When kids talked about him i just smiled and listened when i was younger. i knew it was just their parents wrapping gifts. never visited him at the mall or anything

Admiring your outfit for one. Love the distribution and color flow through out the whole thing. Very simple and elegant, but complex at the same time.

I believed in Santa until I was 11 and after that, to so much. Never visited him at the mall, but I think it's cool to have something to believe in like that when you're young. It's an early introduction of trust in a sense or rather faith in it's more simplistic form.

but aren't your parents lying to you when they tell you to be good for someone who isn't real?

Thank you, although this outfit isn't terribly suited for Christmas. Heh. ^^;

The whole Santa charade has good points and bad points.

On the good side of things, it makes kids happy. Kids enjoy believing in magic and all that made up stuff. They love unwrapping gifts that they feel they've earned with their good behaviour. For this reason, Christmas is moreso for children than adults.

However, it is as you said: parents lying to their children. I imagine many children take it poorly, as they only see that betrayal by their parents and the dissolution of their beloved fantasy world.

I don't see it as being tricked into believing. Even if our parents did not tell us eventually that Santa does not exist we would figure it out with logic.
And why is it wrong to have faith in something? Millions of people every day wake up having faith in being they've never seen. He doesn't deliver presents once a year, but mankind asks Him all the time for favors. In so many ways, Santa is nothing more then a metaphor for God and Jesus. He's like a faith training tool in my opinion. And before you go thinking that I am religious fanatic let me assure you that I am not.
Just happen to see the parallels is all.

I don't disagree with you. i was just wondering about that part. I don't know what it's like personally to believe in something for so long and find out it's not real. but it does teach children faith.

Young kids believe in it because they are innocent, it's through our years of being exposed to the world around us that by the age of 10-12 we pretty much know that Santa is not real. There are just too many factors that make him not real.
I never felt betrayed by my parents for telling me that he isn't real. Magic is magic.

lol. i was watching an snl skit. apparently if santa was real he would burst into flames from traveling so fast

Making the parallel between God and Santa, and seeing it as a good thing seems like too much of a stretch for me. It's like.. kids have faith in Santa only to find out that he's not real. If Santa is a metaphor for God then wouldn't the lesson then be to not believe in God as your faith will be rewarded with disappointment?

All I'm saying is: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Originally Posted by Queen_Andais

Maiden, right now that raffle has only two people participating in it so you do stand a 50/50 chance of winning the prize.

Facade, thank you for the assist in spreading the word. I will be making a banner for the thread soonish, I hope. Hate when real life steps in and steers in you a different direction. :illgetu:

Glad you enjoyed the food Aco. Is there anything else that I can get you?

Hummy, I will be adding you to the front page, 3rd post.

Oh wow! Well hey, maybe I should buy more tickets lol


@Harley Q - you have a point there... I have never heard of him being used as a metaphor. my family is super conservative and they would scream heresy to have Santa compared to God. I had wondered about using him as a metaphor but your point seems good... maybe I won't ^_^

Ah, sorry if I'm being harsh by any means. I'm not religious but I don't really want to get into a argument and spoil [even a little] the Christmas spirit. That being said, however, I think it's interesting to debate the topic. I often wonder whether I will tell me children about Santa Claus or not. I have considered even taking the chicken's way out and saying, "Ask your teacher." Haha.

lol. i would tell them the truth but tell them not to ruin it for other children. part of me doesnt even want to celebrate the holiday anymore. it's gotten really commercial. im looking into kwanza or just calling it the winter solstice.

Calling it winter solstice would be nice, although I think I'd tell my kids to ruin it for the other children. I can just imagine my kids being little shits. I'd just step back and watch the chaos unfold.

lmao! i hope my kids arent cynical. it depends on my husband though

And your and your husband's parents. Apparently my mother was not going to tell me the Santa lie but then her mother made her.

Harley, you aren't ruining the spirit of anything. The debate is there to be made and discussed further at a later date, there are many aspects to the whole thing.

My mom still puts presents under the tree with the label, "From Santa" sometimes it's "Santa and the Gang." Which always makes me giggle because I can just imagine Santa and his posse of elves doing moves from West Side Story and the music video for "Beat It."

Lol. Santa and the elves busting some old school Michael Jackson moves. That's a fantastic image.

'wanders back into dining car' FOOD >_> 'goes to check on her ramen'

Is there enough for everyone Star? D:

'blinks' I dunno.. why? 'confused look'

*stomach grumbles*

N-no reason.. ;-;

aww 'gives bowel of ramen' warning its chicken you dun like it that's kinda to bad cause um.. its all i gots

Harley, there is plenty of food here at the dining car. What would you like?

'Blinks' is why i was confused i thought she'd take some of the sweets or other foods around the car.. maybe she likes chicken Ramen??

There are sweets, but this is the dining car and loads of food to be cooked and consumed.

I can make you something as well, if you'd care for something other then Ramen, Star.