This forum was closed on October 1st, 2010. However, the archives are open to the public and filled with vast amounts of good reading and information for you to enjoy. If you wish to meet some Wardrobians, please visit the Into the Wardrobe Facebook group.

Santa Claus --> God

Please choose the statement that most accurately describes you.

I was taught to believe in both Santa and God -- I believe in God.
13
45%
I was taught to believe in both Santa and God -- I either don't believe in God, I'm not sure, or I don't care.
1
3%
I was not taught to believe in Santa, but I was taught to believe in God -- I believe in God.
4
14%
I was not taught to believe in Santa, but I was taught to believe in God -- I either don't believe in God, I'm not sure, or I don't care.
0
No votes
I was not taught to believe in Santa or God -- I believe in God.
2
7%
I was not taught to believe in Santa or God -- I either don't believe in God, I'm not sure, or I don't care.
0
No votes
I was taught to believe in Santa, but not in God -- I believe in God.
3
10%
I was taught to believe in Santa, but not in God -- I either don't believe in God, I'm not sure, or I don't care.
0
No votes
Other (please explain)
6
21%
 
Total votes : 29

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby gameld » December 24th, 2008, 4:35 pm

something i realized the other day scares me a bit:
pascal's wager applies perfectly to santa.

for those of you who don't know pascal's wager it goes as follows:
either God exists or he doesn't
i can believe in Him or not.
if i beleive in Him either i go to heaven or nothing happens to me
if i don't beleive in Him either i go to hell or nothing happens to me
therefore, whether he exists or not, it is better to believe in God because then you have a 50/50 shot of getting good things

now replace God with santa, heaven with presents, and hell with coal.
therefore you might as well believe in santa, since then you have a 50/50 shot of etting presents

kinda creepy, huh? i always liked pascal's wager until i realized this.
gameld
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 79
Joined: Nov 2006

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby john » December 24th, 2008, 4:42 pm

john
Chief Wardrobian
User avatar
john
Chief Wardrobian
 
Posts: 6495
Joined: Jul 1996
Location: near seattle

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby Xara » December 24th, 2008, 4:59 pm

Experience: that most brutal of teachers.
Xara
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 100
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Wales

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby john » December 24th, 2008, 6:14 pm

john
Chief Wardrobian
User avatar
john
Chief Wardrobian
 
Posts: 6495
Joined: Jul 1996
Location: near seattle

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby Brian » December 24th, 2008, 6:38 pm

I was raised with a belief in Santa that seemed convincing to my young mind. The first time a school classmate claimed that there was no Santa, I remember reacting in disbelief. When my parents confieded with me that Santa did not exist, as the oldest, I had the privilege of helping 'be Santa' with my younger sisters until then news was broken to them as well. Ironically, my parents were nominal C & E (Christmas and Easter) church attenders at best during most of my youth.

Ironically as well, my active spriritual life - living out an active faith in the Chrisian God - only began to take deeper root as I began to depart adolescence in my mid to late teens.

As an adult, my wife and I took an approach similar to Stanley's. We told our children from their earliest days that Santa was a very enjoyable part and tradition of the Christmas Season in our part of the world. However, we always let them know from whom the presents really came from, as well as the real meaning of the celebration of Christmas. As they have grown older - now both children in their teens, we have also imparted information regarding the time of year Christ actually may have been born and other items that will prepare them as adults for the naysayers and doubters about the reality of the birth of Jesus Christ.
In Christ alone,
Brian

Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry. Mark Twain
Brian
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 59
Joined: Sep 1999
Location: Lancaster, PA USA

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby Robert » December 24th, 2008, 7:48 pm

I think its easier to believe in Santa than God most of the time. At least with Santa there is no foreknowledge of sending people to hell when first creating them, the "why is there suffering in the world if God created it" dilemma, and "what does God look like?" question. But I was taught both and figured out there was no Santa by logical deduction. And yet I still believe on God. Perhaps a different kind of God than I did when young. But i am convinced the belief is based on the same deity :)
[I am] Freudian Viennese by night, by day [I am] Marxian Muscovite

--Robert Frost--
User avatar
Robert
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 579
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Under the stars and in the midst of things

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby Robert » December 24th, 2008, 7:56 pm

[I am] Freudian Viennese by night, by day [I am] Marxian Muscovite

--Robert Frost--
User avatar
Robert
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 579
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Under the stars and in the midst of things

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby Lioba » December 24th, 2008, 8:46 pm

I learned to pray to Jesus, we had the " Christkind"
http://raibabel.files.wordpress.com/200 ... tkind1.jpg
http://www.scinexx.de/redaktion/focus/b ... rist5m.jpg
and we were told about "Die wilde Jagd"
http://wappen.horstbison.de/assets/images/35.jpg
I never had problems abouzt the question what was my religion, the old religion or just nice tradition- i simply never got it mixed.
Iustitia est ad alterum.
User avatar
Lioba
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 320
Joined: Oct 2007

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby Stanley Anderson » December 24th, 2008, 9:35 pm

…on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a fair green country under a swift sunrise.
User avatar
Stanley Anderson
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 3251
Joined: Aug 1996
Location: Southern California

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby AllanS » December 24th, 2008, 10:01 pm

User avatar
AllanS
 
Posts: 1093
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Hobart Tasmania

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby john » December 24th, 2008, 10:06 pm

john
Chief Wardrobian
User avatar
john
Chief Wardrobian
 
Posts: 6495
Joined: Jul 1996
Location: near seattle

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby postodave » December 24th, 2008, 10:21 pm

So I drew my sword and got ready
But the lamb ran away with the crown
postodave
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 848
Joined: Oct 2004

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby Amy » December 28th, 2008, 3:39 am

My parents never made a big deal about Santa. My dad's Jewish, so the whole thing was new to him when they had kids. But he loved giving us presents, and the whole fantasy/pretend thing. I stopped believing Santa was "real" by the time I got to school, but I still loved playing along. I think my mom gave us gifts from Santa til I was in high school (my sisters were adults by then).

With our kids, we do lots of pretend about Santa, but I don't go to any lengths to keep them believing--I just can't see lying to answer my kids' honest questions. My son asked me if there is only one Santa. He was confused because there was one at the mall and one at the church Christmas party. I said that the ones he's seen are people dressed up in costume pretending and having fun, just like the actors in the play I took him to see a couple months ago. I knew "those are Santa's helpers" would not satisfy him.

We don't tell the kids to be good or they'll get coal/no gifts. My in-laws label gifts as being from Santa, and we do leave out the cookies and milk. But when the kids open their gifts at home, they are only from mom and dad or each other. The kids don't write letters to Santa asking for stuff, I think that can get very self-centered and materialistic. We had actually never done letters to Santa before this year, since neither of the kids could write. I wasn't planning to this year, either, but Jack found a book with a space in back to write to Santa. I gave him no coaching whatsoever--in fact, I didn't know he'd come across it until he came to me and said, "Mom, look, I wrote a letter to Santa!" His letter said (misspellings eliminated here): "Dear Santa, I love you so much. Love, Jack." Sarah had made just scribbles on her page but she assured me hers was to say, "Dear Jesus, thank you for Santa. Amen." I've taken the kids to see Santa at the mall a couple of times, and when Santa asks them what they want for Christmas, they never know what to say. They just like to talk to Santa, tell him how much they love him and that he's very special.

Anyway, in the end, we just don't want to be in the business of making things up to keep our kids believing--in Santa or in God. If we can't answer a spiritual question, we don't lie about that, either. So ultimately, our kids will choose to believe or not--but it won't be because we tried to force them either way.
Amy
****
Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip. ~Will Rogers
User avatar
Amy
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 492
Joined: Apr 1999
Location: NY, USA

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby cyranorox » January 5th, 2009, 2:15 am

Saint Nicholas [not "Fr."], bishop of Myra in Lyciea, was quite as real as anyone else of his century. And he is sanctified/canonized, in the ancient sense of being included in the list [canon] of saints commemorated from the altar. The royal red of his current costume is drawn from secular images. His episcopal vestments, of course, changed with the feasts and seasons. Did you not know that Santa Claus had a real job? He left no writings that I am aware of, but was famous for his kindness and pastoral love.

And he really sent presents down the chimney, at least once: bags of gold to allow three poor sisters to marry decently.

As a child, I only knew the secular Santa Claus, but people sometimes said Saint Nick, or Nicholas, and I got a sense that the legend had some basis.
Apocatastasis Now!
cyranorox
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 283
Joined: Dec 2007
Location: a garret over a moonlit street

Re: Santa Claus --> God

Postby Xara » January 5th, 2009, 9:11 am

Experience: that most brutal of teachers.
Xara
Wardrobian
 
Posts: 100
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Wales

PreviousNext

Return to Religion, Science, and Philosophy

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered members and 11 guests

cron