Teacher tells 5-year-old students "Santa isn't real"

philologos · 06-12-2012 10:55AM

enda1 wrote: »

Your kids are going to resent you. Enjoy your future.

Sharing gifts at Christmas is a given, but why does this require Santa? Why is Christmas any worse if it is based on someone who actually existed?

Jaxxy · 06-12-2012 11:00AM

philologos wrote: »

Sharing gifts at Christmas is a given, but why does this require Santa? Why is Christmas any worse if it is based on someone who actually existed?

According to you he existed.

If we're basing the concept of our beliefs on faith, well then for me, for those seven-eight years, Santa existed too. Who are you, or this teacher in the OP, to take that away from me or my child? Reprehensible.

Kolido · 06-12-2012 11:00AM

philologos wrote: »

Christmas for me as a Christian is about Jesus. Santa has no place in it. First and foremost if I do have children I will bring them up with Christmas centred on Him.

I think the whole Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf the red nosed Reindeer, Santa aspect detracts from the truth about Christmas namely that it is about the birth of God's Son who came to rescue sinners like me. Great news, far better than the other narrative

Fair enough Philo, but can't you live and let live. Most of us like to celebrate Santa and have fun. I think only the parents should tell their kids about the Santa thing. Would you appreciate someone telling your future kids that Jesus is a load of bull****?

joydivision · 06-12-2012 11:01AM

philologos wrote: »

Sharing gifts at Christmas is a given, but why does this require Santa? Why is Christmas any worse if it is based on someone who actually existed?

A bit of magic and excitement for the kids wont hurt. I think theres alot of people on here that are dead inside .

06-12-2012 11:04AM

philologos wrote: »

Sharing gifts at Christmas is a given, but why does this require Santa? Why is Christmas any worse if it is based on someone who actually existed?

Philo, I hate to break it to you, but Santa doesn't exit. It's just a story handed down from generation to generation, please don't come back and say,"Santa really does exist, for I read it in a book", books are written by people Philo, people tell porkies.
Not to worry.
Merry Christmas.

Duggy747 · 06-12-2012 11:06AM

philologos wrote: »

Sharing gifts at Christmas is a given, but why does this require Santa? Why is Christmas any worse if it is based on someone who actually existed?

I remember the feeling of not being able to sleep Xmas Eve, wondering if Santa would come and then getting up too early Xmas morning to see if he did. It was brilliant, a feeling I'll never have again but one I can at least see through my own kid(s) if I ever have any.

They're kids, for feck sake, they're not going to hop out of bed and start celebrating Jesus, let alone anything else that morning no matter how much you drill it into them.

Let kids have their fun before they grow up and have to deal with life.

bbam · 06-12-2012 11:07AM

philologos wrote: »

Sharing gifts at Christmas is a given, but why does this require Santa? Why is Christmas any worse if it is based on someone who actually existed?

Here you go...
If we make it about a Christian who "actually existed"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

Closing your mind to anything outside your own religeon beleifs has started many wars and generates much intolerance in the world.. You'll be doing your future children a dis-service by not continunig the Santa tradition.

I'd also wager that you'll soften if you do have children... Yes its great to teach your kids about fact over fiction, how the world works, how vast the universe is, what thunder is.. but its also important to fill their minds with fantasy, make their lives a bit magic while you can. We do the tooth fairy as well, as do all our friends. there is no shame in mixing a little magic into all the facts that children are taught... Its not like they'll beleive for long, but for the years they do it makes the home a magic place on Christmas morning..

hal9000 · 06-12-2012 11:08AM

With all the scaremongering these days I'm surprised kids are told about Santa!

"Hey kids every year its tradition for a creepy fat old guy to break into your house and wander around eating whats left in the kitchen. He then leaves "ahem" presents under your Christmas tree and a note saying he was there!"

:pac: Sleep soundly kids MUHAHAHAH!

Plazaman · 06-12-2012 11:08AM

I'd like to leave a nice moist shíte at the end of all these Santa haters beds on Christmas Morning. No wonder the world is getting more cynical and drab every year.

philologos · 06-12-2012 11:09AM

Kolido wrote: »

Fair enough Philo, but can't you live and let live. Most of us like to celebrate Santa and have fun. I think only the parents should tell their kids about the Santa thing. Would you appreciate someone telling your future kids that Jesus is a load of bull****?

I can live and let live. People can do as they please. I'm getting abuse because I'm saying that I don't believe its a good thing and I believe that Christmas is centred on Jesus.

Who said I can't live and let live?

By the by it's also the reason why I only buy cards with the Nativity depicted.

The difference in respect to Jesus is that most historians do believe He existed.

Calibos · 06-12-2012 11:09AM

I see Philo probably lent some credibility to my point before I even got a chance to make it.

Ie. that I would imagine it less likely that a teacher in the state if Texas was a killjoy atheist/ rationalist ruining the non Christian Santa aspect of Christmas, and more likely she was a killjoy fundamentalist evangelical Christian telling the kids there was no Santa because its not the " true meaning of Christmas" TM

Personally as an atheist and critical thinker I have no problem with duping them with the Santa story fir a few years. It teaches kids that their parents don't always tell them the truth and that just because a billion humans believe something doesn't make it any more likely to be true.

corktina · 06-12-2012 11:09AM

when my kids started to have doubts, I simply told them "who brings all those present then? You don't think I can afford them do you!"

They carried on believing because they wanted too, and no ill-advised thing a teacher might say would change that. When they did stop believing it was the fault of Old Father Time, now he DEFINITELY exists.

philologos · 06-12-2012 11:14AM

Jaxxy wrote: »

According to you he existed.

If we're basing the concept of our beliefs on faith, well then for me, for those seven-eight years, Santa existed too. Who are you, or this teacher in the OP, to take that away from me or my child? Reprehensible.

According to most historians also. There's clear historical evidence in respect to Jesus.

For me and for Christians - Christmas is a time to reflect on the significance of Jesus' birth. I think Christmas is primarily about Him. Therefore that's how I live.

philologos · 06-12-2012 11:18AM

bbam wrote: »

Here you go...
If we make it about a Christian who "actually existed"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

Closing your mind to anything outside your own religeon beleifs has started many wars and generates much intolerance in the world.. You'll be doing your future children a dis-service by not continunig the Santa tradition.

I'd also wager that you'll soften if you do have children... Yes its great to teach your kids about fact over fiction, how the world works, how vast the universe is, what thunder is.. but its also important to fill their minds with fantasy, make their lives a bit magic while you can. We do the tooth fairy as well, as do all our friends. there is no shame in mixing a little magic into all the facts that children are taught... Its not like they'll beleive for long, but for the years they do it makes the home a magic place on Christmas morning..

Christmas is already special and significant without Santa. We can share gifts without Santa. People can have fun at Christmas without Santa. I don't see how having a Christmas where we point to someone far more significant than Santa is wrong to be honest.

I really don't care for your condemnation either. People claim I can't live and let live, but in reality it is you.

floggg · 06-12-2012 11:19AM

philologos wrote: »

I don't have kids but I hope to. I never said no presents, but certainly no Santa.

I don't think Santa is what Christmas is about. There's no need to be so abusive about people not wanting to tell their kids about Santa.

It's actually quite intolerant.

Why is it intolerant? I'm not saying you can't tell your own kids there's no Santa. You have the right to do so if you choose.

But I have the right to feel sorry for them too. I also feel sorry for you - you'll miss out on the absolute joy that is seeing their little faces light up with excitement.

Even the priests play along with the Santa thing at mass very Xmas (I know you're not catholic).

But you can raise your hypothetical kids anyway you feel.

smash · 06-12-2012 11:19AM

philologos wrote: »

I'm getting abuse because I'm saying that I don't believe its a good thing and I believe that Christmas is centred on Jesus.

Well firstly I find it hard to believe you'll find a woman who will want her Children raised without santa and instead be taught the gruesome and very boring tale about a man who was tortured. I also believe you're stripping away childhood by doing so.

Ush1 · 06-12-2012 11:27AM

smash wrote: »

Well firstly I find it hard to believe you'll find a woman who will want her Children raised without santa and instead be taught the gruesome and very boring tale about a man who was tortured. I also believe you're stripping away childhood by doing so.

Xmas morning in his house, gather round kids, I know you want to watch cartoons but instead we're gonna watch the passion of the christ!

floggg · 06-12-2012 11:28AM

philologos wrote: »

I can live and let live. People can do as they please. I'm getting abuse because I'm saying that I don't believe its a good thing and I believe that Christmas is centred on Jesus.

Who said I can't live and let live?

By the by it's also the reason why I only buy cards with the Nativity depicted.

The difference in respect to Jesus is that most historians do believe He existed.

Ah yes, because Jesus died on the cross to help swell hallmarks profits.

I'd imagine Joshua bin Josef wouldn't be thrilled with the gift giving, hallmark card sending, overly expensive Christmas thing even without Santa.

So of you want to really celebrate him, then you should be selling all your earthly possessions and feeding lepers.

philologos · 06-12-2012 11:31AM

floggg wrote: »

Why is it intolerant? I'm not saying you can't tell your own kids there's no Santa. You have the right to do so if you choose.

But I have the right to feel sorry for them too. I also feel sorry for you - you'll miss out on the absolute joy that is seeing their little faces light up with excitement.

Even the priests play along with the Santa thing at mass very Xmas (I know you're not catholic).

But you can raise your hypothetical kids anyway you feel.

It doesn't matter what other people do or don't do. Out of principle I feel being honest doesn't detract from Christmas being special.

Jaxxy · 06-12-2012 11:32AM

philologos wrote: »

According to most historians also. There's clear historical evidence in respect to Jesus.

For me and for Christians - Christmas is a time to reflect on the significance of Jesus' birth. I think Christmas is primarily about Him. Therefore that's how I live.

There is also evidence to corroborate the existence of St. Nic.

Carlos_Ray · 06-12-2012 11:35AM

seanhalpin wrote: »

well neither my gf nor I beleive in god and we don't do christmas as most irish catholics do. we don't do christmas tree either but we do celebrate the solstice & new year as a substitute.
i don't think you havev any right to ram your views dont my or anyone elses throat

Get off your high horse, nobody cares about the beliefs of you or your partner( which incidentally are far from from original).

This is about a woman deliberately taking innocent joy out of little kids lives. She's a miserable wagon who must have a pretty pathetic life if she feels the need to crush the childhood fantasies of 5 year olds so ruthlessly. I'm astounded that a women with such a low tolerance for childish minds actually got a job working with children.

This planet is full of some grade A ar$eholes.

smash · 06-12-2012 11:35AM

Ush1 wrote: »

Xmas morning in his house, gather round kids, I know you want to watch cartoons but instead we're gonna watch the passion of the christ!

In 3D!

Bassfish · 06-12-2012 11:37AM

What a shiitbag of a teacher. Not her place to tell the children that. Those kids will be dealing with the harsh truths of life long enough, so let them be kids and have their fun and fantasies. Why do some people want children to have no childhood?

wes · 06-12-2012 11:44AM

The teacher sounds like a proper Grinch alright.

biko · 06-12-2012 11:48AM

Meh, Santa is just a way to control kids for at least one month of the year. Nothing more.

Btw, Snape kills Dumbledore!

Hurricane Carter · 06-12-2012 11:49AM

philologos wrote: »

Christmas is already special and significant without Santa. We can share gifts without Santa. People can have fun at Christmas without Santa. I don't see how having a Christmas where we point to someone far more significant than Santa is wrong to be honest.

I really don't care for your condemnation either. People claim I can't live and let live, but in reality it is you.

I don't think you give kids enough credit.

Kids are taught the significance of Jesus and I don't think anyone here would say they believed Santa was the be all and end all of Christmas. Most of us probably went to mass every Christmas too.

...Rather, it was an 'added feature' that gave the tradition of exchanging presents that much more significant and exciting whilst understand the reason for having it in the first place.

floggg · 06-12-2012 11:50AM

philologos wrote: »

It doesn't matter what other people do or don't do. Out of principle I feel being honest doesn't detract from Christmas being special.

Yea, thought so.

There's nothing intolerant in me thinking you are a miserable Scrooge.

I'm not going to stop you from being a miserable Scrooge though, so do your thang.

tinyk68 · 06-12-2012 11:52AM

It's not the teacher's place to tell the kids Santa isn't real. That's for them to discover in their own time.

As for Christmas being a celebration of the birth of Jesus. He wasn't born at Christmas. The early christians took over pagan festivals and imposed their own festivals in their place. So the winter solstice became Jesus birthday.

ruthloss · 06-12-2012 11:55AM

If finding out that there is no Santa scarred kids for life., why do they then go on and perpetrate the lie with their own kids?.

SANTA IS REAL!!!!!

philologos · 06-12-2012 11:58AM

floggg wrote: »

Ah yes, because Jesus died on the cross to help swell hallmarks profits.

I'd imagine Joshua bin Josef wouldn't be thrilled with the gift giving, hallmark card sending, overly expensive Christmas thing even without Santa.

So of you want to really celebrate him, then you should be selling all your earthly possessions and feeding lepers.

I haven't seen many cards by Hallmark with the Nativity on them. In fact you really have to look for them.

I believe that Jesus desires all in the world to come to know Him. Christmas is a great time of year to be able to share something about why I believe Jesus' birth is so significant and why His coming is good news for all mankind.

That's much much better and more important than the Rudolf, Frosty the Snowman, Santa version if Xmas.

I guess that's the difference between subscribing to commercialism over Jesus.

Teacher tells 5-year-old students "Santa isn't real"

Comments