If you lived in a society where adults believed in Santa Claus...?

Question

and tax money was spent to search for his house at the North Pole... every home was required to keep a supply of cookies and milk... Government buildings posting a list of things Santa found naughty and nice.... your day is often interrupted by people pausing to think about their Christmas list... "One nation with the help of Elves" isn't considered a violation of Church and State because it doesn't specify which elves.... and there was a debate over whether Reindeer Anatomy should be taught in public school --

even if you didn't believe in Santa, would you find yourself debating his existence?

Man hug, 3!

(((linz))) in the house

Spiffs, the question isn't meant to convince anyone that God is as fictional as Santa. Instead I'm attempting to enlightening theists as to WHY an atheist may be incredibly interested in the debate and why we may spend time here in R&S.

Answer 1

Hahaha, churches would have names like "Our Lady of West Oaks Mall." You'd go see a mall Santa for confession and he'd give you a peppermint communion wafer with stripes on it. But, to answer your question, I guess it would be the same as it is right now. we'd have to convince a bunch of morons that they believe in a made-up fairy tale.

Answer 2

No, for the most part, that is not a myth that Hollywood just made up. A lot of kids do believe in Santa Claus when you're younger. Once you get to age, it's obvious that he truly doesn't exist but before that, why not? It gives kid a way to be excited about something. And it keep their attitude and actions on the good side for the last month before Christmas. And to be honest, I didn't care whether he was real or not - I still got the gifts. Most of those are actually how life works, school bullies, school sport teams center of life, tooth-fairy, kids having imaginary friends all are from past experiences and do actually happen. Wedgies have never happened in front of me, nor, to me. So I can't comment on that. Cheerleaders and Prom Queens are losers here, we care way more about our Swim team and Surf team.

Answer 3

Proverbs,
What if part of the "Santa myth" was that he "sent his only son to die for everyone and love us all more than we love ourselves."
Please actually think about it and don't just dismiss me as an atheist. (Full disclosure: I'm a teapot atheist.)

Spiffs,
For the record, I gave you a thumbs up because you are thinking seriously about the question.
My problem with your answer is that (admittedly, by my own definition, but cut me some slack and read on) the difference between a childish belief in something phantastic and rational thinking is that there is some rational reasoning behind it. You state (correctly) that "These questions are fundamental and meaningful to the human heart.", but you go on to argue that just because it is an important question which puzzles intelligent adults, any answer arrived at has validity. (Yes, you do. Reread your argument.)
I put it to you that if there is no proof ... err, we don't even have to go that far... if there is no *evidence* for it, then a belief is not rational.
I further state that every Christmas Eve, I would put out milk and cookies for Santa and a carrot for his reindeer. Every Christmas morning, I would wake up and the cookies had been eaten (there were actual crumbs!) and the carrot was gone!
That is at least as convincing as a book written thousands of years ago and edited and re-edited over the centuries ... and way more convincing than an 80 year-old woman who thinks she sees a likeness of the baby Jesus in a tomato she just cut in half. (OK, that was a cheap shot.)

Answer 4

Brilliant! Go Santa Claus

Answer 5

God isn't like Santa, or the tooth fairy, or elves, or other fantastical creatures. Believing in God is not like believing in them.

The Christian God is Truth, Love, Beauty, Goodness...Existence itself. The Alpha (beginning) and Omega (end). He has always existed because he is uncaused and is perfect.

Anyone can set up a straw man when comparing childish, fantastical belief to a grown up, sophisticated, intellectual faith. The reality is that the two are worlds apart.

In the heart of every human being there exists fundamental questions: Where are we going? From Where did we come? Is there any higher purpose in this life? What is the nature of good and evil in this life? Is their life after death? Why is there pain and suffering?

These questions are fundamental and meaningful to the human heart. It is these questions which lead one to religious faith. They are intellectual questions, but beyond that they are questions that are vastly important to each of us. They are not simply questions, but questions close to every heart and mind, with meaning and substance and longing, and to be frank, belief in santa or fairies and the like, does not come close to touching upon such questions neither logically nor rationally. Your argument (or lacktherof) and analogy is utterly falacious.

So let us stick to an intellectual, meaningful, way of looking at these issues instead of comparing faith to the fantastical beliefs of youth.

Eleventy, I'm sure your logical and rational mind can see that this argument and analogy is nonsense, that other rational people support it so betrays not their rational desire or truth seeking but most likely some kind of elitism and ego seeking gratification. I am amazed at the condescention and arrogance prevelant amongst all of you, one would do well to analyze what ego boosts one gets from berating a person with sincere faith which, I will reinforce, is not like chilidish fantasy. That should be the true question all of you need to be asking yourselves I think.

Answer 6

Very accurate analogy. I would feel the same way about Santa's existence that i do about the Abrahamic God.

Answer 7

I would go crazy trying to convince everybody then go someware on earth nobody believed in santa

Answer 8

so ........... are you saying he doesn't exist? You have just broken my heart, no words can console me, what will I do. Oh wait, that means more cookies for me. Ain't life grand! LOL

thanks for bringing a smile to an otherwise dull day!

Answer 9

I would certainly find myself debating his existence in hopes of waking some folks up and making them "smell the coffee", if you know what I mean.

Answer 10

Wait... what adults don't believe in Santa Claus?

BTW - At least you didn't spell it "Clause" like most fools.