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Pentecostal parents having their children pray to a saint?
It is a common practice for children in the United States to write letters to a deceased saint and ask him for presents. The saint is St. Nicholas. Why are Protestants against praying to saints, but allow their children to do so? Do you know of any Pentecostals who have their kids write letters to St. Nicholas?
What about Pentecostals lying to their children, telling them that a magic fat man flies around the world in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, visits every house comes down the chimney and leaves gifts for all the children in the world and eats the cookies they leave for him? With the same mouth, they tell their children about a Man who fed 5000 men, not counting women with children, with five loaves and two fish, who healed the sick, died on a cross and rose from the dead.
There was a little girl whose parents went to a Pentecostal church. Like many other parents, they had lied to their daughter about Santa Claus. Finally, they told her that Santa Claus was ‘make believe.’ The little girl cried and said, “Is Jesus real?”
That shook my mother. She had told my older sister the lie about Santa, but not me or my younger brother. I cannot remember my mother ever lying to me. I still had a good time even though I knew Santa Claus was just ‘make believe’ like MIckie Mouse and Aquaman.
Doesn’t lying to children about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and a spirit from pagan mythology (fairy) who takes their teeth undermine a parent’s credibility when it comes to teeaching children the word of God.
Guest;
Fantasy is much different than lying and comparing it to the veneration of saints is misplaced. If you’re unsure about this, contemplate the fantasy from J.R. Token and C.S. Lewis.
Guest;
Don Qualls There is a difference between reading children a fantasy story about the three little pigs, with the children knowing it is a story, and convincing them that a real magic fat man will give them presents, only if they behave. The parents have the kids convinced that it is real.
Guest;
My thoughts are this…your first comments are somewhat vitriol. While I didn’t teach my children about Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc. I don’t condemn those who do and you also shouldn’t condemn those that do…it is a parents choice…and the same way you can choose without condemnation is the same for the parents you strive to convince not to tell the stories to. You are coming off very judgmental. Simple present the evidence and let people decide for themselves. Your readers will dismiss a judgmental attitude out-of-hand, and dismiss your attempt to change their minds.
Guest;
Don Qualls if it’s lying it’s wrong. If it is not lying, why should parents feel condemned?
Guest;
Is it okay to lie to children because they lack a filter to discern truth from falsehood and are easily deceived?
Guest;
You are missing the point about parental choice and fantasy. If you would like to discuss these points, I’m willing to discuss this further with you. If you are going down the same path, I’m not willing to further this conversation.
Guest;
Don Qualls I do not see how this is a discussion about fantasy. It is about the inconsistency between opposing prayer to saints and participating in activities that are (skewed) veneration-of-a-saint practices, and also a discussion about parents deceiving their own children.
Guest;
Once again, it is not deception. Also, it is not praying to a saint. It is fantasy. Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. If you think about it…the Santa Clause and all other names you mentioned are fantasy.
Guest;
Don Qualls Reread my post. I am opposing presenting Santa Claus to children as a fantasy story in this post. That is another discussion, one that Tom Steele would likely want to discuss in his thread.
My concern is with parents intentionally deceiving their children into thinking Santa Claus really does fly around the world in a sleigh pulled by magical reindeer, stuffing all the toys for all the children around the world into a sack he can carry over his shoulder.
Santa is presented as practically omniscient, knowing everything the child does bad, and presents are given on how good the child has been.
Guest;
It’s ripe for it. Some movie maker out there has just got to come up with a Santa horror movie that makes it big. He can ruin Santa as a cultural icon like It did for clowns. Probably, more Americans think of clowns as creepy than as fun entertainment for children.
I can just imagine the gruff, scarey voice for the trailer,
“He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when your awake. He’s watching.” — a magic Santa busting into people’s houses with a chain saw or knife or something like that. If a series of those became as popular as Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street used to be, Santa could become a creepy thing to kids like clowns are.
Guest;
The whole character of ‘Santa Claus’ is based on a ‘Saint’, not on some made-up fantasy character like Gandalf the Grey in the Lord of the Rings.
Santa is ‘saint’ in Spanish, but that is the female form of the title.
Apparently, the term is derived from Saint Nicholas in Dutch tradition (aka; Sinta Klaus in another European dialect) it’s a convoluted story of etymology, but the fact is that the person of Santa Claus is actually based on a ‘Saint’ of the Roman Catholic variety and is not in any way, shape, or form, an invention of fantasy, therefore the objection posed above is a valid one.
Guest;
WHY only Pentecostal parents? Just another 5-o post?
Guest;
We didn’t do santa with my daughter for that very reason. Being, it’s fake. What I told her was something along the lines of “We give gifts on Christmas, to each other and those less fortunate, because it’s Jesus birthday. And he’s in heaven.
Jesus is the gift of heaven. Given for all men. That is the meaning of Christmas. And the best thing a man can do is give himself back to God. By faith in Jesus Christ. The Saviour
Guest;
Ricky Grimsley told youth group santa was dead 🙂
Guest;
We never did Santa, Easter Bunny, etc. in our family, and focused on the Incarnation. When the kids were little, they made up the name and laughed at Santa “Claws.”
Guest;
Uh-huh
Guest;
MAY BE just maybe Link Hudson is somehow proposing children write letters to Jesus?
Guest;
I dont know for sure. This may be more cultural.
Guest;
Any who does this is not a pentecostal
Tim Anderson
Interesting Question. Obviously the places where people gather to have “church” with all the various activities. It was many diverse places. Scripture in N.T. shows proclaiming the gospel and the message of repentance went on in may areas. Many of the areas had no Altarr. When the church met in homes as they still do, do you think they had or should have today an Alter?
Not wanting to start an endless debate – but seems like a good subject of discussion for some Spirit- filled believers. BTW. – When I received Christ in 1977, it was because I was invited to come and pray at the Altar. So glad I did.
Daniel J Hesse
St. Troy, I hope?
Varnel Watson
never been to a hillsong church Maybe Link Hudson can shed some light For me personally, when the power is LOST you’ve got to darken the stage with some smoke and make it look like something is still present in the church hows -question remains WHAT
Link Hudson
Never been to fill ong. I have been to a couple of churches that use black lights or smoke machines.
Link Hudson
Do you think smoke machines are for churches that don’t have real glory clouds?
Louise Cummings
That is not ok to pray to saints. Seems like I have heard that before. Nothing But the Blood Of Jesus can save you. And you have to believe that He is The Son Of God. And Died and shed His Blood for our sins. He is the one to pray to and ask forgiveness.
Varnel Watson
I spoke on the topic just recently It USED to be that revivalists and healing preachers accented on God in the meetings and His presence providing miracles. This time is gone and the power is long lost Instead we have better sound, better acting, lighting even better liturgical content in the service BUT the POWER aint there no more and we are just going through the motions playing church