Holidays
A CLAUSE IN CHRISTMAS
William F. Holland Jr.
I do not consider myself a party pooper about Christmas though some may see it that way. I have nothing against people who read or watch fiction as a matter of fact I have enjoyed the world of fantasy and imagination all my life. On the other hand if you see me in the library I will most likely be in the non-fiction section as my interest falls in the areas of history, world events, philosophy and theology. I was raised along with most other American children with the familiar holiday traditions of Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year and experienced the same emotions as everyone else.
In the psychological realm it is very common to see children embrace the patterns of their heritage. When a child absorbs the sights and sounds of family traditions, ceremonies and rituals these patterns become embedded in the mind as seeds that most likely will germinate and reproduce the cycle. These ideas and interpretations grow into personal worldviews, which shape the convictions and actions called a belief system.
As a Christian I cannot help but notice the rival competition between the imaginative, super-natural characters of Western holiday culture and the true divine deity of God. We claim to be Christian nation yet most of our holidays have been altered and adapted from heathen cultures. We must admit there is no place for pantheist lies and heretic deception in the life of a true follower of Christ especially when it comes to deceiving small children. Would it really be that disappointing to a child if they were told the truth about the difference between a fable and reality from the beginning? To embrace and teach a make believe story to the young and naïve about how a human figure can perform great magical miracles that directly affect every human on the planet is nothing short of pagan worship. Here is a short list of what is actually being taught as real events concerning the image of Santa Clause, spiritual idolatry and the symbols of Christmas.
1. The only human in the history of the world that can change his body (and solid inanimate objects) into any shape or form in order to enter and exit a closed dwelling.
2. Santa has the magical power to disappear and become invisible. The original super-hero.
3. Santa has the supernatural power to fly. This would put him on the level of angels and God himself.
4. Santa has the ability of diety to be omnipresent and omniscient. This means he shares the divine power to know every person on earth, where they live and to remember each deed whether good or bad all at the same time. This constant observation and recording of individual actions is a direct imitation to the idea that God is “all knowing”, judges sin and rewards obedience.
5. Santa has the power to know the thoughts and hidden desires of every person on earth. The Bible teaches that God is the only one who can discern the thoughts, motives and intents of the conscience. Even satan can only influence.
6. We can see the types or parallels of the true God and the imposter who tries to steal the glory and attention from the Lord. The North Pole, which is the permanent dwelling of Santa, represents God living in the eternal kingdom of heaven. The elves that are magical servants of Santa represent the angels who were created to serve God day and night. The sleigh and reindeer are a type of the white horse that Christ will ride when he appears in the air. The gifts in the sleigh represent the rewards and crowns that will be given to the authentic “saints” when Christ returns. Santa comes in the night when everyone is asleep, just as Christ has said that he will return when everyone least expects as a thief in the night.
7. Santa has the authority to give animals the magical ability to talk and fly. God is the only one that has ever empowered animals to speak in a human voice and he gifted only certain animals to fly when he created them.
8. The spiritual idea of giving gifts first of all comes from the ultimate giving of Jesus to the world from the heavenly Father. The example of giving came from the Magi or travelers from the East that brought treasures for Jesus and left them with Mary and Joseph as a form of respect and worship for the promised Messiah and King of Kings. The modern idea of exchanging presents is a distorted act of generosity and has been perverted into a carnal act of selfish paganism. Worship is one sided that is demonstrated by the worshipper to the one who is being worshipped. Our human nature is self centered and filled with envy, which is always on the lookout for a “give and get” idea. In what way does the concept of our modern gift exchange program cause us to truly worship God?
9. The Christmas tree is not a modern decoration associated with a Santa Clause holiday. “Thus say’s 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 cuts 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”. (Jeremiah 10:2-4) Sounds like a Christmas tree, so why do we do it?
10. The foundation of our responsibility as followers of Christ is to teach the gospel and how to trust this good news. Yet Christians proclaim even to their own children how to have faith that Santa is real, that he will appear each year and that he can be depended on to always bring good blessings. When the child is finally told this entire story was a lie, Christian parents then proceed to tell another story about the God figure that is similar but this time it really is true. The problem with this image replacement for the child is the damaging psychological conception that it might seem impossible to give credence in any spiritual or mythological personalities. We are told from birth that Santa never fails but in real life we discover that we do not always get what we ask for and sometimes we receive suffering and failure. The negative discouragements and disappointments are never associated with Santa but in the subconscious mind God can be thought of as less reliable especially with a non-Christian atmosphere.
It doesn’t matter if the St. Nicholas idea came from Germany or the Netherlands 800 years ago, the point is we have mixed it in with what we should set aside as true and holy. We should not allow biblical truth to become tainted with fairy tales, fables and legends for the sake of enjoying an artificial sense of magical illusion. This craving for fantasy can grow into an addiction that could cause an individual to shun reality in other areas of life. This could be one reason that so many have a distorted view of the seriousness of spiritual consequences. Most people do not want to deal with the suffering and pain of bearing the cross of Christ because living in the land of magic and superstition eases the conviction of the conscience. I have lived in this world and do not intend to judge harshly but rather desire to provide an alternative view for myself to ponder. I am reminded of the Christmas card I saw in the store the other day that said; “Merry-excess” and a happy artificial.
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