The fact that children will grow up and question the reality of God is truth. It happened to my own child. I had been like most Christians and was ignorant of the many falsehoods of Christmas as well as so called other Christian days that are celebrated. Because I had lied to my child about the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and Santa when she got older and discovered these fairy tales were false, she questioned my truthfulness of God. I wish I had been smarter in my decisions. So I would say to parents of children: Stop lying to them, it will hurt their relationship with God.
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Where you not a child yourself once, Sheri? How did you react when you found out Santa isn't real?
My parents never pretended that Santa was real, we knew all the time that it was dad dressing up, usually more in green and brown like our folklore "tomte", than red like the Coca Cola Santa. The Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy aren't that common in Swedish culture.
My parents also never pushed religion on us. During the name-giving ceremony for my youngest niece, she was blessed by Christians (paternal grandmother), Buddhists (maternal grandfather), Muslims (friends of her parents) and atheists (me and a friend of the parents), and perhaps one more religion. She will be able to find whatever "relationship" that she wants, when she's old enough to make a decision.
So you think telling kids that the Tooth Fairy or Santa isn't real would keep them from questioning if God is real?
So she's not going to question why God won't answer her back when she prays? Or how she got the notion that God was perfect except by how everyone said he was while she was growing up? Or how the Bible was the inerrant word of word and it's true because it says so right inside it?
She questioned your truthfulness, period, and possibly Santa claus and the tooth fairy had something to do with it. Perhaps she will be like me and discover the non-existence of god by rational means that have nothing at all to do with lying. I don't think my parents "lied to me" about god. I think they were simply wrong, that's all.
Congratulations, lady, you've raised smart kids! They know how to think for themselves, and see what is fake v real.
A pity that you don't.
I'm almost certain this is a quote.....
"Don't go 'round comparing Santa Claus to God. Completely different things.
One is an imaginary old guy with a beard, who watches over you, rewards you if you're good and punishes you if you're bad.
The other, of course, lives in Greenland."
Regards & all,
Thomas L. Nielsen
Luxembourg
Sugar, you're ignorant of everything under the sun. Shoulda just stopped after the first 9 words of your second sentence.
I recall, 3 decades ago, I asked my mother why some of the kids in my class got reduced price lunches in the cafeteria & why they got free class trips while I always had to pay. I'm damn glad she told me the truth-that their families couldn't afford it & got breaks from the state-rather than lying to me & saying that they were all cheapskates who didn't want to pay for anything because they were black. Another kid told me that was what his parents told him.
I'm not a parent, but I do know that you never lie to your kids. They will always find out & will resent you for doing so.
I'd say, The fact that children will grow up and question the credibility of their parents is human nature.
They will question Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, family legends, school myths, etiquette, God, how Daddy exceeds the speed limit, why we said their favorite dog 'ran away to a farm in the country,' all that stuff...
When they do, your job as a parent is either to come clean or to provide evidence/an argument to justify the lie. Santa is a fun story OR a means of controlling kids out of fear and greed. The Tooth Fairy is a means of monitoring the kids' dental progress. You don't HAVE to salute the flag, but it's just easier to go along with it. Aunt Sally doesn't know who shot the pig, she wasn't even there at the time. Ask Grandma for the full story on the pig.
Sheri is just upset that her daughter keeps asking questions after she tried to convince her to just shut up and believe in God.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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