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Santa Claus (not the secret santa thread)

I think that when the Taliban was still running things in Afghanistan it was mandated that all parents had to wrap Santa gifts. Pretty sure that's true. Having no desire to be like the Taliban, Santa gifts are unwrapped at our house and always will be.
 
Moonz is 100% in favor of Santa and Elves mythos because it furthers his narrative that dwarves are meant to be subjugated to slavery.
 
Deacfreak07 said:
Moonz is 100% in favor of Santa and Elves mythos because it furthers his narrative that dwarves are meant to be subjugated to slavery.
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At first glance, I read this as "Santa and Elvis mythos" and was wondering what in the hell Elvis has to do with dwarves.
 
lbE08 said:
That's not the point. He's just trying -in his family- to keep the focus of Chirstmas off of that stuff. He's not saying you can't or shouldn't have it ever.
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His argument wasn't that benign, not least because of his influence over others as a preacher.
 
Rev-- how do you plan to handle the inevitable time when your daughter gets old enough to ask why Santa doesn't come to visit her when he visits the rest of her friends? I'd think it would be really hard to avoid things like Santa crafts in school or people asking her what she was asking Santa to bring.
 
dashionista said:
Rev-- how do you plan to handle the inevitable time when your daughter gets old enough to ask why Santa doesn't come to visit her when he visits the rest of her friends? I'd think it would be really hard to avoid things like Santa crafts in school or people asking her what she was asking Santa to bring.
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It will give her early training on how to be a holier-than-thou buzzkill.
 
dashionista said:
Rev-- how do you plan to handle the inevitable time when your daughter gets old enough to ask why Santa doesn't come to visit her when he visits the rest of her friends? I'd think it would be really hard to avoid things like Santa crafts in school or people asking her what she was asking Santa to bring.
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Tell her she's Jewish like Jesus was.
 
dashionista said:
Rev-- how do you plan to handle the inevitable time when your daughter gets old enough to ask why Santa doesn't come to visit her when he visits the rest of her friends? I'd think it would be really hard to avoid things like Santa crafts in school or people asking her what she was asking Santa to bring.
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Good and honest question, happy to respond.

Not sure of the exact conversation because we're not close yet. But Muslim/Jewish/Hindu/Buddhist families seem to be okay without Santa coming to visit. Probably talk about the many ways that people celebrate- some people don't celebrate Christmas at all, some do but don't focus much on baby Jesus, and I guess we'll be with Ricky Bobby, putting lots of emphasis on Jesus, like Ricky Bobby, and not as much on Santa. Many more people know/share the story of Santa than the story of Jesus' birth. And I think if we focus on that as the starting point for what Christmas is about, things such as giving to those in need and giving gifts of love instead of getting tube socks from Grandma (never happened, but an example), will come naturally. I'm more concerned about the beginning of the Christmas story than the end.

People are reading way more into this than I'm saying. I have zero problems with Santa, none. My issue is the selfish/individualistic/comsumeristic/anti-Gospel/materialistic agenda that goes along with Santa. In my opinion, and please understand that I'm not saying that it needs to be anyone else's opinion, Christmas morning isn't about opening presents. If Santa doesn't go hand in hand with a Toys R Us catalog, then I'm happy to have him. I realize this is a minority position, I know it's different, maybe even radical. But I believe that Jesus was a radical, that he didn't go with the status quo if the status quo was preventing us from more fully reaching the dream of God. And as I see it, commercial Santa is turning the dream into a nightmare. Perhaps some of you see it differently, and that really is okay. I'm just trying to live an authentic and consistent faith. As I've said before, for me to have an authentic and consistent faith, I can't reconcile Christmas' focus being on shopping/buying/opening presents. But if you can, then great.
 
DistrictDeacon said:
It will give her early training on how to be a holier-than-thou buzzkill.
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It really has nothing to do with being better, but different, sure. I haven't once suggested that people who want to do Santa and gifts are bad, or somehow less-Christian or charitable. At this point, I just struggle to reconcile the two. Perhaps you all are the enlightened ones that have figured it out and I'll get there someday.
 
When I was seven I told my dad I didn't think Santa was real. He told me that if I wanted to continue to receive gifts at Christmas I would believe in Santa. I never brought up the topic again.

My family stopped doing gifts when I was 17, I am the youngest sibling in my family. We still do the whole Christmas thing and spend time as a family we just don't exchange gifts. My parents said my gift is a paid college tuition and if I wanted something else I should work for it. Me and my girlfriend exchange a small gift every year but that's about it.

Typically I just buy myself something I've been wanting around Christmas, just ordered a new set of Taylor Made irons and might splurge for a new TV.
 
RevDeac06 said:
Muslim/Jewish/Hindu/Buddhist families seem to be okay without Santa coming to visit.
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I have a ton of Jewish friends who were bummed as kids during Christmas because Santa didn't come to visit. Because secular Christmas has nothing to do with religion.

RevDeac06 said:
My issue is the selfish/individualistic/comsumeristic/anti-Gospel/materialistic agenda that goes along with Santa. In my opinion ... Christmas morning isn't about opening presents. If Santa doesn't go hand in hand with a Toys R Us catalog, then I'm happy to have him. ... And as I see it, commercial Santa is turning the dream into a nightmare.
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This is a twisted worldview. I'm sorry.
 
I would be interested in providing rep to whatever kind soul left the tag "baby jesus weeps for mett"
 
bigdoublezero said:
I have a ton of Jewish friends who were bummed as kids during Christmas because Santa didn't come to visit. Because secular Christmas has nothing to do with religion.



This is a twisted worldview. I'm sorry.
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You're proving my point for me. I really do think you're completely understanding my point, it's just that you don't agree with it or see the logic of it. Which is fine, I'm not here to win an argument, just sharing my input about Santa, as the OP invited.

I know that secular Christmas has nothing to the with religion. I take my faith very seriously, why would I want to conflate symbols, which, from my perspective, erode the religious side of Christmas?

And twisted worldview, yes, exactly. In my opinion it's twisting towards the Gospel, which is the point.
 
bigdoublezero said:
You're claiming an "agenda" that really isn't there.
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He's explained himself quite clearly more than once. You obviously don't agree with him and his IS a minority opinion, but the premise of what he's talking about is absolutely there.
 
Seems like your problem is with capitalism, not with Santa Claus. Society can at times be selfish, individualistic, comsumeristic, materialistic (see the smartphones thread), so of course there will be elements of those qualities that show up on Christmas, just like they do every other day of the year. The difference with secular Christmas is that along with the negative you get an overwhelming amount of positive.

You should be praising Santa Claus for finding a way to overcome the negative.
 
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