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Since becoming a follower of Jesus back in 1995, I have always been uneasy with the idea of Santa. I’ve talked to many Christians\u00a0who feel the same way and consequently have decided not to raise their kids to believe in the whole Santa mythology. Some don’t like the idea of telling their kids an elaborate lie, especially if they are at the same time trying to teach them the truth about God. Some don’t like the fact that the whole Santa story overshadows and distracts kids from the original Christmas story about Jesus. I remember once\u00a0a\u00a0non-Christian friend of mine\u00a0telling me that if I wasn’t going to teach my kids about Santa then I would be robbing them of the magic of Christmas. I responded that the idea of God coming to earth in the form of a human being was pretty “magical” to me!<\/p>\n
Some other parents aren’t stressed\u00a0so much about the fantasy element of Santa. Rather their issue is with his message. The original story of St Nicholas generously giving gifts to poor children has been replaced over time by the\u00a0commercialised cartoon Santa who lives in the North Pole, has elves who make all the toys and who distributes gifts based on whether a child is “naughty” or “nice”. I have long observed and reflected on this message. I have thought about what it teaches children and how this moralistic message is very close to the mistaken ideas that many people have about the Christian gospel. Even back in 2007 I made a silly video that spoofed the election campaign of the soon-to-be Prime Minister,\u00a0Kevin Rudd. Here it is:<\/p>\n
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