Is telling children that they believe in God the same as telling them about Santa?

[Pruners]

Message withdrawn

I think that telling kids about FC, tooth fairies etc is a fine way to inoculate them against taking any other imaginary friends seriously the older they get.
As to those people whining about other people (and other children) telling your DC there is/isn't no Apollo/Jesus/Thor/Spaghetti monster, well your kids are going to encounter kids (and adults) with opposite views to yours whether you're rational or superstitious, unless you lock them in the house and never let them socialise or read anything.

Oh and living your life by The Bible: how many neighbours have you had to stone to death today?

Well, I mentioned Thor, Apollo, Ra et al, but only to point out how I feel the God of the Christian faith to have as much or as little validity as they do. I've no intention of keeping any of these myths from my children.

i'm going to tell my dd about fc, not because i want her to believe it as literal truth but because i see it as a bit of fun, fairly harmless and because she's never going to get loads of presents - just what we can afford.

but as i'm coming back to christianity i will simultaneously tell her about the birth of Jesus, and the whole story of the nativity, to emphasise that that's where christmas really comes from.

and when she get's older and asks if fc really exists, i'll tell her the truth and when she asks if God exists i'll tell her what i believe.

nicely put, Suebaroo, as ever. I notice that people ask you questions and then very often change the subject after they read your thought provoking answers

I teach my children that Christmas is Jesus' birthday (we have a birthday cake for breakfast on Christmas morning), and that we celebrate because Jesus came so that we can be friends with God.

I don't say much about FC, but when they ask, I say that there used to be a man who brought children presents to celebrate Jesus' birthday, and that people like to pretend he still does.I am uncomfy with the idea of lying to my children, and so will not tell them FC is real. They are very welcome to hang stockings/leave food for reindeer etc if they want to though, in the spirit of good fun, and we will happily go along with the pretend, just as I do when we pretend there is a tiger coming for tea or a caterpillar living in the toothpaste tube.

I have Christian friends who do tell their kids FC is real though, and thats fine.

Speaking for myself, I don't agree with the implication that I have no response to Sue's answers to my questions.

She is one of the most reasonable and sensible Christians I've debated with (apart from being a creationist, which I think is barking, but she won't be bothered about that ). I just sometimes know that these things have been endlessly re-argued elsewhere and that, with someone like Sue who has no insidious agenda to push (unlike some other religious people), it's often more useful and interesting just to move on, because we could argue but it would only end in our agreeing to disagree. Which is nice, but not terribly interesting.

Does that sound reasonable?...

OI! I'm a reasonable and sensible Christian too you atheist pig!

My son is 4 and we have never had the God/Jesus discussion with him. It is not relevant to our household/family. We celebrate christmastime but not in that context. We celebrate "father christmas". Ho Ho Ho!

sorry UQD, I didn't mean to offend you. It was you that made me say it, but only because it reminded me that I have seen it happen quite a few times before, with other people, not you. Suebaroo has a good turn of phrase and a gentle and respectful way of putting things, which often silences people.

You are right to leave well alone rather then endlessly debating the same thing. Sorry again.

Decides against it, just...