Our familiar Christmas character, Santa Claus, has a lesser known origin. Saint Nicholas (270-343AD) was the Bishop of Myra. He had a reputation for generosity, the reason for his modern "job" of Santa Claus. There are many tales of his kindness, even if they can't be verified. Nicholas of Bari was present at the Council of Nicaea (325AD) for the debate over the Arian heresy. Arius argued that Jesus was not God, but was a created being. The story goes that Nicholas lost his temper and either slapped or punched Arius for his heresy, and was imprisoned for it. I think I would have liked Nicholas for his fervor for true doctrine. But, what about his "protégé," our modern Santa Claus? Nicholas sought to be ... saintly, a good model of Christ. Is Santa such a model?
Santa, as we all know, knows who's naughty and nice. Jesus knows, too. Check. He rewards the nice kids with gifts. Well, actually, Jesus forgives the sins of those who repent and believe, so ... not quite check. Santa threatens to put coal in the stockings of the bad kids ... but never, ever does it. Jesus promises judgment to those who don't repent, and certainly carries it out in the end. Absolutely not check. Our modern Santa is a white-haired "deity" kind of being who is "kindly" and certainly not judgmental. Santa acknowledges "naughty" as well as "nice," but ends up putting all kids in the "nice" category. Definitely not just. His primary job is to give everyone (well, at least kids) what they want -- a divine butler, if you will. This character is so far from Christ as to suggest something ... devious, deceitful ... dare I say ... satanic.
Our Santa Claus, then, modeled after a true believer and follower of Christ, offers Satan's version of a god who is only nice and never judgmental. This version tries very hard to give everyone what they want and, well, darn it all, sometimes just can't. A more destructive image of a "saint" could probably not be found. I would definitely put our modern "Santa" in the category of "Satan Claws" rather than anything Christ-like.
5 comments:
Attacking Santa, huh? You been listening to the Church Lady?
It is very telling that our culture will happily promote this omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, nonjudgmental, benevolent, magical, mythical substitute for God--particularly to our vulnerable children--but will not accept the true and very real Supreme Being as He has revealed Himself to us. What perhaps started out as a good role model has morphed into a mockery of God. Thank you for reminding us of the need to watch out for Satan’s influences all around us--even those that serve to tarnish the blessed event of the Savior’s birth.
P.S. Good play on words in your title. (I also recall the funny “sanity clause” bit in the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera.) And I too admire Nicholas’ “fervor for true doctrine” (even as I strive to keep my temper about such things!).
Maybe it is because I have no kids and grew up knowing that "Santa" was Grandma. I don't remember ever believing him to be real. With that, and what you wrote here, it always gives me pause when I hear Christian parents speaking of Santa to their kids as if he's real.
That is so cute, as if "Santa" was an actual person that I'm attacking. Obviously, to be clear, Santa is not real, and I'm attacking the idea that opposes directly the Christ that the day is supposed to celebrate.
I was shocked when my youngest son's teacher (at a Christian school) asked me to stop him from telling the other kids Santa wasn't real.
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