tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778737598308353810.post3361503014050368951..comments2023-09-09T06:35:36.065-04:00Comments on My Fenhop: No, Virginia. Now Grow Upfenhopperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776069385112951122noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778737598308353810.post-58762487666901035472008-12-17T00:11:00.000-05:002008-12-17T00:11:00.000-05:00Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm always dabbling in ...Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm always dabbling in shaky metaphysics and doubting my own premises for this very reason!<BR/><BR/>That said, I think my defense of Santa would've help up rather nicely in court... if showing a young child the attractive force of a magnet works to give him some idea of how romantic love "works," then what's the harm in it? That's how I see Santa -- something that kids can grasp to lay the groundwork for something they can't.<BR/><BR/>But now that I've typed that, it doesn't sound so good. I think you're right -- (un?)fortunately, Gretchen will hear no arguments about not doing the Santa thing with our future babies.Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03820693522030084335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778737598308353810.post-67572463598688601092008-12-14T16:24:00.000-05:002008-12-14T16:24:00.000-05:00"and yet, they might be able to understand by way ..."and yet, they might be able to understand by way of a parable."<BR/><BR/>and yet the parents i'm judging teach no parable and get upset at the idea of their child knowing the truth that they themselves know.<BR/><BR/>this is fine if you somehow see some great value to the belief. and that's what i don't see. any great value.<BR/><BR/>now -- without judging those who see this differently from me: i think santa and his circumstance is silly. laughable. i don't see the importance. i don't see what it does for kids and i don't see what gap it would leave.<BR/><BR/>here then is where i will focus my criticism. not on those who give their kids this story, but those who think i will unfairly deprive my kids of something when i don't. those who respond with "how can you not give them that?"<BR/><BR/>i love that i never believed in it. and still xmas was a 'magical' time for me because of my family. i really value my informed appreciation for the season.<BR/><BR/>i really don't think anyone who believed in santa claus had a heads up on any understanding of any structure.<BR/><BR/>you were just wrong about something for no reason casey.<BR/><BR/>repent. and believe no more.fenhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10776069385112951122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778737598308353810.post-85614708195584504322008-12-14T15:03:00.000-05:002008-12-14T15:03:00.000-05:00Casey's point is a good one for disliking the Sant...Casey's point is a good one for disliking the Santa story, though lots of people do in fact realize that the nonexistence of Santa is a parallel, too...The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778737598308353810.post-51798157652094856442008-12-14T09:43:00.000-05:002008-12-14T09:43:00.000-05:00Yeah -- booo, hissss.I actually think the structur...Yeah -- booo, hissss.<BR/><BR/>I actually think the structure of the Santa Claus story isn't too bad, even if it's a little rudimentary.<BR/><BR/>Consider how difficult it is/would be to explain "G-d" to a child. And yet, they might be able to understand by way of a parable... and isn't that what Santa is? That way, the "structure" in their brain begins to develop -- and although they'll throw all the specifics (the words) out by the time their twelve, that structure in their brain will remain. They'll move on to talking about G-d as an omniscient ever-watching father figure -- and most of them will make the shift very smoothly, not even realizing that they're working in the same chunk of brain-matter.<BR/><BR/>The problem is, they think that the G-d-as-father image <I>isn't</I> a parable because they haven't read the Gospel of Philip. As I've written somewhere before, more or less: "In the beginning was the <I>underlying structure</I>..."<BR/><BR/>Ever hear Buddha's parable about using a raft to get to the other side of the river? -- once you've crossed the river, you don't continue carrying the raft on your head. You let it go...<BR/><BR/>Santa's a means. So is the Bible. So, of course, was Buddha.Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03820693522030084335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778737598308353810.post-12168643324321721242008-12-14T00:03:00.000-05:002008-12-14T00:03:00.000-05:00yeah i could probably stand to calm down about thi...yeah i could probably stand to calm down about this one.fenhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10776069385112951122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778737598308353810.post-73708861157672802432008-12-13T22:22:00.000-05:002008-12-13T22:22:00.000-05:00Hmm. I don't agree, but possibly that's because we...Hmm. I don't agree, but possibly that's because we <I>did</I> give people presents when we were kids - not great presents, but commensurate with our ability to make something or our allowance. Santa was never a substitute for that. <BR/><BR/>Though we did know that Santa wasn't going to bring us a pony or something huge and expensive. So I'm sure how much belief we actually had.The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.com