Santa Claus, a false idol

[Spider-Who?]

I don't think anyone can doubt christmas has been bought up by corporate capilisation as a big money spinning opportunity.

at the very worst, commercial xmas (national holiday) with santa should be separated from the religious aspect. The santa one should be a national holiday, the religious one (as with other religions) should not but should be respected by christians only (or christian curious individuals).
QUOTE]


But that is what has been done. As your post states, Christmas is and has been for quite a while a commercial holiday about spending money and exchanging gifts. Its nonchristians who handle the holiday this way and Christians who treat it as a celebration of Jesus being born.

Christmas already is a nation holiday with two groups of people celebrating it differently...there's no need to change.

 

[November Rain]

since it's on the same day and under the same name, one foreshadows the other and everyone gets muddles as to what everyone else is celebrating.

the only problem with moving is who gets the 25th

and i don't think commercial christmas should be called christmas under the same reason i couldn't imagine there being a commercial ramadan (with a skinny hungry mascot) encouraging people to starve for presents.

 

[jaguarr]

Hail Santa!!!! *devilhorns*

jag

 

[Carcharodon]

If we start including creationism into Science class we might as well introduce Alchemy into chemistry.

They already kinda do that: they teach a bit of nuclear chemistry, which does involve the conversion or decay of certain elements into other elements.

 

[Carcharodon]

But that is what has been done. As your post states, Christmas is and has been for quite a while a commercial holiday about spending money and exchanging gifts. Its nonchristians who handle the holiday this way and Christians who treat it as a celebration of Jesus being born.

Christmas already is a nation holiday with two groups of people celebrating it differently...there's no need to change.

Sorry, I call ********. It's not just non-Christians that treat the holiday that way. If that were the case, there would be a LOT less money spent on and around Christmas than there actually is. The irony is that most Christians I know are the ones who go all-out in buying gifts for Christmas, and the birth of Christ seems an afterthought.

I take no religious meaning in the holiday. For me, Christmas is about family and love, and being grateful for all you have. It's like Thanksgiving with a slightly different holiday theme, really, and the presents are just a nice little perk.

 

[Spider-Who?]

But looking up to and admiring someone is considered hero worship, which suggets to me that it might be a form of worship. I also doubt people pray to Spider-Man and such (unless they are uber geeks), but I think many comic nerds may be guilty of this form of worship.

While I see your point, I think you might be taking the term "hero worship" alittle to literally...

 

[Spider-Who?]

Sorry, I call ********. It's not just non-Christians that treat the holiday that way. If that were the case, there would be a LOT less money spent on and around Christmas than there actually is. The irony is that most Christians I know are the ones who go all-out in buying gifts for Christmas, and the birth of Christ seems an afterthought.

I take no religious meaning in the holiday. For me, Christmas is about family and love, and being grateful for all you have. It's like Thanksgiving with a slightly different holiday theme, really, and the presents are just a nice little perk.

No need to call bull **** on my post - you just need to think alittle.

Ofcourse its more then "just non christians" that jump into the commercialism of Christmas. And yes, alot of Christians seem to be at the head of this - what my post meant was nothing more then, at the heart of it, how each group thinks of Christmas.

In other words, non christians enjoy the gift giving and being with family - excluding Jesus (the real reason for the holiday) while Christians enjoy the gift giving, family AND Jesus, which is the most important part. I also happen to know quite a few people who DON'T celebrate Christmas by giving present because they feel it takes away from Jesus.

 

[The Lizard]

This reminds me of the anti-Christmas threads that a few of the Hype's more aggressive Jehovah's Witnesses would start each year in days past. I think Spiderrasmon was one of them.

Always good for a laugh though.

 

[Captain_BluTac]

First off this thread is directed at people who believe in God. If you want a debate about the existence of God, then take it to another thread. I believe one already exists.

Jolly ol St Nick is admired and adored by kids all over the world. Santa has God like powers, delivering gifts all over the globe in a matter of hours, while gaining access to peoples homes without a problem. Santa even appears God-like fashion(minus the fat).

Ex. 20:5, "Don't worship nor serve them, any of man's created God-like idols or gods,"

The praise of Santa even takes away what Christmas is all about-The birthday of Jesus.

So do people here who believe in God think Santa should be phased out? Because he is false idol

I don't think saints count as false idols... which leads me to a fun fact, why does no one realize Santa was a vicar!?

 

[PemLam]

Santa Claus is not a "Fasle Idol", he is a Socialist.

He runs a facist government over the "Worker Class" (elfs=Tax payers), confiscates their property (toyes=taxes) and distrubutes it to people that didn't work for it (the kiddies=welfare recipients). All for the fame and admiration of the people he gives to.

He is no better than Lenin and Mussolini. He even wears RED for crying out loud!

Nobody took the bait so... Please Mr. Beyond, tell us how the Fairtax would benefit those poor little-people of the North Pole! t:

 

[The Senator]

No need to call bull **** on my post - you just need to think alittle.

Ofcourse its more then "just non christians" that jump into the commercialism of Christmas. And yes, alot of Christians seem to be at the head of this - what my post meant was nothing more then, at the heart of it, how each group thinks of Christmas.

In other words, non christians enjoy the gift giving and being with family - excluding Jesus (the real reason for the holiday) while Christians enjoy the gift giving, family AND Jesus, which is the most important part. I also happen to know quite a few people who DON'T celebrate Christmas by giving present because they feel it takes away from Jesus.

And then there are the "sometimes Christians" who only remain Christians because they are infatuated with holidays such as Christmas and Easter...

 

[Figs]

I don't think the believe in Santa is believing in a false idol as nobody is praising or worshiping him really He's a guy that brings kids presents. It is sad that some Christians think more about the presents than the birth of little baby Jesus.

What's also sad is how many Athiests I know that trash talk religious peope to no end but turn around and celebrate Christmas. *smacks forehead*

I'm Agnostic so a number of years ago I told my family and friends I will not be celebrating it anymore.

As for the thread starter's question. I agree with Colossal Spoons, no one really worships Santa...he's just there to bring presents.

 

[Obi-Ron]

What's also sad is how many Athiests I know that trash talk religious peope to no end but turn around and celebrate Christmas. *smacks forehead*

Sounds like my roommate.

 

[Spider-Who?]

And then there are the "sometimes Christians" who only remain Christians because they are infatuated with holidays such as Christmas and Easter...

ah, thank you. couldnt forget those!

 

[Spider-Who?]

What's also sad is how many Athiests I know that trash talk religious peope to no end but turn around and celebrate Christmas. *smacks forehead*

I'm Agnostic so a number of years ago I told my family and friends I will not be celebrating it anymore.

As for the thread starter's question. I agree with Colossal Spoons, no one really worships Santa...he's just there to bring presents.

Really? I find that hard to compute. That is not to say your desicion was wrong by any means. I guess I'm surprised at how you'd refuse to celebrate a holiday about love and togetherness with family and friends and just not acknowledge the religious aspect if that doesnt please you. You must be the family Scrouge.

 

[Figs]

Really? I find that hard to compute. That is not to say your desicion was wrong by any means. I guess I'm surprised at how you'd refuse to celebrate a holiday about love and togetherness with family and friends and just not acknowledge the religious aspect if that doesnt please you. You must be the family Scrouge.

I'm not a scrooge at all. I do join my family but don't buy or recieve gifts.

That's the problem with most people that are spoonfed and zone out on TV...they think the holiday is something it's not. Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ and nothing more.

While I do admit and realize historically Jesus existed, I don't believe he was the son of a God. I feel stupid and ignorant by participating like alot of the other ignorant lazy people who use this holiday as an excuse to get others gifts to make them feel special inside that they 'care'.

Kind of like Valentines Day, I don't need that one day and to be told when to take my gf out and tell her I love her.

Sorry but people who celebrate it but as you put it choose not to agknowledge the religious aspect of it are simply put...fools.

Without the religious background behind it all...Christmas wouldn't exist.

 

[Spider-Who?]

I completely understand and respect that. Good for you




























...Scrooge. :P

 

[Figs]

I completely understand and respect that. Good for you


...Scrooge. :P

LOL. t:

 

[The Squirrel]

Here is an excerpt from the book More Pages from the Red Suit Diaries by Ed Butchart. A man who has been playing Santa Claus for almost 20 years.

From the chapter: The First Santa Claus

There have been some constants in all of my Santa Claus encounters. I still hear the same questions again and again, and I still answer them as though it’s the first time I’ve ever heard them. Many times this gives me a chance to give a minisermon about the significance of Christmas, and I welcome the opportunity. One of my favorite questions has to do with the roots of Santa’s role in the Christmas celebration.

A lot of people don’t know the legend of Santa Claus, so they have the mistaken opinion that Santa is a pagan figure with no relationship to the birth of Jesus Christ. Many of them have strong feelings against having Santa included in church celebrations. Unfortunately, some Santas don’t know the history either and do a poor job of explaining the connection.

The details are a bit obscure, since they go back hundreds of years. But there is no disputing the fact that the legend of Santa is based on a real man – and not just any man, but a bishop of the early church. His parents had died in one of the devastating plagues that swept Europe. This man, whose name was Nicholas, was left with a large inheritance. And though he was just a boy when his parents passed away, he found himself with the responsibility of caring for the church in his hometown of Myra, a small village in what is modern-day Turkey. Nicholas grew into a strong, healthy man and was very active in his community. When he was elected bishop, he was still quite young.

Aware of many needy families in his small village, he used his money to make their lives easier. Sometimes a family needed a specific item, and it would miraculously appear overnight. For example, there was a poor family with four daughters and no way to pay a dowry so that the daughters could marry. As the girls matured one by one, the money required to pay the dowry would mysteriously appear. The coins would be found in the elder sister’s shoes or stockings, which were hung by the fireplace to dry.

Acts of generosity spread throughout the parish – and so did theories about where the funds and items had come from. Nicholas always crept through the village very late at night, and since he knew everyone, even all the dogs, he was not confronted by a single creature. After the “miracles” had been told and retold, the stories began to spread beyond the borders of his country. Finally he was unmasked, but the legends, now attributed to Bishop Nicholas, continued to spread.

His parishioners began to call him Saint Nicholas. Years later the church would canonize him, making the title official. As the stories and legends spread throughout Europe, his name was transliterated. From Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas), it became the nickname Sinter Klaas in the Netherlands and was ultimately brought to the New World by Dutch immigrants. Eventually the name was anglicized to Santa Claus. This is, of course, a very abridged history. The full story of this man is quite remarkable. Perhaps that’s the reason there are more churches in the world named for Saint Nicholas than for any other saint.

Clement Clark Moore (or Henry Livingston Jr., as some contend) wrote the poem “Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas” (later known as “The Night Before Christmas”). This poem and the illustrations by Thomas Nast, a Civil War-era cartoonist, helped refine the modern image of Santa Claus. Then Haddon Sunbloom, the artist for the Coca-Cola advertisements of the 1930s and ‘40s, further developed the image into the Santa Claus we recognize today. The legend of Santa Claus has nothing to do with paganism and nothing to do with the Antichrist, but many people think this because they don’t know the real history of Santa Claus. That’s the reason I enjoy being Santa and sharing this true message of love, acceptance, and generosity.

 

[Addendum]

Hail Santa!!!! *devilhorns*

jag

Santanist!

 

[CeeJay]

All good things but just to let you know that line you chucked in there -
"I'm sure God doesn't even care!"

Pretty sure that is all he does all the time is care about everything. Just keeping you in the loop

I didn't mean it like, "God doesn't care - period". I meant it as, "I don't even think it's as big a deal to God as it is to super-religious, super-spiritual Christians".

Too much of the time people judge way more harshly than God does. Newsflash: you aren't God, so just relax.

It's Santa Claus we're talking about here.

 

[Spade]

I'm alright with kids believing in Santa Claus. If we were all dissuaded of our wide-eyed beliefs at an early age, this place would be no fun. What I don't approve of is what Christmas has become. It's a manufactured holiday in most regards, from being the wrong time of year to celebrate the day of Christ's birth down to the corporations that have influenced how we celebrate it. But the emphasis used to be on what Nicholas of Myra had in mind: showing goodwill towards others and getting the gift of appreciation in return. Now, it's all about people bringing out the worst in themselves and others trying to get the newest and latest item, only to wonder less than a year later why they made the effort now that it's obsolete. But that's not a flaw in Santa Claus, however corporate a symbol he has become. It's a flaw in our collective mentality. Nobody can fix that but us.

 

[Killing Joke926]

 

[pyromaniac]

I agree.

As a non-Christian (though a believer in God) it is sad to see this Christian holiday warped into a completely non-Christian event.

Goodness, as someone pointed out, Christmas was originally a pagan event, it was simply appropriated so that people like you would not know of its true history.

And I think it's funny Lunar Wolf would compare worship of God to worship of Santa Claus. There's been no evidence that's come close to actual practices in God worshipping.

 

[LexCorp]

Do the elves worship Santa?