Fictional Characters

St. Nick was very dissimilar from the modern Santa, who delivers presents to all the children in the world once a year and spends the rest of the year managing his magical toy factory.

Agree on the second part though.

 

Haha, I absolutely agree with this. It's a part of growing up, I've never met somebody who said " I hate my parents because they lied to me about Santa." As far as setting an example about lying to our children, I don't think they are old enough to comprehend the fact that it is ok to lie. I found out at like age 4 that Santa wasn't real lol.

Biggest lie ever told that millions of people believe in.

You are absolutely right, god is extremely harmful becuase millions of people have come to believe that some Fictional man will make their life better and garuntee them an afterlife if they live strictly to what a group of mortal men decided was his will and ways.

 

I almost cried when my mom told me. I found it very distrustful and it hurt me D:

 

I think it's fine if it's in good fun. The difference between telling a lie like this, and say, telling the lie about a God.. is that you can't take God back.

Once you say 'it's moral to believe in this and if you don't, you're a bad person', there's no going back. However, there is coming back after a playful lie like this.

 

What? So your saying that, ok I don't get it. Why would be too late to take whatever it is back?

 

Im pretty sure most people know who the "some guy" is.

 

1) You tell your son that Santa brings him presents. He's good and jolly. You then later explain that Santa is not real, and that Santa does not exist. You explain how Santa is a fun fantasy for children, and it wasn't meant in any way to hurt the child. More than likely, the child is going to get through it fine.

2) You tell your son that God loves him. You tell him that his son died on a cross for everyone's sins. You tell him that he, in fact, is evil, and that he must be cleansed of original sin. You tell him that is moral to believe in this God, and if you do not, you're a bad person (or burn in a lake of fire..). Now, the parent comes to his senses and tells the child there is no God/Devils. What's going to happen?

- The Parent's Authority goes completely down the drain
- The child develops difficulties trusting anything or anyone
- The child's sense of morality goes completely down the crapper
- etc

In reality, no parent will ever tell their children that God doesn't exist, even when it comes becomes apparent to them. However, there is no problem in revealing that there is no Santa. Once you delve into morality, you can never take it back.

 

you view this so single sidedly, there's really nothing I can do debate wise because you just don't consider things from both sides, what kind of parent would tell his child this all at once? It's gradual knowledge that gently tells them this. And if a parent was religious, what makes you think this parent would have such a lack of faith as to tell their child this then get second thoughts.

Again, if the parent did do this he or she should not even be a parent.

Are you serious about the child loosing trust in anything? I find this really silly and hard to believe.

The childs sense of morality goes down the drain. This makes no sense, as all the "lies" the child was told about being evil are now false.

Oh ok, he WANTED to be evil.

If your saying this would never happen than what does that say about your thesis? It wouldn't happen?

I agree with the Santa thing though

 

Since you asked me to rephrase once, I think it's fine if I ask you to do the same. That post made little sense to me.

 

I also believe it is a rude awakening when a child finds out about these characters not existing. However, it is usually used as a replacement by a parent to explain some more complex or difficult concept for a child. In this way, parents can just hold off on the bad news until their child will understand why people give them free stuff on Christmas, and where babies really come from. In the case of the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, it is simply to try to entertain and interest the child.

 

I guess it made no sense because yours made no sense , want to leave it like that?

 

No, not really. What problems do you have with what I said?

When you go into morality, it's extremely hard to take it back. Once you tell a child that it is immoral to not be a Christian (or whatever other Religion) then the effects caused by it will be horrible. And please don't tell me something like 'oh no, you see, that's only some Christians are like that, most of them wouldn't say something like that..'. By installing all the nonsense into fragile young minds, you're saying ALOT. You're basing morality entirely on lies.

I think that's why some new Atheists turn to Nihilism.

 

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You speak of this as though it is something physical, and your concept of taking back morality is purely confusing.

Alright, so parents tell kids that its immoral to not follow their religion, why can I not see this scenario happening? And the effects, they will detrimental to their health? Seeing as I have seen many people who have lost faith and lead fairly normal lives.

Some Christians? So now other religions are excluded from your theory. And really, who in this day and age would go on saying things like that. Im speaking in terms of countries where children are treated well and such.

Again, there is really nothing I can do because your not willing to see it from a religious person point of perspective. Again, basing morality on lies? What does this statement mean?

Oh right, because who needs morality when you don't believe in a heaven or hell.

 

lol, I know you're not asking me, but absolutely nothing's wrong.

You should post in the SFA more often, your perspective here is neither confusing nor hard to understand.

 

How is it complex or difficult that people give free gifts? When I was a kid Santa gave me candy (nothing more than a funny gimmick really, now that I think about it), while the real presents were from my parents. I had no trouble accepting that.

 

There is actually a couple living in alaska that changed there names to mr and ms claus and they actually give presents to kids

 

What? This is totally irrelevant to what is being debated about, be sure to actually read what is going on before you post a reply?

 

Santa Claus was not real; but Saint Nicholas was real.

But then again.. we celebrate him on December 6th.

_________

Tell it correctly to your children, take that as a lesson.

 

True.. but what is there to belive in if we dont have theese charicters

 

It just helps build on your imagination as a child, you'll eventually just grow up and realise for yourself that these things are make-belief.
It's all just fun and games like leaving out food and drink for santa, it's just something that gets children excited.