Blog 162: The Christmas Story

The Christmas Story

(A repeat of blogs 6 & 44)

By

Vernon M. Herron

“SANTA CLAUS GOSPEL”—THE CHRISTMAS IDOL

BASED ON BOOK

A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF

HALLOWEEN, EASTER , CHRISTMAS

BY

ALLEGRA McBIRNEY

Critiqued

by

VERNON M. HERRON, D. Min.

Christmas is coming! The toy market is appealing to children. Children are persuading adults regarding their choice of Christmas wares and desired gifts. During my early childhood, I was fascinated in a state of expectation because Santa Claus was coming to town. The song text goes like this:

You better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I’m telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town.

He’s making a list

And checking it twice,

Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice

Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you’re sleeping

He knows when you’re awake

He knows if you’ve been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake!

Oh! You better watch out!

You better not cry

Better not pout

I’m telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town

Santa Claus is coming to town

The above folk song comes in the form of a Santa Claus Gospel. This Christian idol not only pollutes a sacred story but also corrupts theological and spiritual truths. It has the form of omniscience but its appearance is without substance.

Christmas is that time of year when the focus should be upon that One for whom the day was  named CHRIST-MASS- the Lord Jesus Christ. But every year that focus seems to shift more and more to  another –and that is to Santa Claus. It is not easy to speak out against Santa Claus, because to attack him is to attack the Christmas idol.

Santa Claus has taken on some of the characteristics of an idol. (Innocence)

God’s Word says:

            “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”

Certain powers are attributed to Santa Claus which belong to God alone,

            Example:  

                            Santa 

                               sees all they do      

                               hears all they say.

          

                               In essence he is

                                    Omniscient

                                    Omnipresent

These are powers that are God’s alone. God’s word says, “I am God and there is none like me.” Yet children are taught that Santa Claus has God-characteristics

The role of Satan in this scenario

Satan is not presented as fiction--. He is presented as fact—real—living—and having involvement in their lives. Children are taught to believe in Santa Claus.

Satan is the Father of Lies

             The Santa Claus gospel strives to make him seem alive and real and

            strives to make the Very Real Saviour seem dead and fictitious.

Satan gets help from parents by:

            Perpetuation of myth

            Hanging of stocking at chimney vs parents’ love

            Claiming that Santa knows child’s behavior

            Claiming that Santa hears and answers specific petitions

            Claim of his coming in person to their home.

Actually, these are mocking imitations of the Lord Jesus Christ—of Christ’s genuine Reality—of his real knowledge of each person’s behavior;  his actual answer to specific prayer petitions and his authentic coming in person, not simply to the home but to the heart of each believer.

Even Santa’s elves seem strangely parallel to scripture’s account of ministering angels. Note the similarity between the words “Santa” and “Satan”.

The “Santa Claus Gospel” indoctrinates children with the idea that if they are “good”, they will get presents from Santa Claus. This doctrine compounds the true Gospel of Grace. God’s presence does not depend on our being “good”. The Bible says “There is none that doeth good, no not one.” Romans 3:12

It does not depend on our goodness; we have none!  But it depends on the perfect goodness, the sinlessness of the Son of God which qualified Him to pay for our badness, our sinfulness. On the cross Christ suffered for that sin as our substitute, died and rose again. By believing and trusting in Him, they will get eternal life as His present---earned by him, not by their own efforts.

Salvation comes by Faith, not by being “good.” Yet the “Santa Claus Gospel” of works has gotten to children and has left them resistant to the truth, that entrance into heaven is not determined by behavior but by trust in Christ and His sacrifice.

Another serious effect of the Santa Claus myth is that it can deter children from coming to Christ in faith. Once they discover that Santa Claus is a liar, they can be hesitant to put their trust in anyone further in whom they’ve tried to believe but cannot see.