Do Atheists teach their children about Santa Claus?

Answer 1

when a mom and a dad love each other, they pray really hard and a stork brings a baby to their front door!

Answer 2

Well, first of all, if I didn't, and my child goes to school and tells all the other 6 year olds there is no Santa Claus...I don't want to THINK of the phone calls I would get from parents.

Second, Santa is not a god...he isn't worshipped, he doesn't tell my child to be anything other than "nice", so I don't see the harm in it until she's old enough to know better.

Also, many churches believe that Santa is a SECULAR Christmas icon (which I believe as well), so it doesn't apply to anything involving the birth of your christ.

If this is a trick to say, then why don't you teach your child about god, since you can't see him either. You know he isn't real, so why not...blah blah blah.

Well, I know he isn't real, but it's fun to pretend Santa is coming to bring her presents. It will make her happier on Christmas day, and it may keep her a little nicer during the year.

No point to telling her about a god that doesn't exist...no one gets anything out of it except a lot of questions that can't be answered.

Answer 3

Sure they do! My parents are atheists and they taught me, my brothers, and my sisters all about it! It kept us in line for approximately two days after Christmas(We never liked the naughty list!) and it made things more exciting. Sure enough, even though the historical background of the "Saint Nick" is based more along a Christian scene, atheists do not mind teaching their offspring about Santa Claus. Atheists can never drift away from all Christian concepts, even if they may not believe in the same things, so the kids would definitely hear about him anyway. Santa Claus is a harmless somewhat-mythical figure and he makes young children very excited about the infamous holiday :)

Answer 4

Santa Claus isn't a religious figure so I would presume that they would. Now teaching children about Jesus' birthday would be a different thing all together. I would think Christmas would then be materialistic in nature instead of Christian.

Answer 5

Some just celebrate the commercial aspects of Christmas. Santa Claus is basically an atheist idea. He has nothing to do with the birth of Christ.

Answer 6

Yes. They do. Perhaps not in so many words but by their actions. My son is a confirmed atheists. He does not attend church nor are there any religious books or photoes in his house. He also answers questions from his daughter about the difference she finds in her house and the houses of some of her friends whose parents are believers. But he does so in terms which would not upset her or confuse her. As regards religious celebratios like Christmas(which in fact was a pagan ceremony adopted by Christianity) these are essentially social festivals he goes along with other households but explains his child the basic social nature of the event. For the child what mattters is the fun and the religious overtones do not register.He thus keeps his faith(or lack of it) and also does not violently disturb the child psyche.
An atheist,contrary to popular (mis)conceptions is not a raving idol-breaker.I had a Royist(follower of Comrade Manvendranath Roy) from Varanasi who used to accompany his guests who wanted to visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple but himself wait outside.Religious belief has an essentially social character and unless you are a staunch non-believer this insistence on being different may recoil. In his later years this friend became such a staunch believer that he put normal belivers to shame.This does not necessarily prove existence of god but only his inherent weakness. I have read a novel by a French author(the name escapes me but I remember he was a great social thinker) where the hero is an atheist but a very serious and yet a likable character.

Answer 7

Santa is the head of the athiest movement! When you can choose between Tickle Me Elmo Extreme or midnight mass, which would you choose? Santa has been leading children away from religion like a veritable pied piper for centuries now =)

Answer 8

I don't have kids, and hopefully won't for another 10 years or so. But I'm planning on not telling my kid that Santa is still alive... I think it's stupid. People say "Oh, but you're going to take the fun out of Christmas" but I found out he was fake when I was 5. I'm 16 now and still love Christmas. My kids will get over it, and they also won't feel stupid later for having believed in it for so long.

Answer 9

Hmm.

I was raised christian and was taught about Santa.

Although I don't plan to have kids, if I did, I wouldn't teach them about Santa, but I will still give presents on christmas, just because it is a fun celebration.

Answer 10

Well I would hope not. I think it's kind of wrong to speak against a religion all year long until something "good" comes along. Christmas (regardless of what the department stores tell you) is a religious holiday.

I'm not off celebrating Hannukah or Ramadan.

Santa Claus IS religious. Based on Saint Niklaus.

Answer 11

Do those who believe in god teach their kids about Santa Claus? That is an absurd question with no proper answer. Some do, some don't, obviously.