The following thoughts were spawned when my friend Laurin posted an essay regarding the issue of Santa Claus.
I have often considered this question myself… what will I teach my children regarding Santa?
Many people would say that depriving our children of Santa is a crime; why should we bereave them of their childhood? However, I think this is inspired by nostalgia for our early youth and innocence, rather than an honest approach at the question.
I remember when I first became privy to the truth, and it disappointed me as well. I personally had little vested interest in Santa, the tooth fairy, or the Easter Bunny themselves. I was, however, insatiably curious about the Truth — did they exist? I looked down upon all the nay-sayers for their lack of faith and was shocked that they dared question my parents’ honesty. At best, I thought I would see the proof of Santa as did those lucky few in the movies. I planned to ask him numerous questions about his origin and purpose.
When my Mom finally spilled the beans after I told her I’d been evangelizing the non-believers at school, I was dismayed.
Neither admitting my folly to the kids at school nor fear of facing the world without a Santa shook me. The real blow was that my parents had not been 100% forthcoming with me. I could not believe they had lied. I remember that discussion, in which I asked how they could deceive me for so many years. In the end they said Santa was real — as a concept, in our hearts. This abated my indignation and I took some time to mull it over. In the end I accepted it, though I never decided what I would do when the time came for me to have children.
And now we come to your issue, which is whether our impetus for faith (for that is what it is) in Santa is any different than the force behind our faith in God. If they are the same, then we are doomed, for we see that our faith in Santa was unfounded — we were deceived. If they are the same, then God, at best, is a concept that is real in our Hearts (relativists, rejoice!) and a self-delusion or a hoax at worst (Dawkins, rejoice).
Fortunately, the reasons for the legitimacy of the claims made in scripture are more numerous and well-supported than any regarding the lore and fiction man has created through the ages.
Unfortunately, many people only believe in God for the same reasons they believed in Santa. Their parents told them He was real. They felt that if they paid their dues, He would reward them. They were scared of the consequences if they did not believe. See a pattern?
While these are all small factors for belief in God, they represent a very incomplete picture when viewed alone. Like Satan’s favorite lies, this one is mixed in with some true statements.
The truth: your perceptions can and will fail you. Those who love you and who inform your beliefs can and will fail you.
The lie: because of the this, you can never know anything or be secure in anything. Only by being in God’s shoes will you ever be secure in your knowledge.
Is not this the same lie he proposed in the garden?
Who told you that you would surely die? God doesn’t want you to know what He knows. He is pulling the wool over your eyes. Once you eat, you will be like God. You will know everything. You will be able to make your own informed decisions.
And so he tells us with every deception we hear, every failure we make, every disappointment we experience and every last tear that we shed. If we had only known more, if our loving God had only better prepared us, we could have done the right things to prevent these tragedies.
Whether Satan himself believes that he will one day triumph over God, I do not know. In the presence of Jesus, the demons who took up residence inside Legion apparently understood their eventual demise. Satan, however, dared to tempt Jesus face to face. If my understanding of John’s revelation is correct, he will one day attempt a short-lived battle against God. If Satan does believe he will triumph, he is mistaken. If he sees only failure ahead, then he desires to take us along.
Regardless, our experiences teach us that God is trustworthy. He has never lied to us. He has never failed us. His word is always fulfilled, and our duty is ever to trust and obey. He will lead us through suffering. “In this life, you will have trouble. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
In conclusion; I still stand undecided regarding Santa. In the end I think I will probably use him as an allegory, rather than presenting him as a being who actually exists.
For those who find their foundations weak because they were once deceived, remember: the oldest deceiver was meting out that poison long before santa was ever written into the pages of fantasy. The deception over which Jesus triumphed was far greater than our modern Christmas or the grinch who stole it away.
Tags: culture, spirituality