Does belief in Santa Claus promote belief in God?

Question

Does living your first 6-to-11 years believing in a benevolent bestower of gifts make you more likely to believe in God, even after the make-believe nature of Santa is discovered?

Why or why not?

Answer 1

I'd say not.
I began to question the existence of a god when I was 5 years old after a Sunday school teacher implied that there were no such things as dinosaurs! Since we have their bones as proof, I rationalized that I couldn't believe anything that came out of that woman's mouth (when confronted she backpedalled, saying that the dinosaurs were included with the beasts in Genesis!) and began to open my eyes.
However, I firmly believed in Santa til the age of 12 when my parents finally owned up to the truth.
Since the belief in a god is a continual thing while Santa pops into our minds but once a year, most people don't equate the belief in the one with the other.
In fact, it's not until after our belief in Santa do most atheists realize the similarity in the two: believe in me and be rewarded (heaven/presents), don't believe and suffer (hell/coal), the all powerful concept that 'God is watching' and 'You'd better watch out...", and oddly enough, when depicted, they're both old white guys with beards, in an attempt to portray eternal wisdom.

Answer 2

I would have to say probably not, looking back in history when a country inhabited another bringing false gods in the inhabited country adopted these new gods. When new gods eventually failed them or were replace they often turned away from there native god, this is true of the Hebrews as well, struggling often with mono or polytheism, bouncing back and forth, putting God somewhere in the mix of other gods.
Also it has a degree of trauma depending on how the child finds out, it could make them question everything their parents have told them up to that point
To expect an 11 year old to discriminate between wbat is now fake and unseen and what is real and unseen is difficult when entire nations failed is a tall order.

Answer 3

Telling your kids in Santa Claus is a lie first.

Second when you lie about Santa Claus, Tooth fairy, etc how do you then look at your child and tell them to believe you on other IMPORTANT issues?

So my answer is no and my opinion is because you shouldn't be telling them this from the start.

God Bless

Answer 4

No because christmass ( like all holidays ) promotes corparations and is no longer about god. Christmass is now a holiday used to make us spend money.Why do you think people are so stressed out that time of year. But if you look at a CEOs family you will see nothing but happyness.

Answer 5

Yes. They are both irrational beliefs. Conforming to one only makes it easier to conform to the next, provided they do not conflict. People who find it easy to believe are weak minded and suceptible to lies and propaganda.