Believing in Santa once again.

[an anarchist]

Did you believe in Santa Claus as a kid? My dad and the step mothers I had were all for lying to me and telling me some magical jolly fat man gives me presents once a year. It seems to be tradition amongst many, telling kids to believe in Santa Claus.
Wasn’t it nice? Ignorance is bliss. But, eventually, you grew out of the Santa Claus belief.
Imagine now that you were to try to believe in Santa Claus once again. You miss the gifts. You also miss the idea of an omniscient being judging your morality and rewarding it.
How would you go about believing in Santa Claus once again? You can’t! There is no way, once the truth has been realized.
So why does one ask an atheist to believe in God? Is it not the same as asking an adult to believe in Santa?
Discuss?
I know I’m comparing a belief in God to a belief in Santa, but I don’t intend to belittle belief in God. Nor do I necessarily believe that atheists have a monopoly on truth.

 

[Thea]

My mother told me Santa doesn’t exist, but by then I had already stopped believing in my mother ... I love Santa.

 

[stvdv]

So why does one ask an atheist to believe in God?

Beats me, I never ask them. I let everyone believe whatever they fancy

 

[stvdv]

Is it not the same as asking an adult to believe in Santa?

No

 

[Thea]

@stvdv - Sint TvdV I just love your answers, that’s exactly what I think too.

 

[stvdv]

@stvdv - Sint TvdV I just love your answers, that’s exactly what I think too.

Thank you, I did notice that too

I would almost believe know we have the same roots

 

[PureX]

Did you believe in Santa Claus as a kid? My dad and the step mothers I had were all for lying to me and telling me some magical jolly fat man gives me presents once a year. It seems to be tradition amongst many, telling kids to believe in Santa Claus.
Wasn’t it nice? Ignorance is bliss. But, eventually, you grew out of the Santa Claus belief.
Imagine now that you were to try to believe in Santa Claus once again. You miss the gifts. You also miss the idea of an omniscient being judging your morality and rewarding it.
How would you go about believing in Santa Claus once again? You can’t! There is no way, once the truth has been realized.
So why does one ask an atheist to believe in God? Is it not the same as asking an adult to believe in Santa?
Discuss?
I know I’m comparing a belief in God to a belief in Santa, but I don’t intend to belittle belief in God. Nor do I necessarily believe that atheists have a monopoly on truth.

Belief is irrelevant in both cases: Santa Claus and God. All that matters is faith, and the results that come from engaging in that faith. You either get the gifts, or you don't.

In the case of faith in God, most people find that they get the gifts they need, and so choose to continue placing faith in the God of their choosing.

It's really just that simple. Belief is unnecessary.

 

[VoidCat]

There's an autistic 22 year old here at the group home whose parents didn't tell him Santa's not real. He still believes it. Personally I hate lying and don't think any parent should tell their kids Santas real ever. It's deceptive. If you want to give your kid once a year a gift for good behavior why make up Santa? It makes no sense. I'd tell the guy Santa's not real but I don't want staff to get mad at me and I don't know how he'll react to his parents lying to him like that. If he was a kid I wouldn't be tempted to but he's an adult they need to stop treating him like a child. Autistic adults are adults.

But that's only slightly on topic. No one should tell atheists to believe in a god. None of us have proof that a god exists or don't exist. We shouldn't tell folk what to believe as a result regarding God or gods.So it's different then the Santa thing as we have proof he don't exist.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Did you believe in Santa Claus as a kid? My dad and the step mothers I had were all for lying to me and telling me some magical jolly fat man gives me presents once a year. It seems to be tradition amongst many, telling kids to believe in Santa Claus.
Wasn’t it nice? Ignorance is bliss. But, eventually, you grew out of the Santa Claus belief.
Imagine now that you were to try to believe in Santa Claus once again. You miss the gifts. You also miss the idea of an omniscient being judging your morality and rewarding it.
How would you go about believing in Santa Claus once again? You can’t! There is no way, once the truth has been realized.
So why does one ask an atheist to believe in God? Is it not the same as asking an adult to believe in Santa?
Discuss?
I know I’m comparing a belief in God to a belief in Santa, but I don’t intend to belittle belief in God. Nor do I necessarily believe that atheists have a monopoly on truth.

At least Santa was based on a real person.

Anyways it's a wonderful myth to believe in. For a bit.

 

[syo]

How would you go about believing in Santa Claus once again? You can’t! There is no way, once the truth has been realized.
So why does one ask an atheist to believe in God? Is it not the same as asking an adult to believe in Santa?

Atheists are ignorand and wrong. There is a God.

 

[JustGeorge]

I believe in Santa Claus.

Not in a literal man who comes in and drops off gifts to al the kids of the world; we know that's not true. But, I believe the 'Santa myth' came from somewhere, and the practices today surrounding him are a celebration of that story.

Looking it up, he appear to be based on a Saint Nicholas?

 

[Mock Turtle]

There's an autistic 22 year old here at the group home whose parents didn't tell him Santa's not real. He still believes it. Personally I hate lying and don't think any parent should tell their kids Santas real ever. It's deceptive. If you want to give your kid once a year a gift for good behavior why make up Santa? It makes no sense. I'd tell the guy Santa's not real but I don't want staff to get mad at me and I don't know how he'll react to his parents lying to him like that. If he was a kid I wouldn't be tempted to but he's an adult they need to stop treating him like a child. Autistic adults are adults.

But that's only slightly on topic. No one should tell atheists to believe in a god. None of us have proof that a god exists or don't exist. We shouldn't tell folk what to believe as a result regarding God or gods.So it's different then the Santa thing as we have proof he don't exist.

But it does make sense, to some, as to this authority being above their parents in some way, and hence where the kids might perhaps tow the line (until they forget such), since they perhaps fear what might happen and not caused by their parents. Just as much as some like to believe in a God, and the consequences of believing in such - good for them if they behave reasonably, and bad for all those who don't or can't apparently believe in this 'greater authority'.

I think I gave up believing in Santa fairly early on, even though I have no complaints as to presents I did or did not get. God followed.

 

[Subduction Zone]

What do you mean by "once again"? I still like to follow Santa's progress on Christmas Eve using NORAD.

Official NORAD Santa Tracker

 

[VoidCat]

But it does make sense, to some, as to this authority being above their parents in some way, and hence where the kids might perhaps tow the line (until they forget such), since they perhaps fear what might happen and not caused by their parents. Just as much as some like to believe in a God, and the consequences of believing in such - good for them if they behave reasonably, and bad for all those who don't or can't apparently believe in this 'greater authority'.

I think I gave up believing in Santa fairly early on, even though I have no complaints as to presents I did or did not get. God followed.

All that's going to do lying to your kids is make them not trust you. A healthy relationship is based on trust.


Edit: it also teaches to do the right thing only cuz someone else is watching, that it's ok to lie to your kids, adults should lie to you but you as the child cannot lie, among other things.

 

[KWED]

Beats me, I never ask them.

I am regularly told that I should "seek god with an open heart", etc.

I let everyone believe whatever they fancy

That's good of you. I wasn't aware that I needed your permission though.

 

[Mock Turtle]

All that's going to do lying to your kids is make them not trust you. A healthy relationship is based on trust.

Well, being factual, it is part of life as to parents 'lying' or not being entirely truthful with their children - for whatever reasons - and mainly these being so as to protect their children and to ward off what actually happens around them doing them harm. Santa, like so many other myths is relatively harmless.

 

[Psalm23]

My dad had told my sister and I that Santa doesn't exist when we were young. I don't remember having this conversation though my sister remembers. As far as I can remember, I never believed in Santa Claus. As a child I told another kid that Santa didn't exist.

 

[VoidCat]

Well, being factual, it is part of life as to parents 'lying' or not being entirely truthful with their children - for whatever reasons - and mainly these being so as to protect their children and to ward off what actually happens around them doing them harm.

You don't lie to your kids unless you have to. Sure sometimes you can't always tell the whole truth after all kids aren't as mature as adults. But in those circumstances you tell the kid what you can and what they can understand. You dont lie to them. And you dont have to lie about Santa. For one that's a really big lie. It involves the kids worldview.

 

[VoidCat]

You don't lie to your kids unless you have to. Sure sometimes you can't always tell the whole truth after all kids aren't as mature as adults. But in those circumstances you tell the kid what you can and what they can understand. You dont lie to them. And you dont have to lie about Santa. For one that's a really big lie. It involves the kids worldview.

@Mock Turtle
And if you cant tell a kid something then you tell them that. You don't have to lie

 

[JustGeorge]

@RayofLight , I just want to offer another perspective.

My parents did the 'Santa Lie' with me. Honestly, I enjoyed it. And when Mom finally uncovered the truth, she cautioned me not to ruin it for all the little kids, so they could have fun, too(which I honored). I could see it was a cultural thing, not a personal thing, so I didn't take it personally. I didn't see it so much as a lie, but a make believe game.

Some kids are devastated by the Santa Lie, others are glad to have participated. I'm genuinely sorry you found the experience upsetting. We did the Santa thing with the oldest for a short while; when we told him it wasn't true, he told us we were lying, and that Santa was indeed real! So what if Santa didn't bring him presents; he must exist, or have existed somewhere else... He wasn't bothered, either.

Now, when I was in elementary school, and I started noticing home buyer's brochures and strange people visiting the house, and asked my mom if they were trying to sell the house, and she lied to me... well, that pissed me off. I suspected she was lying, so I asked Dad, who uncovered the truth. Mom said she didn't want to upset me, but I felt I had a right to know if my entire world was about to change.

Luckily, no one bought the house. Its my sister's now.