Should we let our children believe in Santa?

[Greg_N]

From a Catholic natural law perspective, lying is always wrong, even if not always gravely so.

Oh come on. Are you trying to argue that a person’s life has been blighted because their parents told them Santa Claus existed and then a few years later told them the truth?

I found out the truth from another adult, not my parents. I was absolutely shocked that I had been lied to; I felt rightfully betrayed. I would even go as far as to defend my belief in Santa amongst class mates who denied him.

I’m sorry, but this is not harmless fun.

Why is it that militant atheists (i.e. Richard Dawkins) love to promote their hate fueled views by contrasting Santa Clause with a belief in God?

How can you sit there and tell me this is harmless?

Once again, from a Catholic natural law perspective, lying is always wrong, even if not always gravely so.

 

[Brendan_64]

How can you sit there and tell me this is harmless?

Because it is harmless. It’s a bit of fun that increases the excitement for children at Christmas.

Until I came on this thread I have never, in my entire life, met come across anyone who thinks that telling children that Santa exists is harmful.

As for your upset as a child in learning the truth about Santa. So what? You’ll get over it. There are plenty of disappointments in life much greater than that. If that ranks as one of the most disappointing moments in your life then you must really have lived a very charmed life indeed.

 

[Frank_Drebin]

I’m not trying to make you lose sleep over it and I’m not trying to make you feel like a bad person. You seem very very defensive about this, so clearly I have come across antagonistically as if I am trying to attack you. I am very sorry for that and I assure you that that is not at all the case.

No, I find it repetitive since the topic comes up every so often around here, but little offends me short of attacking the RCC. No worries my friend.

 

[Frank_Drebin]

Because it is harmless. It’s a bit of fun that increases the excitement for children at Christmas.

Until I came on this thread I have never, in my entire life, met come across anyone who thinks that telling children that Santa exists is harmful.

As for your upset as a child in learning the truth about Santa. So what? You’ll get over it. There are plenty of disappointments in life much greater than that. If that ranks as one of the most disappointing moments in your life then you must really have lived a very charmed life indeed.

Some people find it damaging to their children, others do not. I’d say leave it at that. The insistence on it being a bad idea is much stronger and vociferous than the “it is harmless” crowd," of which I am a member.

I do have my doubts however as to whether or not those opposed do a routine examination of conscience and are honest about how often most people technically lie a lot more than they want to admit. Perhaps that is just me. But people opposed to the Santa story tend to focus on the lies they personally find more serious, and gloss over the seemingly innocuous ones as they perceive them. See again things like things we say to our spouses or children as examples I gave.

 

[RACJ]

There is no better metaphor for God than Santa, IMO, someone who gives you things that you haven’t earned, just b/c you are special enough by just being you. Because of this, the child is taught to be thankful, and civility and morality is expected from the child in return. Rob

 

[Della]

Believing in Santa is no different from believing, in the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny or any one of the gods - most people get these stories from their parents and as children we believe them. I was told about Santa et al, but there was never any proof and I see them as just stories. Santa is the biggest part of christmas, IMO, for kids - I say let them enjoy it and thee innocence of it while they can

Well, even the mythologies of the pagan gods contain truths good for us to believe and uphold. I think many modern people misunderstand mythology, what is it, and more importantly, what it isn’t. And there’s a difference between a true event told in mythological language and a myth created by men to tell a truth.

St. Nicholas was a real person upon whom the myth of Santa Claus was built. In the case of St. Nicholas what we know of him has been related in mythological language, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t exist and didn’t do miracles or good deeds, he did those things but we only have stories about him not historical records to go by.

Santa Claus, as we think of him in America, is strictly a myth–but one that still tells us truths, such as the joyfulness of giving, the merriment of celebrating Christ’s birth, the happiness of getting gifts even if you don’t really deserve them (such as the graces God gives us in spite of our imperfections), etc.

I have no children, but I’ve thought about what I’d tell them I had had them and still haven’t decided if I’d tell them the Santa myth and the story of St. Nicholas or just about St. Nicholas. I’d hate for them to miss out on the fun of waiting for Santa that I had as a little girl with my brothers and sister. And, I don’t consider it “lying” to relate the myth of Santa. I think each parent has to gauge whether or not his children would benefit from keeping the Santa myth alive for them.