These are good points brought forward, this thread is an interesting discussion! Here are some points brought about by that article which I also believe in somewhat:
Parents Have to Lie About Santa Claus
When is something a lie and when is it a fantasy? My son had no problems with fantasies.
He made up more of them then the Santa thing ever was. He used to tell me that he had a portal under his bed. When we all went to sleep he’d the portal opened up, he’d get in his space ship and fight galactic wars until it was time to get up for school. Then he’d come back. The portal let him into his room. He absolutely swore that this was real.
Do you think that a little bit of fantasy about Santa trumps the fantasies that were in this kids mind? Hardly. Santa was tame in comparison.
Today at 24, this kid does not lie about anything. He’s as honest as a person can be. All of that wild imagination has served him well… he’s getting his degree in physics and is already thinking about how to get the funding to build that space elevator that used to get his space ship up there when he was a kid. Who knows he might just do it.
Parents’ Lies About Santa Claus Have to Grow
Not really, there is a set story. The ‘growth’ that I can think of was when he asked why Santa was so unfair.. because Santa gives rich kids more than poor kids. So I told him that Santa only has a set amount to spend on each kid. The rest of the presents are from the parents. It’s the parents. So the poor kids only get from Santa sometimes… (Meaning the kids who get from charity)
Santa Claus Lies Discourage Healthy Skepticism
Don’t think so. They develop healthy skepticism on their own pretty quickly.. I doubt many kids believe beyond first grade.
Do books and movies with talking animals, flying carpets, and magic discourage healthy skepticism?
The Reward & Punishment System of Santa Claus is Unjust
Oh good Lord!! So now telling children that they need to be good in unjust? The world is unjust. And it dishes out natural consequences by the bucket load. Better that a kid learn some of this when they are young, at home with parents who protect them then they wait until they get out in real world.
The Santa Claus Myth Promotes Materialism
Santa does not make gifts the focus of the holiday. Parents might. Santa does not. A good parent puts it into perspective.
This depends on how parents teach it… if parents are materialistic the children will get that lesson. If they are not, the children will not. Is it any less materialistic for a parent to not teach about Santa but then to pile up presents under the tree? It’s the same lesson.
Nothing in the Santa story says that a child has to get more than one gift. And it does not even say that it has to be an expensive gift.
Giving gifts for Christmas predates Santa by centuries. The gift giving comes from the story of the Maggi not from Santa. A lot of you childhood was spent in countries where people never heard of Santa. They gave gifts because that’s what those Christian communities did from the early days of Christianity.
Santa Claus is Too Similar to Jesus and God
“on-believers shouldn’t want their kids prepared in this way to adopt Christianity or theism. “
What? Now Santa is part of a plot to indoctrinate children to believe in Christianity? Really?
The Santa Claus “Tradition” is Relatively Recent
So, is it not permissible to start new traditions? New traditions are started all the time and old ones die all the time.
Actually the St. Nicolas story goes back to the 4th century. He’s the patron saint of children. The transition from Saint to the mythical Santa actually started in the 1800’s in the USA. Here’s in interesting read about it…
St. Nicholas Center ::: Origin of Santa
Santa Claus is More About Parents than Children
What the article has to say about is that parents carry on family traditions because they enjoyed them growing up. Duh… is this supposed to be bad?
