To Clause or not to Clause: Santa and the Church

Since neither Christ nor the apostles established "Christmas", my preference is to leave it out of church, and let Christians celebrate it at home and in public if it does not violate their conscience.

 

This sounds like a good idea to me.

 

Well......we told our son that 'Santa' wasn't real, and we try to focus on Christmas being "Jesus' Birthday."

I don't mind celebrating Christmas in the church at all, but do have a friend who doesn't celebrate at all.

 

The American Santa Claus is mostly a cynical marketing device to sell toys and kitschy decorations. So let's keep him out of the church.
The original saint Nicholas is a more worthwhile character and depending on the individual church he might deserve a modest place in the proceedings.
The same goes for christmas in general.

 

I don't tell my kids Santa isn't real.
I don't tell my kids that the Easter Bunny isn't real.
I don't tell my kids that their imaginary friends aren't real.
I don't tell my kids that Mickey Mouse at Disneyland is just some dude in a suit.
Over time, as their ability to ascertain between reality and imagination develop, they discern these things for themselves, at which point I affirm the correct discernment.

 

The American red-suited Santa Claus was an advert for Coca Cola.

Father Christmas, however, was very real. Ask any British youngster. He was modelled after the Dutch Santa Claus, who was a real man who went about doing good, originally.

We allowed the exchange of one gift to each member of the family on Christmas Eve and we sent gifts to our missionaries serving on the foreign field...in our case in the Belgian Congo.

We also wrapped our gifts in newsprint and set a ten dollar limit, which stands to-day. The money we saved in cards and wrapping paper, ribons etc, we sent to the missionary as a special gift.

I think there are always positive ways to deal with these holidays which we don't agree with, and not isolate the children from their world.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Growing up, we (my bro, sis, and me) all believed in Santa. Heck, we even left cookies and milk out for him. Of course, I often wondered how he got in, seeing that the only place our chimney went to was the furnace hehehe

As I got older, I realized that Santa wasn't real, and that Jesus was the real reason behind the season, although He was often hard to see what with all the holiday marketing blitz going on.

Nowadays, Christmas ranks very low on my list of favorite holidays, but only because of the crass marketing of it. I love it for the religious aspects however. I know we should celebrate Jesus everyday of the year, but it's always nice to do it extra special at Christmas, especially since we are celebrating His birth.

On the other hand, I have known Christian parents who are dead set against their children "believing" in Santa Clause. Their reasoning is that if and when their children find out that Santa is a myth, then they will think that Jesus is a myth also. Is that being paranoid, or a valid way of looking at it all?

God Bless!!!

Adam

 

I told my kids that Santa Clause was as real as Mickey Mouse.

We celebrated Christmas (the commemoration of the Incarnation) without Santa (apart from my wife, I always put "from Santa" on her present).

Once when my wife read the label, one of my older kids whispered to a younger sister "Daddy is Santa Clause". From then on we told them "Daddy is Santa Clause".

HankD

 

My family celebrates Christmas as a time of rememberence, reflecting on the entrance of God into our world as a babe. There is no red-suited fat man, and no saints (wrong religion for that ). It is a time of family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our church has a Christmas play, and my family is involved in it. My wife and I have small parts, and our daughter is one of the main characters. This year our church is doing "Christmas Comes To Detroit Louie." It is cute, but not theologically sound. But the main point is that God is willing to to touch anyone, no matter how hard their heart is.

Our church also does a Carol service in a local nursing home, with gifts for all the patients (lots of stuffed animals, and lots of hugging). We participate in Operation Christmas Child, and our local Baptist Board outreach Helping Hands.

It is a season of goodwill and love. It doesn't hurt to reach out to those around us. After all, that's what Jesus did.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

My parents never said one thing or another about Santa Claus and we never believed he was true. We got our presents from our parents. I'm working the same angle with my kids.

 

"OK...lets expand this a little bit...how about Santa giving goodies to the children in the fellowship hall following the Christmas program?"
You have the problem that Santa Claus is an extremely secular purely commercial phenomenon. Well it is like that overhere at least.

"the concern is this "Is it true?""
Saint Nicholas? Absolutely.
Just not in the sense that he visits the Netherlands and Belgium in a steamboat from Spain on a yearly basis. Also the story that the old bishop rides the rooftops on a white horse on the early evening of December 5 together with a large amount of negroes in colourful clothing is not exactly true.
But Nicolaas of Myra himself is/was quite real.

 

Not a big fight here. I would not have Santa in church because I don't think "he" has a place there, but we still enjoy all of the fun of Christmas and "he", as well as Father Christmas, is part of the fun at home.

Don't beleive though that we should imply that he is real to our children. We teach them to "play the game" so that they don't offend others.

 

You mean Santa isn't real???

 

Of course he is Jonathan!

(His 'real' name is Dad.)

 

By: Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman

Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer
are pulling on the reins.
Bells are ringing, children singing;
All is merry and bright.
Hang your stockings and say your prayers ,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight

Cheers,

Jim

 

Okay, it's early in the morning here, I'm not all the way awake yet, so when I'm in this state, I have all kinds of crazy things go through my head

For instance, why do atheists, who do not believe in God, and thus Jesus, celebrate Christmas?? Why are they celebrating the birth of someone they do not believe in. Hmmmmm???

Okay, now that I've hijacked this thread with my lame attempt at humor , it's time to go find some coffee

God Bless!!!

Adam

 

He's only not real to the rest of us because we don't believe in him

We love the fun of Santa

 

O Ye of little faith...

Cheers,

Jim