Suite101 e-Book
Santa Claus: Is He for Your Child?

When I was growing up, the onslaught didn’t begin until Thanksgiving Day when the Christmas sales began running during the football games. Today the jolly old elf can’t wait—sometimes he’s out with the Halloween displays or even hawking “Christmas in July.” In the minds of many Santa Claus, with his red suit and white beard, is equated with Christmas. Even people that abhor anything religious honor this particular patron saint every Christmas!

It is sad that more people think about Santa than about our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmastime. For the two today stand directly opposed to each other. Jesus offers full and free forgiveness of all of our sins through his innocent blood shed on the cross of Calvary. Santa offers toys and goodies to those who are “good little boys and girls.” That we have two diametrically opposing themes at Christmas is bad enough; that the diabolical legalism of Santa Claus is gaining more acceptance and popularity is a tragedy.

The myth of Santa has grown to gigantic proportions. He is able to know all, to judge each and every child, to make reindeer fly and do all these things at the North Pole! Obviously Santa has slowly taken the place of God, doing things which only God can do. Unfortunately, this “god” is a legalistic “god”, dispensing gifts only upon those who deserve them. As a popular Christmas song states:
He knows when you are sleeping,
He knows when you’re awake,
He knows if you’ve been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!
So you better not pout, you better not cry
You better watch out, I’m telling you why--
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Many of us are familiar with Rudolph, the Red-nose Reindeer. Again, another tale that reveals that this “saint” is less than saintly. Rudolph is shunted aside—until he proves his worth “one foggy Christmas Eve.” A far cry from the God-man Jesus Christ who preached repentance and forgiveness to all sinners in the New Testament!

This treatise looks at the origins of Santa Claus. It looks at how the myth started, how it grew, where the various names that St. Nick is also known by originated and how we got our jolly old elf that many today have come to know and love.

The main point of this treatise is to point out how the myth of Santa Claus is diametrically opposed to the truth of Jesus Christ. Whether we use our Christian freedom to pay some honor to St. Nicholas or Santa Claus in our home or not is for each Christian to decide for himself or herself. But as in any decision we make, the best decision is an informed decision. This treatise sets out to give you that information in order to make an intelligent decision.

Foremost is that to God alone be the Glory, Forever and ever, Amen.

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