Giving a Piece of My Mind on Parental Lying About Santa Claus
As we're already in the "-ber" months it's very easy to for people think about Christmas and in my case, it's easy for me to think about the Protestant Reformation. While I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with celebrating Christmas. Jeremiah 10:3-5 doesn't talk about Christmas trees but graven images. Now it's time to talk about Christmas may better be called Christless-mas for the rest of the world because all the world thinks about are presents. When it comes to presents, let me tell you about how parents teach their children to tell the truth all the time while they break their own rules by lying about Santa Claus.
I'm not going to keep focusing on the SANTA/SATAN argument for this reason. Anagrams may or may not change meaning whenever you swap the letters. Lucas may be another name for Lucifer for Satan worshipers but it's also another name for the Gospel writer Luke. Live has the same letters as vile and evil but live doesn't mean the same thing with evil and vile. Mile and lime have the same letters but they mean different things. What I'll focus on more is how lying about Santa Claus is dangerous regardless whatever name you give him. Even if they call him Santo Claus (which sounds more appropriate because Santa is a word for female saint) it's still the same dangerous deception. No, Santa isn't Satan since he's not real but he's definitely one of Satan's cleverly done schemes to distract people from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I'm not going to keep focusing on the SANTA/SATAN argument for this reason. Anagrams may or may not change meaning whenever you swap the letters. Lucas may be another name for Lucifer for Satan worshipers but it's also another name for the Gospel writer Luke. Live has the same letters as vile and evil but live doesn't mean the same thing with evil and vile. Mile and lime have the same letters but they mean different things. What I'll focus on more is how lying about Santa Claus is dangerous regardless whatever name you give him. Even if they call him Santo Claus (which sounds more appropriate because Santa is a word for female saint) it's still the same dangerous deception. No, Santa isn't Satan since he's not real but he's definitely one of Satan's cleverly done schemes to distract people from the Lord Jesus Christ.
What's the problem with lying about Santa Claus to one's children? Lying about Santa Claus sets up the root of works salvation in a person's mind. A person may not necessarily become an atheist after he or she finds out Santa Claus isn't real but it builds up that dangerous root. As a person who used to believe in Santa Claus, I was also taught works salvation. If you remember the song "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" it also says that Santa Claus knows whether you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake. Not only is Santa Claus given godlike abilities to know who's been bad or good but it also teaches works salvation. To say that if you don't act well you don't get a gift is also contradictory. The reason is a gift is something that's not deserved while a reward is something you deserve. When you've got a child believing in Santa Claus, they're most likely to believe that they can earn their way to Heaven.
Here's the reality that we must face. We've all been naughty and nobody's nice by God's standards. God has been making a list on who's naughty and nice and we've all been naughty. The fictitious Santa Claus doesn't even look like he'd offer forgiveness to the naughty. But God offers both forgiveness and new life to the naughty through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 3:10-19 and James 2:10-11 show this ugly reality that no amount of your own personal merit can make up for that tiny little sin you did. Everyone who's stolen brass is going to Hell with everyone who's stolen gold. The problem behind do it yourself salvation is that man is inclined to do wrong. That's why many who teach works salvation end up acting like they have a license to sin. It offers no grace to do good. On the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't only offer forgiveness and freedom from the penalty of Hell but also freedom from the power of sin. Every time the Gospel grows the power of sin is destroyed and lives are renewed by His grace.
Here's the reality that we must face. We've all been naughty and nobody's nice by God's standards. God has been making a list on who's naughty and nice and we've all been naughty. The fictitious Santa Claus doesn't even look like he'd offer forgiveness to the naughty. But God offers both forgiveness and new life to the naughty through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 3:10-19 and James 2:10-11 show this ugly reality that no amount of your own personal merit can make up for that tiny little sin you did. Everyone who's stolen brass is going to Hell with everyone who's stolen gold. The problem behind do it yourself salvation is that man is inclined to do wrong. That's why many who teach works salvation end up acting like they have a license to sin. It offers no grace to do good. On the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't only offer forgiveness and freedom from the penalty of Hell but also freedom from the power of sin. Every time the Gospel grows the power of sin is destroyed and lives are renewed by His grace.
Need I remind you that Romans 2:21 says, "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?" If parents are teaching their children not to lie why do they lie about Santa Claus? They can go ahead and say that it's just a little white lie and that they're excused. I'm sorry but the Bible says that you must practice what you teach or preach! What's worse is that parental double standard is one of the many reasons why many children today just don't grow up right aside from overindulgence and child abuse.