Why G. K. Chesterton Believed in Santa Claus

[Della]

Thank you for the positive responses! This is just what I’d hoped to engender with this thread. Every year someone starts “bash Santa” or “is it lying to tell my kids to believe in Santa” thread. It seems to me that such threads, although the intentions may be good, create a puritanical attitude not in line with Catholic belief/thinking. It’s very Jansenist to negate anything and everything that doesn’t have direct religious connections. If we were to do that with everything we couldn’t enjoy nature, a good joke, innocent pass times/recreation, friendships outside of our parishes, and so many other good things that God has provided for our benefit. We are not purely spiritual beings–we are body, soul, mind, and spirit. Anything and everything that lifts our hearts, minds, spirits, souls, and is good for our bodies is perfectly fine. Even occasional indulgence is good. Does not Scripture say to “delight yourselves in fatness?” (Is. 55:2c) God wants us to rejoice in all that is good–to see his bounty in our redemption and in his care for us. It is not wrong to personify such concepts. King David used such imagery in his praises of God when he asked the elements of the Earth to sing and praise God. The three young men thrown into the furnance called on all creation, inanimate things as well as men and angels, to delight in God’s goodness. Let’s remember that we are Catholics not Puritans.

 

[Millie123]

Thank you for the positive responses! This is just what I’d hoped to engender with this thread. Every year someone starts “bash Santa” or “is it lying to tell my kids to believe in Santa” thread. It seems to me that such threads, although the intentions may be good, create a puritanical attitude not in line with Catholic belief/thinking. It’s very Jansenist to negate anything and everything that doesn’t have direct religious connections. If we were to do that with everything we couldn’t enjoy nature, a good joke, innocent pass times/recreation, friendships outside of our parishes, and so many other good things that God has provided for our benefit. We are not purely spiritual beings–we are body, soul, mind, and spirit. Anything and everything that lifts our hearts, minds, spirits, souls, and is good for our bodies is perfectly fine. Even occasional indulgence is good. Does not Scripture say to “delight yourselves in fatness?” (Is. 55:2c) God wants us to rejoice in all that is good–to see his bounty in our redemption and in his care for us. It is not wrong to personify such concepts. King David used such imagery in his praises of God when he asked the elements of the Earth to sing and praise God. The three young men thrown into the furnance called on all creation, inanimate things as well as men and angels, to delight in God’s goodness. Let’s remember that we are Catholics not Puritans.

Della…
When you started this thread you said that you wanted to start a discussion about Santa…which is why I contributed to your thread. You said that you wanted a discussion about Santa. And the reason i came to your thread was to do as you asked…to discuss Santa. What you did not say in your initial post was you only wanted to hear from people who only have warm fluffy thoughts,opinions and feelings about santa. All you said was you wanted people to come on your thread and start a discussion about santa. It was only in your later post that you clearly stated that you only wanted people who are positive about Santa. When you made that distinction about what you wanted i stopped posting to your thread. Now it seems again that your intententions are again changing, and it appears from your most recent post that you’re inferring those catholic families who do not want to teach their children the mythical creature Santa Claus as being of a Jansenist and puritan attitude. I think this is ridiculous…but before I go further in my explanation as to why I think that is ridiculous…I would like to ask you are your intentions for this thread again changing? Or is your intention for this thread still only to hear from people about warm fluffy stories and feelings about Santa?

 

[Della]

Della…
When you started this thread you said that you wanted to start a discussion about Santa…which is why I contributed to your thread. You said that you wanted a discussion about Santa. And the reason i came to your thread was to do as you asked…to discuss Santa. What you did not say in your initial post was you only wanted to hear from people who only have warm fluffy thoughts,opinions and feelings about santa. All you said was you wanted people to come on your thread and start a discussion about santa. It was only in your later post that you clearly stated that you only wanted people who are positive about Santa. When you made that distinction about what you wanted i stopped posting to your thread. Now it seems again that your intententions are again changing, and it appears from your most recent post that you’re inferring those catholic families who do not want to teach their children the mythical creature Santa Claus as being of a Jansenist and puritan attitude. I think this is ridiculous…but before I go further in my explanation as to why I think that is ridiculous…I would like to ask you are your intentions for this thread again changing? Or is your intention for this thread still only to hear from people about warm fluffy stories and feelings about Santa?

I posted a link to an article about Chesterton’s belief in Santa–a positive one. How that could invite negative comments I can’t say, but it was never my intention, as I clarified when I saw the thread going that direction.

Parents can teach or not teach their kids to believe in Santa, for all I care. It’s up to them entirely. But the reasons they do or don’t shouldn’t be based on puritanical or Jansenist ideas regarding the faith, God, or human nature. That is my only point. I don’t see that as a change in direction, but rather as furthering the same thoughts already experessed.

St. Nicholas ought to take pride of place over Santa, of course. However, the spirit of Santa is the spirit of St. Nicholaus. To make Santa into the bad guy seems counter productive to me. My point is we need to thankful for all that is good in our traditional culture, which is Catholic and Christian, lest we unintentially undermine it. This does not mean we must believe in Santa or teach kids to believe in him, but rather that we should not do either for the wrong reasons.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

And what kind of excuse is that, really? Of course we know that Santa is merely a fairy tale for children. So is Peter Pan and a lot of other fictional characters I once wanted to believe were real. The essence of Santa is faith and hope and belief in more than oneself–in generousity and kindness, etc. Only someone with a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Everest could ever really make such a ridiculous claim. So, they didn’t get the pony they wanted for Christmas so Santa doesn’t exist and God doesn’t exist? Really? Pretty lame reasoning and babyish, too.

I’m with you. That makes absolutely no sense at all.

 

[tabycat]

And what kind of excuse is that, really? Of course we know that Santa is merely a fairy tale for children. So is Peter Pan and a lot of other fictional characters I once wanted to believe were real. The essence of Santa is faith and hope and belief in more than oneself–in generousity and kindness, etc. Only someone with a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Everest could ever really make such a ridiculous claim. So, they didn’t get the pony they wanted for Christmas so Santa doesn’t exist and God doesn’t exist? Really? Pretty lame reasoning and babyish, too.

I agree.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

Every child finds out that Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are not real at about the same age. This happens at about 7 or 8, which is the age of responsibility and reality. I’m sure everyone here can remember that “aha” moment when you realized that Santa Claus was actually your parents. Before that age, children are very carefree and live in a more fantastic world.

 

[Della]

Every child finds out that Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are not real at about the same age. This happens at about 7 or 8, which is the age of responsibility and reality. I’m sure everyone here can remember that “aha” moment when you realized that Santa Claus was actually your parents. Before that age, children are very carefree and live in a more fantastic world.

Yes, and Chesterton’s point, I believe, is to show children that they should transfer that sense of wonder and delight over completely to God and the good things he has given us and done for us. It’s not the fantasy that is bad–it’s trying to hang onto fantasy in and through the wrong things–the temptations of “the world, the flesh and the devil,” as Scripture puts it. All positive inclinations need the proper object for them. All those that lead back to God are innocent and good, such as Santa. I believe this is why Chesterton as an adult could say he still believed in Santa, because Santa still led him to appreciate all that God is and has done. For it is God who is truly delightful, the neverending Source of delight. We can truly be one with him as we cannot be with anyone else but who is reflected in our relationships to others, be they real or fantasies.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

Yes, and Chesterton’s point, I believe, is to show children that they should transfer that sense of wonder and delight over completely to God and the good things he has given us and done for us. It’s not the fantasy that is bad–it’s trying to hang onto fantasy in and through the wrong things–the temptations of “the world, the flesh and the devil,” as Scripture puts it. All positive inclinations need the proper object for them. All those that lead back to God are innocent and good, such as Santa. I believe this is why Chesterton as an adult could say he still believed in Santa, because Santa still led him to appreciate all that God is and has done. For it is God who is truly delightful, the neverending Source of delight. We can truly be one with him as we cannot be with anyone else but who is reflected in our relationships to others, be they real or fantasies.

Yes that makes sense. God is like a perfect Father Christmas.