Which is strange, because I would picture Satan as the guy who bursts through a window or door, or creeps out of the basement.

 

[oreoboy]

And those children who are traumatized rather then helped by this are…? Just slow? Mentally imbalanced? You might want to amend that Santa Claus CAN be a very good teaching tool… depends on the child, the family situation, etc. But lack of Santa Claus won’t hurt a child either so choose whichever you feel is best.

The point they was trying to make that a panic stricken moral crusade against Santa Claus isn’t the best approach either

 

[Neildown]

And those children who are traumatized rather then helped by this are…? Just slow? Mentally imbalanced? You might want to amend that Santa Claus CAN be a very good teaching tool… depends on the child, the family situation, etc. But lack of Santa Claus won’t hurt a child either so choose whichever you feel is best.

Well, I’ve never actually HEARD of a case where a child was “traumatized” by the fact that Santa doesn’t exist, but regardless of whatever factors led to these children being “traumatized” I feel quite sorry for them, as there are a lot worse things to cry about that can happen in the world. But yes, it CAN be a good teaching tool - provided the parents know how to use it correctly.

 

[tafan]

And those children who are traumatized rather then helped by this are…? Just slow? Mentally imbalanced? You might want to amend that Santa Claus CAN be a very good teaching tool… depends on the child, the family situation, etc. But lack of Santa Claus won’t hurt a child either so choose whichever you feel is best.

If some kid is traumatized about Santa, you likely found a family who did not have a balanced approach to Christmas celebrations, that would be my guess. As I can not imagine discovering the truth about sNta traumatizing my little girls right now, nor did it any of my older kids, nor any kids in any family we are close to.

Will a lack of Santa hurt a child? Who knows? But I feel sorry for a kid who has no wonder or awe in their life, be it Santa or something else, at a young age.

 

[nickybr38]

If some kid is traumatized about Santa, you likely found a family who did not have a balanced approach to Christmas celebrations, that would be my guess. As I can not imagine discovering the truth about sNta traumatizing my little girls right now, nor did it any of my older kids, nor any kids in any family we are close to.

Will a lack of Santa hurt a child? Who knows? But I feel sorry for a kid who has no wonder or awe in their life, be it Santa or something else, at a young age.

My situation really isn’t a good example. I come from a home of abuse. We had no Santa but we had no joy period.

However, despite all of the abuse, despite all of the sadness, we still found wonder, awe and fantasy. We didn’t need anyone to help us find that. We didn’t need anyone’s stories. We didn’t need any adults at all. We found it all on our own.

To this day I find myself awed over the simplest things.

Just saying, kids don’t need Santa to find awe, wonder and joy. I would think they only need Christ and the story in the manger for that. So don’t feel sorry for kids who grow up without Santa. Feel sorry for kids who grow up without Christ.

PS: I suppose what gets my goat is that people seem to insinuate kids NEED Santa to find happiness during Christmas and that’s not true… but I suppose that’s not what you guys are trying to say… is it?

 

[tafan]

It most certainly is not what we are saying. Neither did I say kids need Santa to find wonder and awe in the world.

We are doing two things, trying to explain why Santa is not a lie, which has been claimed over and over, refuted with several arguments, which have largely been ignored by those claiming it is a lie. All that happens is the claim of Santa being a lie is repeated.

The second point, which has been made in various ways by multiple posters is the defense of Santa from what I would call a catholic cultural tradition .

 

[adopted_heir]

People sure are heavy on insisting that either having Santa or not having Santa will damage children and rob them of a beautiful life experience. I think grownups are putting a lot more importance on it than it really deserves. If it’s supposed to be lighthearted good fun, the mace-waving and accusations kind of put a damper on that. Having Santa at Christmas will not by itself alienate your child from religion, or make him somehow better than a non-Santa kid. Not having Santa at Christmas will not by itself scar your child for life. Don’t know if the last few posters have noted, but Santa is not the only myth–just the strongest and most distracting this time of year. We don’t have Santa in my house, not because he’s blasphemous or will warp their sense of God, but a) it’s a lie (or myth) that doesn’t, in my eyes, justify its own use. I can get the same moral out of the story of Christ alone, and the gravity of the issue doesn’t warrant an elaborate hoax. B) Despite the efforts of well-meaning parents, Santa does distract from what’s going on at Christmas–the birth of Christ–by blinding little kids with visions of toys.

That being said, I don’t believe in defacing Santas or attacking mall Santas or ruining your tradition of using the Santa myth. If you believe the myth has a real application and you embrace the ‘spirit of Santa’ at Christmas, my feelings aren’t hurt. But please know that my children, even though they are not Santa-adherents, read plenty of stories and have live, wonderful imaginations; they are not ignorant or denied Santa, they just know he is pretend and they’re okay with that–they pretend a lot of things; they are more than exposed to the goodness of giving and charity, even without Santa showing them how.

As far as Santa being a lie, well, in my understanding of the word, much of the Santa tradition revolves around telling an elaborate lie to children. Sorry if that hurts feelings, but Santa is a fictionalized character with fictional attributes and fictional cohorts. If Santa is the word or personality you attach to the concept of giving, and as such is a ‘living’ personality, I can perceive a difference. As a literal, breathing person who actually lives at the North Pole and who actually hand-delivers gifts (that I buy) and is kind of creepy, watching you day and night and keeping track of all you do, and presenting him as literal truth is a lie in my understanding. Trying to convince someone of something that is not true is a lie. Anthropomorphism of a concept into a personage is a myth, not a lie as such. But in this case, they overlap in application.

Lying to kids is part of being a parent. But as the parent, you get to pick which lies you get to embrace, and which ones to skip.

 

[mark_a]

I don’t even have to go into the fact that most of the imagery surrounding Santa Claus is Pagan in origin. That’s nothing but a cheap shot. There’s so many other reasons to hate Santa. Also, I am in no way against the blessed Saint Nicholas, he was a good guy. I’m not talking about an olden day saint who gave toys to poor children who had nothing, I’m talking about the guy in a red suit with elves and magical reindeer.

First off, it’s nothing but a blatant lie. I don’t care how much people try to butter it up by calling it childhood innocence. What is that supposed to mean anyway? It is nothing more than a lie, pure and simple. You’re telling them something that you know good and well is not true, sounds like a lie. Just to go into the further illogical-ness of it, many parents are upset when the truth is exposed. Many tiptoe around the subject when kids are around, like it’s something sacred. It’s nothing but a lie people! Parents shouldn’t be mad somebody told their kid the truth. Oh, and just like real lies, it requires more and more lies to keep it going. Best example: Telling kids that mall Santas are Santa’s helpers when kids get smart enough to realize Santa can’t be at every mall every Christmas.

Second, Santa takes away the main focus of the holiday, which is Jesus. Christmas has become a secular holiday, for the most part. And no, calling them “Christmas Trees” instead of “Holiday Trees” doesn’t help. That whole “Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays” is trivial and stupid, they’re nothing but words. Christmas has become secular all on its own, as it has essentially become national gift giving day, with almost no religious conotations to it at all. Santa has almost completely replaced Jesus.

And many conservatives try to blame liberals/atheists on the seculariation of Christmas. Nope, you guys did that all on your own. Let’s see, you took your religious holiday, purposefully removed all the religious symbolism, and replaced it with Santa, deer, elves, etc. You then essentially demanded the holiday take center stage in American culture, knowing full well that not all of America was Christian. And now they’re mad because they’ve essentially lost their holiday. No, you didn’t lose it, you gave it away and have only yourselves to blame.

Third, it’s stupid. OK, not a sin, but a valid point still. Go through the trouble of getting your child a Christmas present, and then giving credit to a guy who doesn’t even exist for no apparent reason. What a bizarre custom.

Fourth, it sends kids a horrible message. I saved the worst for last, as there are two bad messages Santa sends children. The first being that it’s OK to lie to people. I’ve already explained how Santa is a lie with my first point. The second message is its ties to religion. Let’s see, let’s convince our children that there’s an old guy with a beard. Even though you’ve never seen him or met him, he will reward you if you’re good. Hmm, sound famliar? There’s a reason atheists call God “Santa for adults”. Also, kids usually learn about God and Santa from the same source (their parents), so when one is found to be false, why should they believe anything their parents say about God? The fact that this blatant lie is also centered around one of the biggest Christian holidays doesn’t help matters either.

I’m not trying to say God is as fake as Santa. What I’m saying is that teaching your kids about Santa makes them more likely to doubt God.

Although I’m not as anti-Santa Claus as you are, I have always told my kids the truth about Santa, while allowing them the fun of pretending. Even if others are able to convince my kids about the modern-day version of Santa Claus, the kids do actually one day come to realize that I didn’t lie to them.

Why am I this way? I had a 12 year old nephew pull me aside at a family Christmas gathering and ask if Santa is real.

 

[Buck_Crosswhite]

When I was 6 my older brother woke me up and showed me our parents getting gifts out of the trunk of the car and said there’s your Santa Claus. I was a little disappointed, but then I realized our parents loved us.