“Convincing children that there is a man who lives at the North Pole who monitors their behavior and annually distributes presents.”My position is: No. This is both immoral and counterproductive to raising children in the Christian faith.
Today I’m going to defend this claim with a somewhat Thomistic flair.
Thesis:
To lie is to speak an untruth with the intention to convince a person of something which is untrue. Lying is wrong.
The Santa Myth involves convincing children that a jolly man at the North Pole judges their behavior and annually distributes gifts accordingly - which is untrue.
Thus, the Santa Myth is a form of lying and is thus immoral. And by necessity, it will produce bad fruit and should not be used in Christian parenting.
Objection 1:
“It would seem the Santa myth is fine. After all, you’re teaching them about a valuable role model in gift-giving. In addition, children need to be accustomed to fables and fanciful tales for the healthy development of their imagination.”
Sed Contra:
When I read “Jack and the Beanstalk” to my kids, I’m not trying to convince them it's real. We are all aware it is imaginary.
However, when parents teach the Santa Myth, they do not teach the fable as a fable. Rather, they are asserting the myth as fact and their children believe it to be real. That is called… lying.
If the Santa Myth was taught as a myth, it would be different.
Objection 2:
“It would seem the Santa myth is fine because it is fun and increases the wonder of the holiday.”
Sed Contra:
Lying could perhaps be excused if one does it for a grave reason, such as when one hides a refugee from government agents who aim to kill him. But the fact that the Santa myth is done for merriment means the deception is not done for a vital or grave reason. In fact, that it is done for fun only makes it worse.
Further, the true joy of the holiday is found in the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem. To propose the Santa myth as a necessary addition, one would have to suppose that the birth of Jesus from the Virgin is insufficiently wondrous.
In practice, what has happened is the Santa Myth obscures the actual events of Christmas - becoming a useful, non-religious marketing tool for the holiday... and a distraction for Christians.
Objection 3:
“It would seem the Santa myth is fine because it is harmless and children eventually grow out of it.”
Sed Contra:
True, for many this might prove harmless - as not wearing a seatbelt is harmless on most commutes to work. Until it suddenly isn't.
Consider this saying from the Friendly Atheist blog:
"On one hand, they don’t want to present myth as fact. It’s a form of lying to your kids, even if it’s all in good fun, and some parents object to that on principle. On the other hand, it’s just a story and the kids will eventually grow out of it, so what’s the big deal?! Plus, discovering the truth about Santa is like training wheels for God." [link]You see, when children figure out the truth about Santa, they may likewise realize their parents are willing concoct elaborate supernatural lies to encourage good behavior.
What happens when the child takes that seed of skepticism (which YOU planted) and begins applying it to actual supernatural truths? Like… all that stuff about God and Jesus?
And at a time when apathy, skepticism, secularism, agnosticism, and Atheism are rising cultural forces… is this really the lesson you wish to teach your child?
Objection 4:
“It would seem the Santa myth is fine because when the child figures out it is false, I can then explain how it is a myth and the Christian faith is real history.”Sed Contra:
Shouldn't you have been doing that all along?
Instead, now you already discredited yourself by demonstrating to your child the willingness to concoct elaborate lies. What motivation does your child have to believe you?
Objection 5:
“It would seem the Santa myth must be taught, because not doing so will turn your kid into the one who spoils it for others. Then he will get made fun of and you will be held in low esteem by other parents.”Sed Contra:
This is only a problem because it exposes the other parents as liars. The fault is not with you or your child, but with them.
Would you encourage your child to engage in promiscuity so as not to bring shame to parents who do likewise? No.
As Christian parents we should not be concerned about the esteem of other parents, for the Apostle says:
"If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."And if you child encounters hardship as the result of spreading the real truth about Christmas, he/she is indeed more blessed. As it is written:
"If you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed."
Conclusion:
Teaching the Santa myth is morally wrong because it is lying without grave reason. Further, it obstructs the real meaning of Christmas while blurring the line between history and myth. Lastly, it can dispose your child to distrust you and dismiss your attempts to inculcate the Christian faith at a time when our culture is already dragging them away from it.
Therefore, I propose that the Santa Myth should be taught as myth. Children can relate to Santa the way they relate to other beloved fictional characters. They are treasured figures, but not actual features of reality.
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