Posted on 12/29/2004 3:22:34 PM PST by TheConservativeCitizen
This is also how it has always been in our house. If we didn't want to believe, we were free to. I still believe... ;~D
No, because sometimes I believe in Santa Claus too.
Man, it must be a real joy to live in your house.
/sarcasm
What I wonder is, if children are young enough to not know where babies come from... how do parents explain the distinction of the virgin birth? I don't honestly recall at what age this became apparent to me.
Boy, can you imagine if I had the audacity to question the tooth fairy or the existence of the jolly green giant? All hell might of broken loose. Relax people. Santa really is 'just pretend'. I know that is a hard pill to swallow. Maybe no one actually got to the part where I talk about the trips to the mall Santa and the tooth fairy pillows. One can have fun with the character of Santa without having to spin some attempting to convince your children with fantastic yarns about how he and his eight tiny reindeer will undoubtedly be making a landing on the roof Christmas Eve. I do enjoy the discussion though. (:
Fight on Free Republic!
I'm not really sure what distinction you are trying to make here. You came out pretty strongly in your initial post. Santa is a universal truth pounded into kids heads. Children are forever scarred by the ultimate revelation of the truth. Parents are branded as liars, and not to be trusted. Then in this post you backpedal saying it's OK to pretend about Santa.
IMHO, a child under 5 or so is not ready to understand the details of God except that God is: good, love, the creator, etc. Also, that there are a whole lot of people involved in the God thing because because my son sees them in church every week. Before we can start working with semantics, we need to have a syntax.
A child has no understanding of eternity, a soul or death. From my own experience, that last one is probably the most troubling realization every child will face. Am I lieing to my son in that I haven't told him that everyone eventually dies? I found out on Christmas Eve, that our cat is on her way out. Was I lieing when I didn't immediately pass on this news?
To me there is lieing and then there is selective revelation of the truth commensurate to the ability to understand. True understanding comes from within. I am only a guide.
Only my oldest (13) knows the details of conception. For the others, it's been sufficient to say that God was the Father of Jesus, and that St. Joseph was not His father physically. I think just about every child knows someone who has a stepfather, or is adopted, so the understand the difference.
If a child hears "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God." over and over and over, he can assimilate the fact that there's something unique about the origins of Jesus, without knowing how ordinary babies are conceived.
You don't want a conversation, that's your affair.
Dan
/sarcasm
Oh, I know! Isn't that just an awful picture? Think of it -- parents who've proven that they don't have to LIE to their children for the kids to have fun! A whole month of celebrating the glorious truth of Christ's birth, with family traditions, games, activities, trips, gifts, laughter, songs, prayers, readings, worship -- and not even ONE lie!
What kind of living, screaming Hell must that be for a child?!! Someone should call CPS!
/ contempt for a culture of lies — and so-called conservatives who embrace it
2. I disagree with the article. Having become an adult, I now wholeheartedly believe in Santa Claus.
My son is 6. He believes in Santa Claus because of the culture around him. I won't encourage it because Santa is not an important part of Christmas; I don't discourage it because it is not an error. If he asks me if he exists, I will say "yes". If he asks me if he is coming down the chimney this year, I'll say "Let's sleep by the fire and see if he does or not."
And that, friends, is truth-telling.
Let me guess Mr. Huntwork's middle name. Could it be,,, Stick in the mud?
You're the one who chose not to answer my simple questions in post #32. I simply stated I didn't want to debate. I was just curious as to what you would do in those situations. Instead of giving advice or answering, you assumed to know what I thought and your reply was arrogant. Perhaps I would have agreed with you, but now you'll never know. You ended the conversation and now I truly do.
All because I asked you to do a little thinking, instead of responding to a setup. Conservatives are supposed to believe in work. Sad. Whatever.
Dan
Thanks for the laugh.
Completely at your expense.
Somebody who never got a pony.
That must be it. That's what scars you for life... Turns ya into a bitter person, seeking out people to scowl at and belittle for entertainment.
It sure as heck wasn't Santa Claus that does that to a guy.
No, I point them towards happyness.
I think it is safe to say that anyone who feels so emotionally abused because his/her parents "lied" to him about Santa, has more "issues" than he/she is letting on.
Why don't you answer him? Answer: Because he cornered you.
Yikes. Where have you been?
Dan
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