"Santa is like metaphysical being" said DD 15

[lexcat]

When I was surprised my dd had written her letter for Santa and politely said I thought she was getting to old for that sort of thing. The letter was wonderful asking first on behalf of her for 6 year old friend, before a few small gift for herself and lastly "Peace without fighting or conflict".

This then started a very interesting conversation about Santa "Santa is like metaphysical being, this lead to Santa been the message of Christmas to atheist. I will never look a Santa in the same way, does a part of St Nicolas still live on. Meaning a part of us still believes and hence the tradition of the present in the stocking lives on hundreds of years after his death.

[DomesticAnarchist]

That's brilliant! The more I think about it the more I agree with her. (Has she considered studying philosophy...?)

I know some similar 15 year olds who think the same way.

I saw a thing on Facebook about us all being Santas - when we're old enough to realise the reality of it, we take on the task ourselves and become Santa.

I agree with her wish for peace. Who perpetuates these wars & this conflict? What kind of human does that?

[DomesticAnarchist]

This is what I saw.

[niminypiminy]

That's very similar to something that Christians believe - we are all part of Christ, and it's our task do his work on earth. As St Theresa of Avila put it:

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
No hand but yours, no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out for the earth,
Yours are the feet by which he is to go about doing good,
And yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.

As for who those people are that make war and violence - they are human beings just like us. We all have the capacity for doing terrible things, and we would get on faster towards peace if we realised that.

[Mindtrope]

Santa has his roots in many pre christian cultures.
We can trace him thorough Odin, an ancient Scandinavian god, who flies though the sky with his reindeer, Cernunnos, the Old horned god of the forest and the hunt, Santa is a pagan influence which still has meaning in our lives.
Much more meaning than jesus, for many.

[EastMidsMummy]

*That's very similar to something that Christians believe - we are all part of Christ, and it's our task do his work on earth. As St Theresa of Avila put it:

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
No hand but yours, no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out for the earth,
Yours are the feet by which he is to go about doing good,
And yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.

God can do anything on Earth if he wants to. Cure cancer. Stop wars. Prevent sick children dying. But he lets it all happen.