New York Teacher Tells Kids There Is No Santa Claus

I get a mental image of Joe Peschi (sp?) and Macaulay (sp?) Culkin and a BB gun through the mail slot. :laugh:

 

LOL!!!! Yes!!!!!

And let's not forget the red hot door knob!!!!! :laugh:

 

The fall down the icy porch steps onto the concrete was cringeworthy. :laugh:

 

Not even close. My son believes in santa, because quite frankly he has met him. I wear the suit, change my accent, put the gifts under the tree, and eat my cookies. I'm very much real...oh, and my son accepted Christ Sunday. Theory shot down.

I hope you don't watch any movies...don't want to be lied to on the big screen. I suppose I lie to my daughter when I role play during play tea parties.

 

That's fine and dandy, but what if your son learns Santa isn't real and then thinks God isn't real? Or if he decides Santa is real but God isn't because he hasn't met Him?

 

I'm sorry that you don't agree with me webdog, but all you've done is take the lie and run with it. I don't see any problem with talking about Santa Claus, dressing up as him, or letting your kids use their imagination. The problem comes when we profess to our kids that Santa Claus is absolutely real and then later they find out we are lying.

Your illustrations about movies and tea parties are simply diversions from the main discussion. I don't know anyone that goes into a movie and tries to convince their kids that the characters are truly real. If someone does that then they are also wrong to lie to their children in that way.

It seems you are in the minority on this one. Most other posters on this thread tend to agree with me.

 

He will learn he is not "real" in the sense you understand him to be. I believe he will act like I did when I found out, amazed my parents would go through so much, even role playing to ensure I had a wonderful Christmas. I never stopped believing God...and I dont believe you can lose your salvation. I get real sick of believers defaulting to the false dichotomy of "santa thing = lying".

 

What exactly should we call the practice of convincing young children that fairy tales are true if we aren't allowed to call it lying?

You seem to like to call it role playing. If it was role playing, all parties involved should know that role playing is going on. In this case, the children are kept in the dark about the role playing.

 

are you implying I'm not real? I consider it pretending, you know, like Jesus pretended He was going to go further when walking with the pair on the road after his resurrection. Will you be so bold to call him a liar? Rahab the harlot? Saul's son Jonathan? All "lied" according to your narrow definition.

point is, pretending and acting dont equate to lying, which is sinfully defined as deliberately not telling the truth for personal gain.

and? Is this supposed to mean something? Half a dozen people disagree with me and it makes it truth?

 

My kids are involved. They know their role is to get to bed, put out my...er...Santa's favorite cookie, wake up and open the gifts, and remember the greatest gift is God's Son. They dont believe he is omniscient (they know God is the only one), or omnipresent (hes gott helpers all over, including the ones who they get their picture with at the mall.

 

This is just silly. I'll just leave you a quote from Matthew Henry on your first example:

"They courted his stay with them: He made as though he would have gone further; he did not say that he would, but he seemed to them to be going further, and did not readily turn into their friend’s house, which it would not be decent for a stranger to do unless he were invited. He would have gone further if they had not courted his stay; so that here was nothing like dissimulation in the case. If a stranger be shy, every one knows the meaning of it; he will not thrust himself rudely upon your house or company; but, if you make it appear that you are freely desirous of him for your guest or companion, he knows not but he may accept your invitation, and this was all that Christ did when he made as though he would have gone further."

Pretending and acting don't equate to lying, when all parties involved know that pretending and acting are going on.

 

I'm glad you haven't elevated Santa Claus up to God's level. It still doesn't change the fact that you are lying to them about him.

Look, they are your kids. You can do whatever you want. I'm just giving my opinion on the matter. I'm glad your kids got saved. Praise the Lord! I'm not suggesting that it is impossible for people to get saved if they are taught Santa Claus is real. I'm simply suggesting that it adds an unnecessary barrier.

 

,

an awful lot of assumptions in Henry's analysis. Scripture states He pretended to go further, most likely to gain a hospitable response by the two. Still says nothing about Jonathan who "lied" to his bow bearer in relaying a message to David, or Rahab who "lied" in order to hide the israelite spies (and which was considered a righteous act)

merely opinion.

,,,,

 

If they wouldn't have given him an invitation, do you think he would have forced himself on them? Have you turned into a Calvinist webdog? :laugh:

 

Never...thats real make believe

I think Christ knew they would invite him in if He pretended to have to journey further with the day being almost over. I can see Him saying "alright guys, you have a great night. I have quite a ways to go and its getting late." (knowing they were going to ask Him)

 

Wonder what the kid would be charged with if he had told his friend the teacher was ugly? An extra assignment on modern art?

 

Disregard that _ pushed wrong button.

 

Of course Christ knew the choice they would make, but I believe that Christ was honest in his dealing with them just as he is honest in everything else he does. If they choose not to invite him in, I believe he would have honestly gone on down the road.