April 15, 2011

Santa Syndrome


We have discussed this subject of Santa many times here, but its catching on quite a bit as evidenced by what Ricky Gervais just said (strong language aside) on the Daily Show. So let's reference to this post in the future.

A few days ago I watched a video of , who is discussing about this very subject many times in his videos and dubbed the term "Santa Syndrome" in 2006, he pointed out this video from that drives the point home well:




We hear it here all the time. People compare Santa to God as an example of what they don't believe but it just might go deeper then originally thought. Is this a sort of childish bitterness to those who, celebrated Christmas as a kid to a large degree only to, find out Santa is not real? I grew up in an Atheist's home and we celebrated Christmas big time. I remember finding out he was not real by my angry sister, I think, who wanted to get back at me for something. I don't remember what exactly about because there were plenty of those type of moments. Maybe I just thought, like God, Santa is fictional and accepted it through the tears of my young heart. God already didn't exist in my home, why not add tooth fairy and Santa to the fray. It made sense, it was an easy transition. When I was 23 I realized God is a reality and I was already over the whole Santa thingy long before that. A connection, read bitterness, was never made in my case.

Richard Dawkins's delusion of God and many other atheists have what appears to be Santa Syndrome. Its pretty straight forward and pretty well documented now, especially by .


It appears that maybe, just maybe, that the kids where traumatized to find out about Santa that they questioned everything, real or not, at that young age. The birth of the true skeptic. Especially in what is to be perceived as a 'Christian' home. The kids were lied to, they were fooled, duped, and swindled to believe something that doesn't exist. Ricky Gervais said he was 8. That would seem to be a very impressionable age, we could see the anger that would rise up internally in a home that is supposed to be truthful. God said not to lie, and they lied about Santa! I am sure that runs through their little minds. They would, at that age, question everything of what is real or not. Also, its easily understandable to question as to who they can trust at that point. If not their own parents, who just lied to them about something sacred to them, then who? Secular teachers in the public schools? An 8 year old, who is now lost and distrusting, is fair game for the atheistic predators of the world, like the American Humanist John Dunphy.

Moral: Don't lie to your kids, embrace truth, no matter what.