Is it acceptable for parents to lie about the existence of Santa Claus? |
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Is it acceptable for parents to lie about the existence of Santa Claus? |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 7,155 Joined: Feb 2005 Member No: 95,404 ![]() |
Last year in my Academic Reading & Writing class, we had a debate about whether it is acceptable or appropriate for parents to lie to their children about the existence of Santa Claus. I found it really interesting... so why not bring the debate here?
We were each given a 1897 New York Sun article as QUOTE Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say, there is no Santa Claus. Papa says "If you see it in the Sun it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would they prove? Nobody sees Sanata Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. No Santa Claus! Thank God, he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. So... yes or no? |
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![]() in the reverb chamber. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 4,022 Joined: Nov 2005 Member No: 300,308 ![]() |
QUOTE Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say, there is no God. Papa says "If you see it in the Sun it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a God? Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a God. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no God! It would be as dreary as if there no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in God! You might as well not believe in stars! You might get your papa to hire men to pray for the second coming, but even if they did not see Jesus coming down, what would they prove? Nobody sees God, but that is no sign that there is no God. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. No Jesus! Thank God, he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. I can't believe your teacher was making this comparison; and so obviously. Further, I can't believe none of you caught on to it. As goes Santa Claus? It's f**king harmless. It's a lie that's routinely revealed as such. Not only is it a magical and fanciful childhood character which teaches good behavior and fairness, it is also a demonstrative tool towards true critical thinking and skepticism. Imagine, your parents can lie to you? You, as a human being, are fallible! You can mistake fantasy for reality! It's a very powerful thing. |
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