.....as mentioned, Children not only “play” the game of Santa over Christmas but they role play the manger scene as well.....And It is important to understand Christ remains central to Christmas in Christian homes regardless of other “trimmings” associated with it...they “all point to Christ”.
I say again... false religions always center on side issues to distract from the core truth being addressed in order to create doubt and question and “soften” their targets.
False religions/cults must discredit, misrepresent, and malign as once feelings of mistrust are in place, the individual will open his mind to “other alternatives of false and/or cultist beliefs and practices.... (Examples again of Jehovah Witness, Mormonism, Scientology, as well many off branches of Christianity using Christian language and doctrine, often legalistically, to seduce people.
As for Christmas.... The "Truth" of Christmas is well know, and in fact worldwide by unbelievers as well as believers, they know it is a Christian Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ the Christian Savior..... That IS the Truth...and Truth sets us free from legalistic claims of false teachers and their religions. BTW Christianity is a "reasonable" religion.
The one has nothing to do with the other. I'm not advocating that we turn children away from Christ. I'm not advocating that we don't engage children.
.....as mentioned, Children not only “play” the game of Santa over Christmas but they role play the manger scene as well.....
Children don't "play" the game of Christmas. Parents do. I won't use nice words here...we DECEIVE our children. We teach our children that it's okay that we LIE to them over a myth.
Luk 18:16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
Luk 18:17 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
A little child TRUSTS completely. We take our very youngest children, the ones most trusting, and we shatter that trust by building up their hopes and expectations over a 20th century custom.
After that it's a miracle that they trust us over anything, much less in religion.
And in fact as the popularity of Christmas has grown, the number of Christians has shrunk.
Only a lawless society, only a counterfeit religion, would teach that it's perfectly acceptable to violate the 9th commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ and bear false witness to our children.
I say again... false religions always center on side issues to distract from the core truth being addressed in order to create doubt and question and “soften” their targets.
False religion is false religion because it disregards truth. False religion is false religion because it turns from the things of the Lord for answers and turns to the things of world.
With the counterfeit Christianity we have today Christmas is not a "side issue". It IS the biggest, most visible aspect of traditional Christianity. Pointing out that it's a myth and a fable is something that we NEED to do as Christians:
1Ti 4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
1Ti 4:7 But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
"Profane" is something that is outside of religious worship...that of the common society, that of an ungodly society. Santa Claus, reindeer, etc. all ARE fables from outside of Christianity.
Scripture says reject them. Traditional Christianity says embrace them.
Scripture says don't bear false witness. Traditional Christianity says bear false witness to your children.
This isn't a difficult choice to make... :-)