atheist and christmas

[manifold]

Why good luck as if it would be hard?

I'm predicting it will be very hard to swing your wife around to your way of thinking.

The odds are against. Heavily.

Yeah I know that . Hence my "the wife would hate me over it"

And layer on top of that that you seem like a pretty reasonble and intelligent guy. I'm also wagering that you'll quickly conclude this particular battle isn't worth fighting.

And then you'll be glad you did the first time you see your kid's eyes light up over what Santa Claus brought.

 

[manifold]

It would depend on the morailty and nature of the child, though rare, there are those of us who felt extremely betrayed when we learned we were lied to.

I give kids credit for being kids. Cynicism is an adult trait.

Not cynicism ... it was being told "lies are bad" then finding out you were lied to ... it does hurt some people even at a very young age. As I said, it depends on the person. My mother tried to placate me by saying the "some lies are good" bullshit ... that just pushed me further from her, my atheist father however just simply said "all lies are bad and we were wrong for lying to you" ... thank the true gods my father was a good person.

Jesus Christ, what did they spring it on you when you were fifteen of something?

I knew it was my parents two years before they knew I knew.

 

[KittenKoder]

I give kids credit for being kids. Cynicism is an adult trait.

Not cynicism ... it was being told "lies are bad" then finding out you were lied to ... it does hurt some people even at a very young age. As I said, it depends on the person. My mother tried to placate me by saying the "some lies are good" bullshit ... that just pushed me further from her, my atheist father however just simply said "all lies are bad and we were wrong for lying to you" ... thank the true gods my father was a good person.

Jesus Christ, what did they spring it on you when you were fifteen of something?

I knew it was my parents two years before they knew I knew.

I was about 7 or 8, can't remember the year, but I do remember the first time I saw the hypocrisy of my mother's religion.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

I'm predicting it will be very hard to swing your wife around to your way of thinking.

The odds are against. Heavily.

Yeah I know that . Hence my "the wife would hate me over it"

And layer on top of that that you seem like a pretty reasonble and intelligent guy. I'm also wagering that you'll quickly conclude this particular battle isn't worth fighting.

And then you'll be glad you did the first time you see your kid's eyes light up over what Santa Claus brought.

I know I used to get excited....i remember the first year after I figured out santa wasn't real I tried to convince my parents I still believed

Oh the desire for presents is strong

 

[Nosmo King]

It would depend on the morailty and nature of the child, though rare, there are those of us who felt extremely betrayed when we learned we were lied to.

I give kids credit for being kids. Cynicism is an adult trait.

Not cynicism ... it was being told "lies are bad" then finding out you were lied to ... it does hurt some people even at a very young age. As I said, it depends on the person. My mother tried to placate me by saying the "some lies are good" bullshit ... that just pushed me further from her, my atheist father however just simply said "all lies are bad and we were wrong for lying to you" ... thank the true gods my father was a good person.

Kids realize that Santa, the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy are bogus about the same time the learn to discern between fiction and non-fiction.

Are Fairy Tales as harmful as all that?

How about teaching a child that the earth was made in six days and everything here now was as it was on that sixth day?

Some lies are bad.

 

[KittenKoder]

I give kids credit for being kids. Cynicism is an adult trait.

Not cynicism ... it was being told "lies are bad" then finding out you were lied to ... it does hurt some people even at a very young age. As I said, it depends on the person. My mother tried to placate me by saying the "some lies are good" bullshit ... that just pushed me further from her, my atheist father however just simply said "all lies are bad and we were wrong for lying to you" ... thank the true gods my father was a good person.

Kids realize that Santa, the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy are bogus about the same time the learn to discern between fiction and non-fiction.

Are Fairy Tales as harmful as all that?

How about teaching a child that the earth was made in six days and everything here now was as it was on that sixth day?

Some lies are bad.

All lies are bad.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Not cynicism ... it was being told "lies are bad" then finding out you were lied to ... it does hurt some people even at a very young age. As I said, it depends on the person. My mother tried to placate me by saying the "some lies are good" bullshit ... that just pushed me further from her, my atheist father however just simply said "all lies are bad and we were wrong for lying to you" ... thank the true gods my father was a good person.

Jesus Christ, what did they spring it on you when you were fifteen of something?

I knew it was my parents two years before they knew I knew.

I was about 7 or 8, can't remember the year, but I do remember the first time I saw the hypocrisy of my mother's religion.

I grew up celebrating atheist christmas. By that I mean my family NEVER mentioned ANYTHING remotely religious in relation to christmas. They told me it was a day to be with loved ones and exchange gifts as tokens of that love.

We celebrated it as a family event. I never went to those religious services for any holiday. My parents never went to church.

 

[chanel]

I disagree. Most kids want to believe the fantasy. And for most of us who grew up with that "lie", Christmas was never the same after we learned the truth. Let kids be kids for crying out loud. No one hates their parents because of Santa. Sheeez.

 

[KittenKoder]

Jesus Christ, what did they spring it on you when you were fifteen of something?

I knew it was my parents two years before they knew I knew.

I was about 7 or 8, can't remember the year, but I do remember the first time I saw the hypocrisy of my mother's religion.

I grew up celebrating atheist christmas. By that I mean my family NEVER mentioned ANYTHING remotely religious in relation to christmas. They told me it was a day to be with loved ones and exchange gifts as tokens of that love.

We celebrated it as a family event. I never went to those religious services for any holiday. My parents never went to church.

Cool. Celebrate whatever holiday you wish, however you wish, that's freedom and I won't take that from you no matter what. I don't believe any holiday should be the domain of only one belief, they all have been bastardized anyway as it is. The original ones were to celebrate seasons, thus the time periods they appear. Anyway, if the christians want to celebrate their Juses person's birth, why do they do it on the wrong month?

 

[KittenKoder]

I disagree. Most kids want to believe the fantasy. And for most of us who grew up with that "lie", Christmas was never the same after we learned the truth. Let kids be kids for crying out loud. No one hates their parents because of Santa. Sheeez.

I hate my mother for being a hypocrite ... though that was only one example of such it was the first I can remember ... do you want your kids first memory of being lied to by their own parent? Again though, it depends on the nature and morality of the person, not all will so easily see their resentment, but it shows when they get older. I lied to my mother a lot while growing up, and I mean all the time, but never once to my father. Many kids I know have lied to their parents, most, perhaps this is the reason why ... but then that would require people actually acknowledging that it's all a lie in the first place.

 

[froggy]

so that excuse would be for the guilt feeling of hypocrisy

 

[manifold]

My four year old is already a very skilled liar.


I'm so proud it makes me wanna cry.

 

[KittenKoder]

I don't believe any holiday should be the domain of only one belief, they all have been bastardized anyway as it is. The original ones were to celebrate seasons, thus the time periods they appear. Anyway, if the christians want to celebrate their Jesus person's birth, why do they do it on the wrong month?

so that excuse would be for the guilt feeling of hypocrisy

Do you ever make any sense?

 

[Phoenix]

And layer on top of that that you seem like a pretty reasonble and intelligent guy. I'm also wagering that you'll quickly conclude this particular battle isn't worth fighting.

And then you'll be glad you did the first time you see your kid's eyes light up over what Santa Claus brought.

I'm all for Norman Rockwell sentiment, but my parents never did the Santa thing and we were pretty ecstatic with the presents we got. We just knew that Mom & Dad got them for us because they loved us. I like that idea better anyway, than hinging presents upon a mythical person's ability to discern whether we've been good or bad all year and rewarding or punishing us based on that.

But that's just me.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

And layer on top of that that you seem like a pretty reasonble and intelligent guy. I'm also wagering that you'll quickly conclude this particular battle isn't worth fighting.

And then you'll be glad you did the first time you see your kid's eyes light up over what Santa Claus brought.

I'm all for Norman Rockwell sentiment, but my parents never did the Santa thing and we were pretty ecstatic with the presents we got. We just knew that Mom & Dad got them for us because they loved us. I like that idea better anyway, than hinging presents upon a mythical person's ability to discern whether we've been good or bad all year and rewarding or punishing us based on that.

But that's just me.

See manifold I might be able to find a wife who is accepting of that idea .

 

[KittenKoder]

And layer on top of that that you seem like a pretty reasonble and intelligent guy. I'm also wagering that you'll quickly conclude this particular battle isn't worth fighting.

And then you'll be glad you did the first time you see your kid's eyes light up over what Santa Claus brought.

I'm all for Norman Rockwell sentiment, but my parents never did the Santa thing and we were pretty ecstatic with the presents we got. We just knew that Mom & Dad got them for us because they loved us. I like that idea better anyway, than hinging presents upon a mythical person's ability to discern whether we've been good or bad all year and rewarding or punishing us based on that.

But that's just me.

Considering ... since they don't really know if the child has been "good" or "bad" ... I wonder how many kids are being rewarded for bad behavior by this "Santa Claus" ...

 

[manifold]

And layer on top of that that you seem like a pretty reasonble and intelligent guy. I'm also wagering that you'll quickly conclude this particular battle isn't worth fighting.

And then you'll be glad you did the first time you see your kid's eyes light up over what Santa Claus brought.

I'm all for Norman Rockwell sentiment, but my parents never did the Santa thing and we were pretty ecstatic with the presents we got. We just knew that Mom & Dad got them for us because they loved us. I like that idea better anyway, than hinging presents upon a mythical person's ability to discern whether we've been good or bad all year and rewarding or punishing us based on that.

But that's just me.

See manifold I might be able to find a wife who is accepting of that idea .

Maybe. But I wouldn't make that one a deal breaker if I were you. If you do, it'll narrow the field of possibles by over 90%.

 

[HUGGY]

what do they tell their children of santa claus and why they're celebrating christmas.

We blame them for shit they had nothing to do with and tell them we heard it straight from the old guy with the white hair. That way they have no unrealistic expectations.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

I'm all for Norman Rockwell sentiment, but my parents never did the Santa thing and we were pretty ecstatic with the presents we got. We just knew that Mom & Dad got them for us because they loved us. I like that idea better anyway, than hinging presents upon a mythical person's ability to discern whether we've been good or bad all year and rewarding or punishing us based on that.

But that's just me.

See manifold I might be able to find a wife who is accepting of that idea .

Maybe. But I wouldn't make that one a deal breaker if I were you. If you do, it'll narrow the field of possibles by over 90%.

Probably more like 99% .

 

[Phoenix]

Considering ... since they don't really know if the child has been "good" or "bad" ... I wonder how many kids are being rewarded for bad behavior by this "Santa Claus" ...

And then there's the degrees of bad and good and different standards of conduct and ... it just gets to be a big mess.


My cruel parents did toy with one of my brothers though. He was a ... precocious lad and prone to making faces during family pictures, causing trouble, etc. So, the did actually put sticks and stones and coal in his stocking. And then they captured that Kodak moment on 8mm film.

Ah, fun with your kids.