What's wrong with Santa Claus?

[Samuel Adams]

In a word ?

Everything.

The worst of it is that most parents give "Santa" just a little bit more substance in the lives of their little ones, than they give the Messiah......and then, when the kid turns 12-14, give or take.....the figure out that "Santa" is a myth.

So is it any wonder the current generation has zero interest in that "other guy" that gets paid a modicum of lip service, usually around the pagan holidays ?

[Sherree]

In a word ?

Everything.

The worst of it is that most parents give "Santa" just a little bit more substance in the lives of their little ones, than they give the Messiah......and then, when the kid turns 12-14, give or take.....the figure out that "Santa" is a myth.

So is it any wonder the current generation has zero interest in that "other guy" that gets paid a modicum of lip service, usually around the pagan holidays ?

So true, Sam.

[Forty9er]

I'm sure many here have shared good reasons why they want to throw Santa under the bus, but I thought it might be good to bring a little perspective to the discussion, while at the same time I will officially remain neutral on the subject. The following is from Wikipedia:

Saint Nicholas of Myra was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra (now Demre) in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Empire, now in Turkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. In continental Europe (more precisely the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany) he is usually portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes.

During the Middle Ages, often on the evening before his name day of 6 December, children were bestowed gifts in his honour. This date was earlier than the original day of gifts for the children, which moved in the course of the Reformation and its opposition to the veneration of saints in many countries on the 24th and 25th of December. So Saint Nicholas changed to Santa Claus. The custom of gifting to children at Christmas has been propagated by Martin Luther as an alternative to the previous very popular gift custom on St. Nicholas, to focus the interest of the children to Christ instead of the veneration of saints.

I was raised by my parents with the traditional celebration of Christmas, including Santa Claus, and I seemed to have turned out all right (well, maybe that could be subject to debate). When I was young, Christmas was all about gifts and toys, as I am sure it is for most young children. But a little later, after I had accepted Christ, Christmas was much more a thankful celebration of Christ's birth, and the reason for His birth, which was often brought to mind by all of the Christmas carols.

When I was in my middle to late teens I witnessed the desertion from the church (small "c") by most of the kids that I had known and grew up with in the church, even though the church we attended was a good, conservative, Bible believing church. I think a number of reasons could be mentioned for why that occurred but I don't think any of those reasons had anything to do specifically with Santa Claus.

[Look4Truth]

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. ~ John 4:24

Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. ~ Jeremiah 10:2-6


There is NO truth in the pagan holiday of Christmas. None. It's full of satan's darkness only. The early Christians revolted and refused to allow this pagan practice into their church... and eventually lost out to the ritual-loving, pagan-following ilk.

It boggles my mind to know that true Christians still defend this horrific pagan practice which drags God's name through the mud. It's full of lies, deceit and earthly lusts.

God have mercy on us.

[Look4Truth]

Description: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY AND THE NEXT 4 DAYS OF THE "SOLSTICE"

Christmas is from God? Is it Christian? I think not.

[Forty9er]

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. ~ John 4:24

Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. ~ Jeremiah 10:2-6


There is NO truth in the pagan holiday of Christmas. None. It's full of satan's darkness only. The early Christians revolted and refused to allow this pagan practice into their church... and eventually lost out to the ritual-loving, pagan-following ilk.

It boggles my mind to know that true Christians still defend this horrific pagan practice which drags God's name through the mud. It's full of lies, deceit and earthly lusts.

God have mercy on us.

Wow! It seems like you may be sugar coating this a little too much. Maybe in your next post you could tell us what you really think. On second thought that might be so hot it would scorch my computer screen.

But I have a better suggestion. Take 2 Romans chapter 14's and get back to me in the morning.

But seriously, if your comments were only directed at the way the world views and celebrates Christmas I might agree. But here is the problem. You reference John 4:24 at the beginning of your post which says that we should worship God in spirit, which is every Christian's right to do as the Holy Spirit leads him to do. But then in the rest of your post you turn right around and tell Christians they are not free to do that if they think they can worship God as part of ANY celebration of Christmas, regardless of what is in their heart. That view is inconsistent with what Romans 14 teaches.

[somoprepper08]

Wow! It seems like you may be sugar coating this a little too much. Maybe in your next post you could tell us what you really think. On second thought that might be so hot it would scorch my computer screen.

But I have a better suggestion. Take 2 Romans chapter 14's and get back to me in the morning.

But seriously, if your comments were only directed at the way the world views and celebrates Christmas I might agree. But here is the problem. You reference John 4:24 at the beginning of your post which says that we should worship God in spirit, which is every Christian's right to do as the Holy Spirit leads him to do. But then in the rest of your post you turn right around and tell Christians they are not free to do that if they think they can worship God as part of ANY celebration of Christmas, regardless of what is in their heart. That view is inconsistent with what Romans 14 teaches.

Exactly why this person is on my ignore list!

[PsalmSinger]

Peace on Earth? Not during New York suburbs' Christmas light wars






By Barbara Goldberg and Mike Wood

ReutersDecember 21, 2017



View photos

Christmas lights decorations are lit at the Halliwell family home in Roseville Terrace in Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S. on December 20, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Wood
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By Barbara Goldberg and Mike Wood
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. homeowners festooning their front lawns with thousands of twinkling lights, massive inflated Santas, candy canes and reindeer to spark smiles are instead igniting ornament wars, enraging neighbors over traffic, pollution and safety concerns.

Over-the-top Christmas displays have turned normally quiet neighborhoods in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut into tourist destinations - and pitted neighbor against neighbor in a battle of privacy versus holiday cheer.

Amid the bedazzled homes in the Dyker Heights section of New York's Brooklyn borough, December crowds from as far away as Japan are expected to top last year's 100,000 gawkers, said Fran Vella-Marrone, president of Dyker Heights Civic Association. Tour buses arrive nightly from Maryland and elsewhere during peak season from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1.
"This is a residential neighborhood - not Times Square!" Vella-Marrone said.

Eye-popping photographs posted on social media have lured multitudes, twisting the once-charming local holiday event into an out-of-control block party, said Josephine Beckmann, district manager of the local community board.

"The street becomes completely filled with pedestrians," Beckmann said. "Last year, an ambulance had trouble accessing the street."

Neighbors blamed hot chocolate and popcorn vendors for blocking driveways, creating mountains of trash and polluting the air with their idling food trucks. This year Dyker Heights organizers sought a permit to ban vendors and secure sanitation and extra police services, but city officials rejected their application.

On a quiet dead-end street in Old Bridge, New Jersey, meanwhile, neighbors took matters into their own hands. When crowds returned to gape at Tom Apruzzi's annual display of 300,000 lights decking his home, some neighbors told CBS2 they were outraged by the legions of onlookers and Apruzzi said he bore the brunt of their anger.

"There's been a broken windshield on one of my trucks, there's been spitting on sides of the truck, harassment issues. Starting to get pretty bad," Apruzzi told CBS2-TV.

In Fairfield, Connecticut, police stepped in to cool tempers and negotiate a compromise after 40 neighbors signed a petition protesting parking problems created by hordes viewing Gene Halliwell's holiday electrical extravagance on Roseville Terrace.

The display known as "Wonderland on Roseville," now in its 18th year, drew 30,000 visitors last year, said Fairfield Police Lieutenant Robert Kalamaras.
As part of the deal, neighbors agreed to a temporary parking ban on one side of the street. The homeowner, who could not be reached for comment, agreed to turn off the lights an hour earlier - by 9 p.m. local time on weekdays - and to turn down the volume on a loop of the theme song from "Frozen," Kalamaras said.

Some neighbors - and even potential neighbors - remain delighted by the flashy exhibit. Olia Yelner, an attorney who is considering moving to the neighborhood from nearby Trumbull, Connecticut, parked at a home for sale that overlooks the Halliwell's display and gazed at the spectacle with her 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son.
"We thought that if we bought it we could look out onto the lights each evening," she said, breaking into a smile.

[Look4Truth]

Wow! It seems like you may be sugar coating this a little too much. Maybe in your next post you could tell us what you really think. On second thought that might be so hot it would scorch my computer screen.

But I have a better suggestion. Take 2 Romans chapter 14's and get back to me in the morning.

But seriously, if your comments were only directed at the way the world views and celebrates Christmas I might agree. But here is the problem. You reference John 4:24 at the beginning of your post which says that we should worship God in spirit, which is every Christian's right to do as the Holy Spirit leads him to do. But then in the rest of your post you turn right around and tell Christians they are not free to do that if they think they can worship God as part of ANY celebration of Christmas, regardless of what is in their heart. That view is inconsistent with what Romans 14 teaches.

I remember being angry when first confronted with the truth about Christmas too, it's a tough one to crack.

I respect your biblical knowledge but frankly I'm disappointed in you. If there's anyone here who should have come to terms with the satanic nature of Christmas by now, it's you.

Yes, as a born again believer in Jesus Christ is free to practice pagan rituals if they so choose. It's not wise nor is it a good thing but you can. But do you think God likes that kind of worship? Do you think He likes tying satanic rituals to His name? Do you think He likes putting a satanic star of lucifer on top of a pagan tree and claiming it in His name? Do you think He likes the promotion of mythical figures who promote greed and lie to little children that steer them away from the truth of Jesus Christ? Do you think he likes seeing you place pagan objects of fertility around your house in His name?

I think not. Absolutely, positively not. God hates Christmas because it's satanic. It's based on lies, born out of satan's imaginations.

Would you erect an altar to baal in your living room? No different than erecting a pagan tree and decorating it.

Would you put an upside-down cross on the top of your tree? No different than the satanic, luciferian star.

It's all garbage. It's all lies. It's all evil. It's all straight out of the pit of hell.

Now, you can choose to continue your satanic practices and tie them to the worship of Jesus Christ if you like, but you should be ashamed. With your knowledge of the truth, holding on to these kinds of satanic practices is not smart. You should know better than that.



"Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might." ~ Jeremiah 10:2-6


There is NOTHING new under the sun. Hath God said?

[Forty9er]

I remember being angry when first confronted with the truth about Christmas too, it's a tough one to crack.

I respect your biblical knowledge but frankly I'm disappointed in you. If there's anyone here who should have come to terms with the satanic nature of Christmas by now, it's you.

Yes, as a born again believer in Jesus Christ is free to practice pagan rituals if they so choose. It's not wise nor is it a good thing but you can. But do you think God likes that kind of worship? Do you think He likes tying satanic rituals to His name? Do you think He likes putting a satanic star of lucifer on top of a pagan tree and claiming it in His name? Do you think He likes the promotion of mythical figures who promote greed and lie to little children that steer them away from the truth of Jesus Christ? Do you think he likes seeing you place pagan objects of fertility around your house in His name?

I think not. Absolutely, positively not. God hates Christmas because it's satanic. It's based on lies, born out of satan's imaginations.

Would you erect an altar to baal in your living room? No different than erecting a pagan tree and decorating it.

Would you put an upside-down cross on the top of your tree? No different than the satanic, luciferian star.

It's all garbage. It's all lies. It's all evil. It's all straight out of the pit of hell.

Now, you can choose to continue your satanic practices and tie them to the worship of Jesus Christ if you like, but you should be ashamed. With your knowledge of the truth, holding on to these kinds of satanic practices is not smart. You should know better than that.

I know that is what the Sacred Namers and the legalistic Law keepers say. They would want to condemn Christians for observing any day for any reason if it isn't one of the feasts from the Law. And when did a common star become a Luciferian star with no other possible way to view it? Don't you think it could represent the star of Bethlehem or be a reference to Christ, the bright morning star? I'm not going to argue with you about the origins of all of these things because I don't know the absolute truth and I don't think you do either. And maybe that is my point:

Rom 14:5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Rom 14:6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

But if you or anyone else believes Christmas is entirely Satanic, then by all means have nothing to do with it. But I don't think what you believe about Christmas is what all Christians believe, even after they have heard your opinion.