To think parents who do this are hypocrites

[Cazzovuoi]

I'm so sad for all the kids who will miss the magic of Santa because parents don't want to lie to their kids.

It's a bizarre concept to me that you think letting your kids believe in a wonderful magical, mythical person is lying yet, if you are religious, you actively teach them to believe in a malevolent, omnipotent, all powerful, cruel being so controlling that he takes attendance on Sunday.

At least Santa was a real person.

We still did Santa stuff until DDs went to Uni even though they knew it was us - they wanted the extra presents !!!

I was always told that Santa wasn't real, hasn't done me any harm. I was also capable of not spoiling it for my friends at school until they themselves found out. None of my siblings believed in Santa either. My parents were of the opinion that lying to children doesn't benefit them in any way. Christmas was still a magical time and we'd always get excited about presents.

We're religious btw. The difference is, people choose if they want to believe in God or not. My parents took me to church every week since I was a baby, we'd have family worship at home every day. Thankfully, in my denomination - and my family - you are regularly reminded that this is what some people have chosen to believe, and you must decide for yourself if you want to make God a part of your life, or believe in Him or not. My parents wouldn't shun me if I suddenly decided to not be a Christian anymore. My parents told us how both the creation and evolution theories explain the origins of the world. At church we were taught about free will and the importance of NOT following what your parents do, but deciding for yourself when it comes to your own spirituality.

It's not hypocritical. You aren't giving children an option of believing in Santa or not. You're telling them it's fact. You should (as a decent Christian or other religion's believer) present God to your children as the truth in your own life, and encourage them to search and establish that relationship of their own accord.

"The God I know" is spouting rubbish, not what the OP said. Get a grip.

@YourFinestPantaloons

When people talk in such disparaging terms about religion, are they just talking about Christianity or are you all bold enough to admit you're talking about Islam and Hinduism too??

I try not to be disparaging. But I feel equally same about all religions.

They're all the same. Made up stories to teach a lesson/make people conform.

Assuming you're a Christian. I feel about all religions I would assume the same way you feel about Hinduism.

It's blatantly obvious (to me and you) Vishnu was never real. But I'm not going to dislike someone if the thought of it is what makes them happy.

Swap Vishnu for Noah/Moses/Allah/Waheguru/Zeus etc etc.

That's how I feel.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

How do those parents who are 'honest' stop their kids from spoiling it for other children whose families do go along with Santa?

Never worried about what other people told their children or what mine said. Everyone has their own ideas re Christmas.

I was raised in a religion that does not celebrate Christmas. There are more than you might image.
My daughter knows Saint Nicholas was a real person and that all the people who dress up as Father Christmas do it in his memory. This isnt a lie and when people tell her FC is not real, she can show on the internet or from books that he was a real person.
Parents have to make their own decisions but faith in a deity is not quite the same as believing in FC or the Easter bunny.

I don't think it was our fault, but teen daughter was always VERY VERY suspicious of anybody dressed in a costume involving such obviously fake hair/beard/stomach. She bawled her eyes out the one time she went to a Christmas grotto as a toddler and then hid from santa and his elves at an event the following year. She had an even bigger issue with humans in animal costumes with big heads. It has saved me a bomb not been pestered to go to Disneyland.

She prefers halloween.

@julieca

Why should they? Its not their job to prop up lies other parents tell their kids.

Charming. There's some miserable sods on MN, I so glad no one I know is like this!

I think people who get married in churches and who get their kids christened when they don't believe in God are hypocrites but that seems to be widely accepted

@EileenGC

I was always told that Santa wasn't real, hasn't done me any harm. I was also capable of not spoiling it for my friends at school until they themselves found out. None of my siblings believed in Santa either. My parents were of the opinion that lying to children doesn't benefit them in any way. Christmas was still a magical time and we'd always get excited about presents.

We're religious btw. The difference is, people choose if they want to believe in God or not. My parents took me to church every week since I was a baby, we'd have family worship at home every day. Thankfully, in my denomination - and my family - you are regularly reminded that this is what some people have chosen to believe, and you must decide for yourself if you want to make God a part of your life, or believe in Him or not. My parents wouldn't shun me if I suddenly decided to not be a Christian anymore. My parents told us how both the creation and evolution theories explain the origins of the world. At church we were taught about free will and the importance of NOT following what your parents do, but deciding for yourself when it comes to your own spirituality.

It's not hypocritical. You aren't giving children an option of believing in Santa or not. You're telling them it's fact. You should (as a decent Christian or other religion's believer) present God to your children as the truth in your own life, and encourage them to search and establish that relationship of their own accord.

I found this post interesting as the terms used relate to a very specific 'Christian' group and yet this group would most definitely shun. I find it refreshing when parents allow children their own choices, sadly there are laws about religious abuse because some do not

@hangrylady

I don't necessarily feel sad for the kids but I do roll my eyes at parents who 'don't want to lie to my kids'. Bore off, I know nobody that has been traumatised by finding out FC wasn't real.

🤣 bore off! We all lie to kids about stuff at some point

It's just a bit of fun isn't it
My kids thought father Xmas got his presents off the Argos catalogue!!

@Bugbabe1970

I think people who get married in churches and who get their kids christened when they don't believe in God are hypocrites but that seems to be widely accepted

I agree. I have godchildren but I'm not comfortable with it as I don't believe. I did it so as not to cause offence but I wouldn't do it again.

I didn't get married in church as that was a step too far any DH was divorced anyway. Someone I used to be friends with many years ago told me when we were young that if I got married in a registry office she would consider me living in sin as I wouldn't actually be married.

Why do you think God is cruel and malevolent? Don't forget, St Nicholas was a Christian bishop who served the God you don't believe in. God is love and he loves you very much, sorry you have been put off him by certain people - I suggest you try a different church!

@Cazzovuoi

I'm so sad for all the kids who will miss the magic of Santa because parents don't want to lie to their kids.

It's a bizarre concept to me that you think letting your kids believe in a wonderful magical, mythical person is lying yet, if you are religious, you actively teach them to believe in a malevolent, omnipotent, all powerful, cruel being so controlling that he takes attendance on Sunday.

At least Santa was a real person.

Why do you hate God so severely anyway. Clearly you don't even believe God is real. And yet you spit poison in your words! How strange.

And don't worry so much, those children are not missing any magical moments.

@Mollymoostoo we are not Jehovah's Witnesses or LDS church or anything like that. It's a protestant church, with a global organisation and national subdivisions, with a presence in over 200 countries and governed in a way that doesn't make each congregation independent. So individual churches can't just make up rules or beliefs (which is what happens in many free protestant churches or similar cults).

It does not shun those who leave the faith. We are actively encouraged to keep in touch with them and not change our behaviour on the basis of what their beliefs are - because I can't call myself a Christian if I were to judge my own family or friends like that. I don't care what those around me believe or do, it doesn't affect me.

I have cousins who have married people of a different religion or no religion at all. Family who doesn't believe anymore, friends and relatives who don't observe what the church teaches. No one has shunned them or made them feel any differently.

The sad fact that certain denominations have a reputation for treating its own members like crap if they suddenly decide they want something else in life, doesn't mean all minor religions are the same.

@Simonjt

I don’t celebrate christmas, never did the whole santa thing etc, not being a christian isn’t at all sad.

If you feel sad about children who don’t celebrate christmas and have santa, surely you’re also equally sorry for children who don’t celebrate eid, hanukkah, vaisakhi or diwali?

We did Christmas with Father Christmas and , Eid Hanukkah and Diwali. Didn't manage vaishakhi but we did do a big winter solstice celebration one year. We also did Easter but I never liked halloween or bonfire night but I think they had plenty of celebrations.

🙄

@Changethetoner

OP it is obvious that you don't attend any church. Your ignorance is showing. the God I know is not malevolent, omnipotent, all powerful, cruel or bothered about bums on seats on a Sunday. I find it rather distasteful that you spout this rubbish.

And yes, we had Santa in our family when child was small.

Not all churches are the same, and if you actually attended, you might discover this.

THIS

You are spouting rubbish, toner

Change the record.

St Nicholas is the ‘real’ person not ‘Santa’ but in England we don’t have ‘Santa’ we have Father Christmas.

Clearly bullshit. Every store has Santa, except the piously posh ones. We have a Santa train and a Santa boat near us.

@Cazzovuoi

I'm so sad for all the kids who will miss the magic of Santa because parents don't want to lie to their kids.

It's a bizarre concept to me that you think letting your kids believe in a wonderful magical, mythical person is lying yet, if you are religious, you actively teach them to believe in a malevolent, omnipotent, all powerful, cruel being so controlling that he takes attendance on Sunday.

At least Santa was a real person.

There's a slight difference op. No one believes that Father Christmas actually exists and we all grow up to understand that eventually. People who believe in God do so sincerely and in faith. Lots of them. You may think that they are both fictional characters, but people with a religious conviction would disagree.

Bit early for this thread isn’t it? We get several every year but mid October??

I think indoctrination your children into believing in god /allah/etc etc is brainwashing anyway so I would say the whole santa thing is not great but much less damaging in that most kids understand that there isn't really a santa quite young, whereas people get punished, often very severely for rejecting their parents faith

Lol at this thread.

I think you lack any imagination OP if you can’t envisage how other families do Christmas without the kids believing in Father Christmas. My kids never believed but they loved every second of Christmas. Just as my kids lovely imaginary ply they loved pretending that Santa was real. The fact they didn’t actually think FC was real made no odds.
It was the same with the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy etc.