So, you tell your kids "Santa flies around the world giving presents to people. The moral is giving is the true present. Lots of kids are given presents by their parents simulating santa claus, in order to propagate the joy of the story. Except you. Because of some never defined reason. Sorry."Capricious said:I did mention stories and history. The good samaritan is a story. The history of santa clause is a story. The bible is an amalgam of stories. If you want more names you will not find them to be in english. These are the values that you place. These stories are meant to guide children. I have been told by my chinese grandmother many folktales and have never told me the names. Why did she not tell me the names? Because that does not matter what matters is if I learned from it. I have been told stories where the good get punished by my hatian grandmother. She has not told me the names of those stories. Why? the same reason. This was to teach me a moral. I have read the original grimm fairytales many of which have evil and good become punished. Many main characters even get rewards without intending to do so. A story of the foolish man that gave till he was completely eaten and even while being eaten he had a smile on his face. These are the stories that I tell my daughter along with the disney fluff. I do not limit to one type of story and she actually likes the more morbid stories compared to the disney fluff due to the realism. These types of stories are in more circulation around the world compared to what is only in english.woodaba said:You didn't answer my question. You are just merrily skipping around it, providing points which are largely irrelevant. You are waffling.Capricious said:Either you do not read the bible or any other religious text which does have many stories that have people do good things for no reward. The original story for santa clause ,if you would notice, he was never rewarded except the children's smiling faces. As of now in America we need a reward for an incentive to do anything whether good or bad. We feel it necessary to survive just the day. So we make stories to promote that fact. History can even be looked to show there are people have done good deeds without reward. And before you say anything about the good samaritan in the bible look at this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan and the torah never mentions that doing good deeds send you to heaven it is merely promoted.woodaba said:Clearly you do not read. My post is nothing about that. Plus, every "story" where the hero is a good person, they are rewarded for it. Name me one childrens story where the good guy is not rewarded. Most people need a reward for good deeds, and Santa Claus is no different. If you and your kids can be good without any reward, then I commend you, but the vast majority of people need a reward. Thats why religon exists.Capricious said:I also see that you do not read. So let me reiterate that I does not matter that santa is real but what he purveys. He is a storybook character based on a real man. This is to help teach children what to be considered. Therefore he is to just convey the fact that you must have a year round attitude but get rewards for it. What I ask is why promote any such idea of rewarding good behavior. Why not just take it as a story to learn a moral? Why not show your detest and hate to the world? Why must we only come together once in a year? If you take these as rhetorical I will not fault you. I am a parent that view that children as do we need to learn and relearn values. The way to teach may be different but all the same the child will learn. And since the child will learn regardless of what we teach others will teach in our place.woodaba said:And here we come to the crux of it. You sir, hate children. That does not make you a bad person. My first girlfriend despised children. There is no manual that says "Raising Kids for Dummies". However, it is not incredibly difficult to know how to raise a child. You have to be dedicated, you have to be patient, you have to be strong. You make these points about incredibly traumatic events, and bombs, and child abuse. THIS IS FUCKING SANTA CLAUS. Yes, it is a lie. But you know what? WE LIE EVERY DAY. Actors lie as part of their profession! Being traumatised because of the Santa lie is like being traumatised by learning that James Bond is a fictional character. Santa is a harmless, fun thing for parents. As a parent, I know this. You are not a parent. You do not know. You also, as I predict, find children repulsive. Santa claus is NOT FOR YOU. IT IS FOR US. STOP TRYING TO BE A SMARTARSE, AND LET US GO ABOUT OUR BUSINESS.The Virgo said:I see Santa didn't give you any punctuation marks for Christmas.Capricious said:Look this does not matter if it is truth fiction real or fake this santa clause was once adopted as a story of old saint nick from germany where the parents were to poor to promote such an idea where saint nick was an old toy maker that whittled in his free time he gave his creations to kids when he passed by nothing more he became over glorified by being dubbed a saint after his death and renamed santa clause when translated is saintly cause. now it is used to promote consumerism on winter solstice pagan holiday later made to be hedonistic then was made to be christian based giving underlying "tones." Anger is unnecessary in this I personally do not celebrate any holiday due to my religious beliefs saying why have festivities on one given day why can it not be every day what make this day different and don't say christmas cheer or some nonsense like that.
There's just no right way to raise a child. Hence why I don't want one.
I ask again, Name me one Children's story where the good guy does not get their just rewards.
You certainly have a point, I remember liking the morbid stuff when I was a kid too, but the fact remains: Why is passing off the Santa myth as real somehow harmful to the moral? If anything its less harmful because they experience the joy of giving first hand. That is the core of the santa mythos.