What's the difference between God and Santa?

Question

I don't wanna offend anyone, but really what is the difference? We're told about these people when we're young and eventually people stop believeing in santa... WHY are we told about these people? To get us to behave. Be good and you'll get xmas presents be bad and you get coal. Be good and u go to heaven be bad and u go to hell. At five years old I was told God could see inside my head and see ALL the bad thoughts I was thinking and if I thought bad thoughts I would go to hell. Is that not CRUEL? Why do people not stop believing in God when they grow up? Why only stop believing in Santa?
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By the way it wasnt my parents that taught me that it was my catholic school, I'm thirteen and I think it's sad that people have to behave and be a good person FOR A REASON ie god, and they dont want to be a good person for the sake of people being a good person. I mean I'm open to the idea of religion, i'm an agnostic, but we're doing about evidence of god in my catholic highschool, and tbh these arent facts. when i was a kid i thought i saw santa's sleigh in the sky, doesnt mean he's real. people say they see god. doesnt mean hes real. no offence again but i soo dont see the difference. but i realise im only preaching to the already converted, theres no way that heavily religious people can agree with me on this.

Answer 1

because people can go to the north pole and see raindeer in a zoo, and these people can come back and tell us that no fat guys and elves can be found at the north pole, and no one has ever seen a raindeer fly. (they could be sneaky, I suppose, but I highly doubt it).

On the other hand, there are no living witnesses that can be interviewed or testify in person to the existance of heaven or hell or witnessing a coporeal form of God.

We disbelieve Santa because we KNOW he's a myth, no one even claims seriously that he's real. But noone can say for absolute certainty that God does not exist, the very concept of God is a being that can create a universe by his will in any shape that he desires. So even the most athestic skeptics can't say with difinitive proof that God does not exist, they can only choose to live as if he doesn't.

Answer 2

It's like the difference between your Father and your Godfather.

If you're bad, Santa gives you coal.

If you continue to misbehave, God will take that coal, light it, and roast you over it. Capiche?

Seriously though. If you have figured out Religion is mostly about getting people to behave better, congratulations.

But CRUEL? I've spent some time with children who do not fear Santa, God (or their parents) & I gotta tell ya, it ain't pretty. Nor is that cold lost desolation I see in many adults who have 'outgrown' their belief in God.

If you don't believe in God, believe in Darwin, and know this:

Religion persists because it conveys a survival advantage on those who believe.

The Santa story is designed for children, which is why we stop believing when we grow up.

Ah...but the idea a transcendent being might want us to lead good lives, this is not so childish.

Humans care for their young, and are learning to care for the lower forms of life as well.

Is it really so hard to believe a higher form of life might care for us?

Answer 3

Katie, there is a fundamental , important difference.God or santa , when you are young you believed what was said. Indeed you thought santa gave you the presents. God was simply neutral in all these man made actions.

Later , when you grew up you knew that it was your parents who gave you the presents and not santa. But it didnot matter to you so long as you were getting a present. here , again , God was nowhere and if was somewhere he was neutral.

So , over a period of time you realised that God has nothing to do with all these and still gave him the benefit of doubt and allowedhim to exist in your mind. Simple thing . Someone , at home , tells you about your great grandfather. You never saw him and he didnot do anything to you, good or bad. someone tells you that you had a grandfather and you believed it. Like that you believe God to be a great , great ..... great grandfather. That is it. Why fight it?

Answer 4

Wow. You are the first person I've heard of making such a comparison.
Santa is so simplistic next to God. How can you compare a children's story, to the being who created the universe?

You say why don't people stop believing in God as they do Santa when they grow up? That is because when people grow older, the story of Santa stays in its child like form. They realize that the legend of Santa is as good as it gets. Its only for kids. The "legend" of God however, becomes so much more. Kids are told that they 'go to hell if they are bad' or the simple stories of creation because that's all the can understand. When they become older, they are able to understand more and more about God, realizing that He is infact a lot more than what they had thought as kids.

Answer 5

I believe in God on one level because I believe that the world and everything in it was created by something. I believe that this is a natural conclusion. My religious beliefs are a bit different. They are based on my faith in Christ's death and resurrection as an atonement for my sin.

I don't believe in Santa because I am black and I never had any illusions that a white man was going to come down my chimney and give me anything :), but on a serious note, a belief in God, for most people is a method of bringing order to a world that we do not understand. It is also a method of establishing a moral code for a society to prevent anarchy and behavior that is contrary to the goals of the society.

Even if there is no God, I think we need him to give us hope that there is something out there is is good and just, and that we are are loved and appreciated for our individuality.

I hate it when people teach children that "God is gonna get you". I broke up with a guy because he had that thought process. Nothing in the bible tells us that we're going to hell if we think bad thoughts or do bad things, and to threaten children like that is tortuous.

Answer 6

The simple and obvious answer is : the difference between God and Santa is , one is imaginary "Santa", and the other is real "God", and for anybody who doesn't believe that God is real I just have one thing to say to them: When you die..and you will, you will stand in His presence and have to answer for everything bad you've done in your lifetime (unless you've repented of those sins and asked for forgiveness) because there are no unsolved mysteries in Heaven, God knows all, and sees all, and yes, He even knows our thoughts.He knows who you are He created your very soul.Just think of how foolish you will feel knowing that you did not even believe that He existed.I feel bad for those individuals, it will be their ulitimate shame.
There is,or never was any doubt in my mind that God exists, I even felt this as a very small child, long before I began attending church, or before my parents ever spoke of God. I can't explain this, however I do remember feeling this way.???

Answer 7

In today's world the difference between Santa and the Christian God, at least, has become incredibly blurred. I have no doubt that at sometime in the past the stories of the Claus were simplified "God" stories dumbed down for the common masses.

Answer 8

well there is no difference between God and Santa except for a few things

Santa's job is that if anyone is completely good, then they recieve presents in Christmas...but God, if did something bad, then u would go to hell...

the good thing is that if you fix ur mistakes then Santa or God would forgive you...

The bad thing is that if you did something major, like murdering, then there's no way to be forgive and make that up, so u would go to hell....

Answer 9

Because not everyone was taught what you were taught about God.

You just had lousy parents.

And the saddest thing is, you are still letting what OTHER people told you control your thinking about God. Why not find out for yourself?

Just a thought.

Answer 10

Santa punishes persons who misbehave by GIVING them pieces of coal, whereas God punishes persons who misbehave by sending them to a place where they are forever burned LIKE pieces of coal :)