Thought of the Day 12.15.08

At this time of year, some Christians wonder whether to promote Santa Claus, and my view is that we should not. Not because Santa is a sort of deity that kids petition with their requests and then try to appease with their good deeds. That’s a problem, but there’s something much more fundamental here.

Children are born without a clear template for God, so they must learn Who He Is. But given the early exposure and the lovability of Santa, I worry that children will long find their picture of God tainted by this being who is everything a man-made god would be: predictable, safe, jolly, plump, and cuddly. Like a bearded, gift-giving Buddha.

But the real God is terrifying, fierce, mysterious, and extremely unlike Santa in so many ways. We have a whole generation of people following prosperity preachers whose god looks much more like Santa than he looks like the God of the Bible. Could their popularity be the long-term consequence of emphasizing Santa at Christmas?

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