[nonhuman]

SANTA CLAUS: The Great Imposter

[SirCastor]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

Get over yourself, jackass. It was a copy & paste of the original. For all you or I know, the original author was from London, so blasting someone's ethnicity is a bit foolish.

well no, I am a US citizen, however, it should be noted that a simple misspelling does not qualify me as stupid, idiotic, dumb, unintelligent, etc, etc.

As some have related, I didn't grow up Christian either, so there was no Christ in Christmas for me.

Interesting note, I don't think that kids go through the same kind of thing today that I went through as a kid. I remember specifically writing a 'letter to Santa' in public school. It was first grade, our ''big buddies", 6th graders wrote back as elves from Santa's workshop. Now that I think about it, I wonder what my Jewish Friend did. I remember Hanukka celebrations in his house. Do kids even deal with Santa outside the home (and mall) anymore?

[medicineman]

Such a shame that you cannot celebrate the secular with the religious theme of Christmas. It is not so hard to do.

As for lying to children, what is a lie? To have a child deprived of:

"...nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!"

or,

"...he saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried, rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair."

or,

"...But as he was about to give it the first blow, he stood still with arm uplifted, for he had heard a wee, little voice say in a beseeching tone: "Please be careful! Do not hit me so hard!"

or,

"...One day when the queen asked her mirror:
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?
It answered:
You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow-White is a thousand times fairer than you."

for we adults all know that aimnals cannot speak, except at midinght on Christmas Eve or, that hair can ever be as long or strong as Rapunzel's or, that wooden puppets cannot come to life or, that magic mirrors do not exist.

Childhoood is such a magic time. Why wold you want to deprive your children of that magic and innocence? They grow quickly, and will soon enough encounter a world of cynacism, anger and violence. Give them what happiness and imagination you can while you have the opportunity.

Perhaps you can revisit: Newseum - Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

[SirCastor]

Originally Posted by medicineman 

for we adults all know that aimnals cannot speak, except at midinght on Christmas Eve or, that hair can ever be as long or strong as Rapunzel's or, that wooden puppets cannot come to life or, that magic mirrors do not exist.

Childhoood is such a magic time. Why wold you want to deprive your children of that magic and innocence? They grow quickly, and will soon enough encounter a world of cynacism, anger and violence. Give them what happiness and imagination you can while you have the opportunity.

Do parents tell their children fairy tales intent on suggesting that They're real? That these things actually happened? I don't recall that ever being the case as a child myself. It was a fun story to escape to. My mom read all kinds of books to me, but I didn't believe that it was recorded history. Santa on the other hand really is the suggestion "There actually is a man that's going to come to our house and give you presents." It's a different thing.

[medicineman]

Originally Posted by SirCastor 

Do parents tell their children fairy tales intent on suggesting that They're real? That these things actually happened? I don't recall that ever being the case as a child myself. It was a fun story to escape to. My mom read all kinds of books to me, but I didn't believe that it was recorded history. Santa on the other hand really is the suggestion "There actually is a man that's going to come to our house and give you presents." It's a different thing.

The point being made was about fibbing to kids. I do not recall each story I was told being prefaced by an editorial that 'this is not to be taken in a literal sense'. They were meant to be entertaining and fun. The interpretation is left to the child. Santa is just another such story.

[andi*pandi]

excellent and timely article on the holidays, login: [email protected] password: password

How to Survive the Holidays Without Angering Your Family, Annoying Your Friends, and Alienating Your Neighbors - The Boston Globe

[quattrokid73]

want some help man? heres the deal, my dad is an athiest and my mom is a practicing roman catholic....

santa is a good thing if you make it a good thing. if you make it clear all the positive aspects of the holiday season and such, it will help them to be caring, warm, and creative too.

when it comes to revealing that the santa deal doesnt work like they think it does, dont do it coldly...

wait, and wait and wait and they will come to you after hearing the kid at school say he isnt real, and they will ask 'dad is santa real?', and all you have to say is 'what do you think son/daughter? what makes sense to you?' give them a week and they will use their own mind and have figured it out but in a bittersweet way and with their own cognition.

and as far as the christmas and legitimacy of christianity/religion deal, if christ isnt real then it doesnt change a thing...its an example how to live and the ideals are something that can be celebrated and lived up to. science is a language, energy is its medium. languages have a creator.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by quattrokid73 

want some help man? heres the deal, my dad is an athiest and my mom is a practicing roman catholic....

santa is a good thing if you make it a good thing. if you make it clear all the positive aspects of the holiday season and such, it will help them to be caring, warm, and creative too.

when it comes to revealing that the santa deal doesnt work like they think it does, dont do it coldly...

wait, and wait and wait and they will come to you after hearing the kid at school say he isnt real, and they will ask 'dad is santa real?', and all you have to say is 'what do you think son/daughter? what makes sense to you?' give them a week and they will use their own mind and have figured it out but in a bittersweet way and with their own cognition.

and as far as the christmas and legitimacy of christianity/religion deal, if christ isnt real then it doesnt change a thing...its an example how to live and the ideals are something that can be celebrated and lived up to. science is a language, energy is its medium. languages have a creator.

[Tuoder]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

Get over yourself, jackass. It was a copy & paste of the original. For all you or I know, the original author was from London, so blasting someone's ethnicity is a bit foolish.

I am pretty sure he was joking.

[Atomic Rooster]

Telling children mythical creatures exist is really really bad. That's why they're afraid of closets and what's under their beds.

Santa Claus is a commercial symbol and that's what they should be told.

[The Left]

Originally Posted by Atomic Rooster 

Telling children mythical creatures exist is really really bad. That's why they're afraid of closets and what's under they're beds.

Santa Claus is a commercial symbol and that's what they should be told.

[forkies]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Forkies likes things in his butt.

(Last edited by Railroader : Jun 27, 2007 at 07:59 AM)

excuse me?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by forkies 

excuse me?

That's what you get for hotlinking a quote.

[aristotles]

If people want to celebrate a pagan holiday of winter solstice, go right a ahead but stop calling it Christmas if you do. Christmas is not a pagan holiday even if some Pope decided to move it close to the winter solstice. Quite frankly, it is irrelevant when the actual event took place since the church calendar now has it at the 25th of December. We really do not know when it occurred during the year and it is totally possible that it could have taken place around that time anyway.

If you guys want to talk about pagan rituals, go make your own damn thread instead of hijacking this one.

SirCastor, I think you should avoid the who Santa Claus thing and explain to your children what Christmas means to you.

[RAILhead]

I still don't see how people confuse Santa and Christmas. Christ is the "reason for the season," and the whole gift/Santa part is just how we go about it. No biggie to me.

[Big Mac]

As a Jew, I always thought it was a strange custom to make one's children think gifts come to them magically. Children should appreciate what their parents do for them, IMO.

[Dakarʒ]

Hanukkah Harry

[andi*pandi]

this thread is all messed up. and zombified.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

That's what you get for hotlinking a quote.

I think it's hilarious that he clicked in on his own signature link. How conceited is that!!!???!!!

Just to make things clear, I received a "infraction" and a warning that I would be banned for this behavior if I did it again. The sad part is that I was banned for quoting someone in my signature. I have made that known to the mods here but in typical fashion, unfair and inconsistent modding reigns supreme.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by aristotles 

If you guys want to talk about pagan rituals, go make your own damn thread instead of hijacking this one.

Uhm dude. This thread ended almost a year ago. Hijacking what now?