The Santa Claus Myth - A Religious Allegory?

[Arken]

I just came to this realization during a conversation on IRC-

Santa is all-seeing and all-knowing and will know if you are sinning or not. If you sin, he punishes you with coal, something that burns in a fire. If you're good, he rewards you with presents.

It's sort of a way to indoctrinate kids into the basic tenets of the belief structure.

[Colorado Infidel]

But then again, by the same token, once a child learns Santa is make believe, the parallels could lead them down a path of rationalism re: the existence of deities.
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He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.

Is it Santa? Is it God? Is it Ashcroft?

[Amos]

Originally posted by Arken
I just came to this realization during a conversation on IRC-

Santa is all-seeing and all-knowing and will know if you are sinning or not. If you sin, he punishes you with coal, something that burns in a fire. If you're good, he rewards you with presents.

It's sort of a way to indoctrinate kids into the basic tenets of the belief structure.

Santa is a Disneyfied idiot but the 'real' St. Nicholas is a very dignified saint. He has all the god-like qualities and his arrival is awaited by children in fear and trembling (?) for 4 weeks prior to Dec. 6. The Dec.6 date foreshadows Epiphany for adults on Jan.6

Where I come from 'black Petes' were his helpers and they could punish or at least would pretend to punish to make things exciting.

[Llyricist]

This is not a new revealation around here. For some laughs (I Loved this thread) check this thread:
http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59581

[Ponzi]

Hello everyone, first post for me.



Anyway, I've seen here and many other places the phrase "God is Santa Claus for adults."

Being an atheist, I do see the similarities, but it's a comparison I'd avoid in trying to have an intelligent discussion. I'd save it for the irrational kooks to whom an intelligent discussion is a foreign concept.

[nermal]

There are obvious similarities between Santaism and any other religion. Good behavior is rewarded, bad behavior is punished. You must have faith and believe.

The biggest difference being a belief in Santa is infinitely more rational. The evidence for Santa is much greater than other deities.
Ed

[Pyrrho]

Originally posted by nermal
There are obvious similarities between Santaism and any other religion. Good behavior is rewarded, bad behavior is punished. You must have faith and believe.

The biggest difference being a belief in Santa is infinitely more rational. The evidence for Santa is much greater than other deities.
Ed

Absolutely. One can see the many presents for oneself. They obviously did not simply appear without someone placing them there. In the case of God, typically one has to deny what one sees in order to continue to believe, as there being so much evil in the world is not compatible with an omnipotent, omniscient, perfectly benevolent being. But Santa is not supposed to have those qualities, so such considerations do not prove that Santa does not exist.

[Quantum Ninja]

Santa is God-belief with training wheels.

[Artemus]

My wife told me that as a young child she thought that God brought all the presents. She never was told that, but just saw the similarities between what she was told about Santa and what she was told about God. Being that perceptive, she of course quit believing in both.

[parkdalian]

Oh! You better watch out,
You better not die,
You better not doubt,
I'm telling you why:
God Almighty's coming to town!

He's making a list,
Checking it well,
Gonna find out who's goin' to Hell.
God Almighty's coming to town!

He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for Christ's sake!
Oh! You better watch out,
You better not die,
You better not doubt,
I'm telling you why:
God Almighty's coming to town!