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Swiss_Guy
Guest
I guess Iâll become a heretic too.All of what you mentioned is mortally sinful and should be avoided at all costs.
Troll alert going off.
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Sailor_Kenshin
Guest
There are genuine battles worth joining for God and country, rather than taking on a popularized image of an actual saint, and mis-defining the term âblasphemy.â
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Rascalking
Guest
My friend, Iâll happily join you guys on the road to hersey!I guess Iâll become a heretic too.
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Rascalking
Guest
Iâm âbitterly clingingâ to my belief in Santa!There are genuine battles worth joining for God and country, rather than taking on a popularized image of an actual saint, and mis-defining the term âblasphemy.â
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Robert_in_SD
Guest
Love this statue. We have a copy of it in our living room every Christmas. Santa comes to my house every Christmas, and will continue to do so. My children also attend CCD classes, and see no dichotomy between Jesus and Santa. You can have both at Christmas, as long as you teach your children not to lose sight of the real reason for the Holy Day. I ask my children why Santa picked this very special night out of all the others to give gifts to the children of the worlds, and to them the answer is obvious - itâs because âChristmas is Jesusâs birthday.â They get it. Santa reinforces the importance of the birth of the Savior in a way that sinks into kids minds. It is our job as parents not to let Santa supplant the real meaning. But that does not necessarily require throwing out the idea of Santa Claus.
Peace,
Robert
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kbf1970060
Guest
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus
sj-r.com/top-stories/x1282421386/First-modern-Santa-being-re-created-at-presidential-museum
baic.house.gov/historical-essays/essay.html?intID=5&intSectionID=33
judiciary.house.gov/hearings/March2007/Tichenor070330.pdf
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nast
Nastâs portrayal of the modern Santa Claus, rooted in Saint Nicholas, and his Germanic roots, existed to the favor of Union troops and therefore, bore a resemblance to Uncle Sam. Although, it was The Republican Party, that heralded abolition, many blacks left: when policies became racially opposed to blacks. Therefore, many blacks became Democrats. Through Abraham Lincolnâs era anti-Catholicism prevailed, âThe Bible Riotsâ, killing 20, and burning down more than 100 schools, and homes, in Philadelphia, PA â Republican Party bigotry â under ânativismâ in opposition to Catholicism. The Republican Party originated a number of secret societies, and conspiracy theories, in opposition to Catholicism. Santa Claus â based on Saint Nicholas â nonetheless opposed Catholicism to the favor of Nastâs Germanic Protestant views, portraying of course, Santa Claus as a Union member favoring hostility against Catholics. Santa Claus is more of Catholic origin; nonetheless, Santa Claus is a bigoted anti-Catholic Republican. That being said, it is in the past; additionally, the word âblasphemyâ with respect to Santa Claus, may be appropriate.
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Swiss_Guy
Guest
someone is anti-Republican.
Republicans arenât anti-Catholic any more (luckily). In fact (sadly) Democrats are more anti-Catholic now.
So I suppose the fact that santa is fat and jolly and all that in other countries is because they are âanti-Catholicâ. btw Germany isnât anti-Catholic, even in the Protestant areas in northeastern Germany. Traditionally the Reformed, not the Lutherans, were more anti-Catholic. And Germany is more Catholic. And santa claus as we know him has origins in the Dutch Sinterklaas, who has origins in Saint Nicholas.
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TarkanAttila
Guest
**
Exactly.**
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John21652
Guest
I can hear the Easter Bunny comingâŚ
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jfmarm81
Guest
I can hear the Easter Bunny comingâŚ
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ruslan
Guest
My Easter basket is ready!
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Catholic90
Guest
Excellent!!I can hear the Easter Bunny comingâŚ
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adopted_heir
Guest
Wait, what?! A weather condition is mortally sinful? How again is taking a quiet stroll and listening to wildlife something that âshould be avoided at all costs?âAll of what you mentioned is mortally sinful and should be avoided at all costs.
Troll alert going off.
Come on. The issue has been discussed, by all sides and all extremes. Get off it, people, and try to enjoy the last nine days of Christmas.
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Rascalking
Guest
UmâŚre-read my post. What I said was clearly tongue in cheek. I donât think any of it is mortally sinful.
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stanczyk
Guest
Despite all the anger on the part of people who see nothing wrong with Santa Claus, I still havenât seen a rational explanation for it.
Why is it acceptable to lie to children to get them to believe in certain kinds of magic, like elves and flying reindeer? Whatâs the difference between flying reindeer and, say, a flying broomstick?
This is just a socially acceptable form of lying to deceive children into believing in magic, all the while running the risk of overshadowing Christ.
So we have lying, magic, and materialism all rolled into one. Why defend this absurd tradition?
Why is it acceptable to lie to children to get them to believe in certain kinds of magic, like elves and flying reindeer? Whatâs the difference between flying reindeer and, say, a flying broomstick?
This is just a socially acceptable form of lying to deceive children into believing in magic, all the while running the risk of overshadowing Christ.
So we have lying, magic, and materialism all rolled into one. Why defend this absurd tradition?
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Catholic90
Guest
A flying broomstick does not exist!
Again, Santa is not a lie! He is very real. Very real. And his generosity points to Christ - why canât you see that!
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Tantum_ergo
Guest
oh for heavenâs sake. must we always have blanket generalizations thrown at us with absolutely NOTHING to support them but a personâs use of rhetoric and thinly veiled hostility during a time that should be filled with goodwill?
I must have missed the memo that said, "peace on earth to all of good will. . .unless of course they have at any point in time uttered the words âSanta Clausâ without following it with âThat wretched heretical conspiracy of evilâ in which case they have committed the unforgiveable sin. . .
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jfmarm81
Guest
Everybody has their own opinions, and I donât really see either side convincing the other. I suppose you could say that telling our children that there is a Santa is lying, but then again, telling my wife a certain dress doesnât show off a few extra holiday pounds when it does is lying as well. If lying is lying, then I guess I shouldnât tell my son that he writes his name well when he doesnât yet.
Personally, I have never met a person who lost their faith in God when they found out Santa wasnât real. I have never met a child who doesnât know that Jesusâ birth is the reason for Christmas. Even my 4 year old son, who was super excited for Santa, also knew what Christmas is all about. He knows that without Jesus, there would be no Christmas, and heâs just 4.
To me, there just seems to be a difference between Santa, who we discuss for maybe a month or two a year, and Jesus, whom we talk about and pray to daily. Going to Church and seeing the Sacrifice on the altar every week is much different than telling our kids to go to bed super early one night or else Santa wonât come to the house.
Do stores blow Christmas out of proportion and secularize it to no end? Of course they do. Do we go overboard buying gifts for one another? On ocassion- I know we did this year. But as I said in an earlier post, Santa is one more mere manifestation of love. Much like a bedtime story has morals- Santa has a moral. The very idea of Santa helps kids know that you can believe in something you canât see. Much like as adults, we believe in Jesus and the Resurrection though we havenât put our hands through his side or put our fingers into the nail holes.
The very idea of Santa, when used properly, is a learning tool to bring people closer to God, not drive them away. Because Santa IS real. Iâm Santa. Other parents are Santa. Am I a jolly fat man in a red suit? Though I could lose a few pounds
, the answer is no. But I am Santa. Santa, as an idea, exists. And he is a wonderful way to bring people closer to Jesus.
Now, I am sure that some parents put too much emphasis on the reindeer and Santa, and not enough on Jesus, but that isnât Santaâs fault. Thatâs the fault of the parent. Noone that I have seen posting here falls into that category, but Iâm sure there are some out there in the real world. I just donât think that that justifies Santa being blasphemous. And someday, when my children stop believing in Santa as a man with a beard and red suit, I trust that the teachings my wife and I have been instilling in them about Christ and God will lead them deeper into their faithâŚ
Besides, if I tell them there is no Santa, they might not think that Peter Pan exists either, and I donât have the heart to tell them Neverland isnât realâŚ
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!
Personally, I have never met a person who lost their faith in God when they found out Santa wasnât real. I have never met a child who doesnât know that Jesusâ birth is the reason for Christmas. Even my 4 year old son, who was super excited for Santa, also knew what Christmas is all about. He knows that without Jesus, there would be no Christmas, and heâs just 4.
To me, there just seems to be a difference between Santa, who we discuss for maybe a month or two a year, and Jesus, whom we talk about and pray to daily. Going to Church and seeing the Sacrifice on the altar every week is much different than telling our kids to go to bed super early one night or else Santa wonât come to the house.
Do stores blow Christmas out of proportion and secularize it to no end? Of course they do. Do we go overboard buying gifts for one another? On ocassion- I know we did this year. But as I said in an earlier post, Santa is one more mere manifestation of love. Much like a bedtime story has morals- Santa has a moral. The very idea of Santa helps kids know that you can believe in something you canât see. Much like as adults, we believe in Jesus and the Resurrection though we havenât put our hands through his side or put our fingers into the nail holes.
The very idea of Santa, when used properly, is a learning tool to bring people closer to God, not drive them away. Because Santa IS real. Iâm Santa. Other parents are Santa. Am I a jolly fat man in a red suit? Though I could lose a few pounds
, the answer is no. But I am Santa. Santa, as an idea, exists. And he is a wonderful way to bring people closer to Jesus.Now, I am sure that some parents put too much emphasis on the reindeer and Santa, and not enough on Jesus, but that isnât Santaâs fault. Thatâs the fault of the parent. Noone that I have seen posting here falls into that category, but Iâm sure there are some out there in the real world. I just donât think that that justifies Santa being blasphemous. And someday, when my children stop believing in Santa as a man with a beard and red suit, I trust that the teachings my wife and I have been instilling in them about Christ and God will lead them deeper into their faithâŚ
Besides, if I tell them there is no Santa, they might not think that Peter Pan exists either, and I donât have the heart to tell them Neverland isnât realâŚ
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!
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stanczyk
Guest
Thankfully, there is no such thing as an unforgiveable sin. Moreover, I have never claimed to judge the sins of another, merely pointed out the facts that Santa Claus is a lie, is âmagical,â and overshadows Christ. I donât see the good in it, nor have I seen so much as an attempt at a logical counter argument. The best the pro-Santa crowd can muster is a facile Santa Claus-magic and lies are OK. âNot really magic and lies at all. Not like those other magic and lies. Santa Claus is a good lie, right? Itâs good magic, not like that other magic, the bad kind.âoh for heavenâs sake. must we always have blanket generalizations thrown at us with absolutely NOTHING to support them but a personâs use of rhetoric and thinly veiled hostility during a time that should be filled with goodwill?
I must have missed the memo that said, "peace on earth to all of good will. . .unless of course they have at any point in time uttered the words âSanta Clausâ without following it with âThat wretched heretical conspiracy of evilâ in which case they have committed the unforgiveable sin. . .
Well, sorry if Iâm not convinced by these non-arguments and appeals to emotion. You folks need to apply a little logic to the situation and see the Santa Claus tradition for what it is. Lying, magic, and materialism that overshadows Christ.
Is it a sin? Itâs not for me to judge. Neither myself nor any of the sensible people in this thread have suggested that they are in a position to judge sin. Sin is between God and the sinner.
Is Santa Claus a lie? Yes. To lie is to tell a falsehood with the intent to deceive another into believing it. Intent is not a factor. Lies are lies, regardless of good intent.
Is the whole fiction of Santa Claus based on magic? Yes. This is pretty obvious; everybody admits to this one. Whatâs keeping those reindeer up in the air? Magic. How is that any different than a ouija board? I know I certainly wouldnât go around trying to deceive children into thinking they can contact the dead with a ouija board, so why is it ok to deceive children into believing reindeer can fly, or that elves make toys? If somebody can provide me an answer to this question I may reconsider my position, but I donât see this happening. Itâs one of those things where people just do think about it. The only difference between Santa Claus-magic and other sorts of occult magic is that one is socially acceptable in the west and the other is not. But just because something is socially acceptable doesnât mean itâs ok. People need to apply a little critical thought.
Does Santa Claus overshadow Christ? Absolutely! This one is also a no-brainer. Christmas shouldnât be about getting gifts and materialism. People say that atheists are the ones trying to take the Christ out of Christmas, but they donât need to, we have already done it for them.
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Catholic90
Guest
There is a very good reason Santa lives at the North Pole â that is the native habitat of the Flying Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus volaris.* Without these unique creatures Santa could not make it around the world to deliver presents.* While there are many flying animals who could help Santa pull the sleigh, reindeer have the advantage that they are already well adapted to extreme cold because they live in Arctic regions.* This allows them to fly very high and take advantage of the thinner atmosphere to go quickly.
Lift
The Flying Reindeer have co-opted normal ruminant anatomy to achieve lift.* Ruminants like cows have four stomachs to help them break down grass and especially cellulose.* However, in areas where reindeer live they have had to switch their diet because of the very sparse vegetation.* Much of Scandinavia was covered by glaciers in the last ice age which scoured away the arable soil, leaving very old crystalline rocks.* These rocks support lichen, the main diet of the reindeer.* The lichen is also breaking down the rocks, which contain many mineral deposits including iron, copper, nickel, zinc, silver and gold, and the reindeer eat large amounts of metals along with their normal food.* Metals react with acid, including stomach acid, to produce hydrogen gas, and when they want to fly the Flying Reindeer collect and store this gas in another of their stomachs which is able to greatly enlarge.* Hydrogen is of course lighter than air, and allows the reindeer to lift in the same way as Zeppelins did.
Movement
Once in the air, the reindeer need to move forward.* They do this by taking advantage of a cold weather adaptation, their thick fur coat.* The Flying Reindeer have developed the coat on their legs to be extremely thick and long, with dense matted inner fur and long smooth guard hairs as an outer layer.* This configuration allows their legs to act as oars or paddles and they can ârowâ through the air.
Light
The Flying Reindeer has another advantage for Santa, although technically it is not the reindeer but their food.* Many of the lichens the reindeer eat are phosphorescent, which means they glow in the dark.* In winter reindeer find their food by using their noses to push aside the snow covering the lichens.* This means they are rubbing their noses across the lichen and many small glowing particles get stuck to their nose and muzzle.* The effect looks as if their nose is glowing and allows them to see at night.
science-at-home.org/how-do-reindeer-fly/
Lift
The Flying Reindeer have co-opted normal ruminant anatomy to achieve lift.* Ruminants like cows have four stomachs to help them break down grass and especially cellulose.* However, in areas where reindeer live they have had to switch their diet because of the very sparse vegetation.* Much of Scandinavia was covered by glaciers in the last ice age which scoured away the arable soil, leaving very old crystalline rocks.* These rocks support lichen, the main diet of the reindeer.* The lichen is also breaking down the rocks, which contain many mineral deposits including iron, copper, nickel, zinc, silver and gold, and the reindeer eat large amounts of metals along with their normal food.* Metals react with acid, including stomach acid, to produce hydrogen gas, and when they want to fly the Flying Reindeer collect and store this gas in another of their stomachs which is able to greatly enlarge.* Hydrogen is of course lighter than air, and allows the reindeer to lift in the same way as Zeppelins did.
Movement
Once in the air, the reindeer need to move forward.* They do this by taking advantage of a cold weather adaptation, their thick fur coat.* The Flying Reindeer have developed the coat on their legs to be extremely thick and long, with dense matted inner fur and long smooth guard hairs as an outer layer.* This configuration allows their legs to act as oars or paddles and they can ârowâ through the air.
Light
The Flying Reindeer has another advantage for Santa, although technically it is not the reindeer but their food.* Many of the lichens the reindeer eat are phosphorescent, which means they glow in the dark.* In winter reindeer find their food by using their noses to push aside the snow covering the lichens.* This means they are rubbing their noses across the lichen and many small glowing particles get stuck to their nose and muzzle.* The effect looks as if their nose is glowing and allows them to see at night.
science-at-home.org/how-do-reindeer-fly/
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