Here is a reblog from a grinchy guy who hates Santa, at least that is what some people will say.
Gather round kids! Let me tell you about the merry king of the gods whose name is, ‘Zeus.’ He lives way up on top of Mount Olympus and he is watching to see if you’re being naughty or nice. When he is angry, he throws lightning bolts. When he is happy, he loads up his sleigh with toys and delivers them to your house on Christmas Eve!
Maybe your parents told you that Santa Claus brings your presents on Christmas. That’s just not true. My comment about Zeus isn’t true either but so what? It doesn’t matter which lie you believe. One falsehood is just as good as another!
The reblog is from John Branyan‘s website. Branyan is a comedian, but he doesn’t think Santa Claus is funny, and that is sort of funny. Comedians used to be famous for making us laugh at ourselves and our troubles, but somewhere along the way we turned them into political commentators. I suppose that is because so many of us have let our political system and our Christian beliefs become a joke.
Do I think Santa Claus is funny? No. I don’t have much use for the fat old elf either. Why not? Well, here is something I wrote about six years ago.
Traditions are not necessarily bad things. Traditions are just cultural habits, reminders and procedures, that seem to work. Because traditions seem to work, we keep them. If as Christians we want to pass our faith on to our children, we need traditions. If as Christians we want to pass our faith on to our children, we need Jesus and the Bible, but we don’t need Santa Claus or a Christmas Tree. We also don’t need to keep up with worldly neighbors and buy a bunch of stuff we don’t need.
Does that make Santa Claus, a Christmas Tree, or gift-giving wrong? No. It just means that when we teach our children about Santa Claus, a Christmas Tree, or gift-giving we must demonstrate to our children how Santa Claus, a Christmas Tree, or gift-giving remind us of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sadly, we have let merchants have turn the legend of a gift-giving bishop into a Pagan fairy tale. Thus, Santa Claus has become a distraction from the reason for the season. Instead thanking God for the birth of His Son and our salvation, merchants use Santa Clause to urge us to buy and buy and buy. With their false expectations, merchants risk turning what should be an occasion for joy into a season of stress, loneliness and sorrow. Whereas anyone can thank God for His grace, not all of us have the time and the resources to buy gifts for all the people we might wish to buy a gift. Usually, we find ourselves in a quandary just figuring what to buy for the people closest to us.
Consider the irony. Instead of being grateful for receiving a gift from a merciful and loving God who just wants us to love Him and obey His commands, which are for our own good, we try to make Christmas about us, something we must do. In our pride, we make a mess of something that would otherwise be quite simple.
29 Behold, I have found only this, that God made people upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
I suppose that is funny. We are a tough audience — we don’t like to laugh at ourselves — but at least God has a sense of humor. If a comedian only has an audience of One that he cares about, God, does that work?
Anyway, Jesus has already made Christmas special. There is nothing we can do to change that. We cannot make Christmas better or worse. We can only change our attitude. We can make Christmas an opportunity to share our joy in what God has given each of us, and we can make Christmas is an opportunity to thank God and to worship Him together. Or we can mope because we don’t think Christmas special enough.
Tom, I don’t want to live in Branyan’s world. I sure don’t want his version of faith, either. It’s dark and miserable. I’m sticking with, “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” The original version of that tale taught an important lesson, that things don’t have to be literally true to be spiritually true.
I doubt Branyan’s version Christianity differs from yours as much as you think. Moreover, we need to keep in mind that the Bible only requires a Christian to believe certain things, and the Apostle Paul discourages from making too big an issue of things that don’t matter.
The most important issue is whether we love God and believe in His Son. Is our “faith” about “me” and “my pride” in myself or is my faith in God. Do I exist to glorify Him?
Does Branyan have a hard edge to his evangelizing? Yes. If we look either at the Old Testament or the New, we will find a similar hard edge in some passages. Even gentle Jesus got righteously angry.
So, what about Santa Claus? Is Santa Claus an idol to some people? Yes. Is Santa Claus representative of God’s grace to us to other people. Yes. Whereas you are looking at the latter version of Santa, Branyan is concerned about the former.
We need to remind people that without Jesus there is no Santa. There is just a latter-day version the Greek god Dionysus dressed in a red snow suit.
Branyan does not have a “hard edge” to his evangelism. Branyan is just a self righteous jerk who thinks he is funny.
I would not be surprised if Branyan is a self-righteous jerk who thinks he is funny. Seems to be a common problem, but does Branyan castigate the sinner or the sin? Is it better to start name calling, or is it more appropriate to identify bad behavior and discuss why the Bible condemns such behavior?
In The Beginning Man Tried Ascending To Heaven via The Tower Of Babel. Now He Tries To Elevate His Existence To A Heavenly State of Consciousness Thru The Use Of Hallucinogenic Drugs. And, Since The 20th Century, He Continually Voyages Into Outer Space Using Spacecrafts. Prayer Thru Christ Is The Only Way To Reach Heaven.
Taking ownership of your life brings power to make needed changes. True freedom begins with reliance on God to guide this process and provide what you need.
is the source of all wisdom, and the fountain of all comfort; let it dwell in you richly, as a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life
WHENEVER ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE OF THESE ENDS (LIFE,LIBERTY,AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS) IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR ABOLISH IT, AND TO INSTITUTE A NEW GOVERNMENT― Thomas Jefferson
Citizen Tom 
It is interesting that Santa and Satan have the same letters just mixed a bit. Lol.
That’s something I never noticed. LOL
Tom, I don’t want to live in Branyan’s world. I sure don’t want his version of faith, either. It’s dark and miserable. I’m sticking with, “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” The original version of that tale taught an important lesson, that things don’t have to be literally true to be spiritually true.
I doubt Branyan’s version Christianity differs from yours as much as you think. Moreover, we need to keep in mind that the Bible only requires a Christian to believe certain things, and the Apostle Paul discourages from making too big an issue of things that don’t matter.
The most important issue is whether we love God and believe in His Son. Is our “faith” about “me” and “my pride” in myself or is my faith in God. Do I exist to glorify Him?
Does Branyan have a hard edge to his evangelizing? Yes. If we look either at the Old Testament or the New, we will find a similar hard edge in some passages. Even gentle Jesus got righteously angry.
So, what about Santa Claus? Is Santa Claus an idol to some people? Yes. Is Santa Claus representative of God’s grace to us to other people. Yes. Whereas you are looking at the latter version of Santa, Branyan is concerned about the former.
We need to remind people that without Jesus there is no Santa. There is just a latter-day version the Greek god Dionysus dressed in a red snow suit.
Branyan does not have a “hard edge” to his evangelism. Branyan is just a self righteous jerk who thinks he is funny.
I would not be surprised if Branyan is a self-righteous jerk who thinks he is funny. Seems to be a common problem, but does Branyan castigate the sinner or the sin? Is it better to start name calling, or is it more appropriate to identify bad behavior and discuss why the Bible condemns such behavior?
A beautiful post.
Thanks for the compliment. Much appreciated.