7 Reasons Why You Should NOT Teach Your Children about Santa

[@perricasa6478]

You're telling me Santa isn't real? There goes my meaning in life...

[@Cloudgamingultra]

CUE DRAMATIC MUSIC!

[@Poodleinacan]

CloudGamingULTRA Not dramatic enough!

[@infernogaming6925]

***** Shit, we are all screwed!

[@TheElliesvlogs]

Just believe he has no proof at all

[@haleydorsch2262]

I was 9 when I knew

[@morshuthemerchant5558]

I remember asking my mom why she never told me anything about Santa. She said because it would be too much unnecessary work.

[@spitonmelily]

If santa doesn't exist who just got into my house without a key

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

@@spitonmelily an imposter

[@spitonmelily]

@@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija I killed the man using hot wheels

[@russelljoyce3853]

You should thank her today that she gifted you even if her motivation not exactly movie script. Praise God for her instinct

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

@@russelljoyce3853 I am atheist so I don’t praise religious figures

[@tsukilorren1422]

Son: Father, I want a forensic kit for Christmas! Father: Okay, son, I will. Son: A real one! Father: I...I will. Father: [several months later] Look, son, Santa left you a gift. What's inside? Son: **Removes Wrapper** Oh, cool. A real forensic kit~. Father: Son, wait... what are you doing.. Son: I'm going to check out Santa's fingerprints! Father: [~Father makes a mistake~]

[@alexandertheamerican9663]

TSuki Lorren 😂😂😂😂

[@Neel-ff4mn]

TSuki Lorren It's at this point, he knew, he fucked up.

[@thewalrus5198]

Father, I want a foreskin for Christmas!

[@bobbyhill4118]

TSuki Lorren lol. That was clever.

[@Greenman-vn6cu]

Swear dats how it be

[@travietrav9047]

Santa is a ninja of the hidden snow village and he uses shadow clone jutsu to be in many places at once.

[@myreptiles4502]

Travie Trav santa is fake and xmas only exists to celebrate Jesus and his birthday

[@travietrav9047]

Film maker Jesus is fake and Christmas in the modern age only exist to push consumerism

[@myreptiles4502]

Travie Trav Jesus ain't fake and santa is fake

[@emmerybunny317]

Travie Trav hahaha omg wow

[@crystalperkins8952]

Film maker that's your opinion it's he's choice to be religious not yours

[@vinteote]

AGREE. i saw my sister go through it and it was no good. every christmas was only tears and suffering for her because she believed santa is real..CHRISTMAS, FOR HER, WAS OPPORTUNITY TO FINALLY GET THE THINGS SHE WISHED BUT WE COULDNT AFFORD. she always wanted very expensive things whIch our parents wasnt able to buy. she wanted phones and computers and tv and stuff. she was always so dissapointed because she NEVER, not once, got what she wanted. and it didnt really help her that I, her older sister, ALWAYS got what i wanted (SHE DIDNT realize it's because i chose afordable things). she always thought santa hates her, or she was not good enough to deserve what she wanted. in her letters for santa she alwayswrote about how she was good and apologized for the wrong things and begged santa to finally bring her the thing she wanted and told him to bring all the other children what they want too.. and she was always so hopeful thinking THIS YEAR SHE WILL REALLY GET THE THING.well, discovering it was a lie wasnt really helpful for her either as you can imagine.. NO CHILD DESERVES TO GO THROUGH THIS SHIT. she was devastated every fucking christmas. and she was like "i asked my parents if santa really exists or they've been lying to me and they said he does. so it must be true" for a long time. WHY IN EARTH DO THIS TO YOUR CHILDREN STUPID PEOPLE-.- i'm so happy i never believed in santa, even though my parents wanted me to. must be awful to discover the truth and feel betrayed by your parents about something so stupid & unnecesarry. tldr; dont do this to your children. it will do more harm than good. you have aweome videos :)

[@yidarmy7212]

vinteote I know am three years late but screw it just because you’re sister went through something horrible with the Santa story dose not me it happend to every child I wasn’t effected at all by it so maybe before you judge every parent by calling them “ stupid people” you should see every child is maybe I should judge you’re sister for believing it and every other child but no because it isn’t the same thing with every single child so maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to judge and call them stupid people thanks for calling my parents stupid as well very friendly.

[@KevinWolfGames]

@@yidarmy7212 Maybe stupid was a harsh word (if you’re 9 years old) but it is pretty weird to lie to your children about some fat guy in a red suit floating around giving people gifts while they’re sleeping

[@neonnatella4632]

@@yidarmy7212 I know i am one year late but fck u ur insensitive prick

[@cwcspyninja2249]

Vinteote so true

[@morestuff64058]

I'm a big brother of a 8 year old and he has no Idea who is Santa. he never even heard of Santa because him and I live in a Muslim country where we dont celebrate Christmas because the people there think its wrong but I still feel bad for your little sister. she is going to learn that one day Santa is not real

[@RockLobsta29]

When I was 6 I screamed "Fuck" as loud as possible when i was home alone with my older brother to see if I would still get presents, and that's how I knew Santa was bullshit

[@harmonymckeesmith2334]

Lol

[@nikolasmad9]

wtf

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

Okay that was pretty funny!

[@onewholovesvenison5335]

I have a Christian and a Jewish side of my family. As a kid, it didn’t make sense that Santa would bring gifts to my Mom’s family but not my Dad’s family. They didn’t tell me Santa’s not real; I just put two and two together.

[@mexa_t6534]

I remember when I was like 7, and a teacher asked me "why are you so pessimist? why don't you believe in the magic of Santa?" and I just responded "I'm not pessimist. I'm realist"

[@ignemuton5500]

+Eugenia Ol *puts on shades* YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[@cookiedominics4487]

Eugenia Ol HELL YEAH!! YIU TOTALLY ROASTEEEEEED

[@itzjuzuz6708]

OMG LMAOO

[@samithebeanieboofish5532]

galaxy hitchhiker72 OHHHHHHHHHHH burn

[@calbear105]

I’ll take shit that never happened for 500.

[@katiasnr4904]

also it's about money: your mom and dad work their ass off to make money and buy you something. no stranger donated you your gift. and also: why make you used to having a stranger break into your house? it's not a nice thing to get used to.

[@CyberChrist]

+MsHaroldCamping Jimmy's been more obedient, of course ;)

[@marginelouis6674]

+MsHaroldCamping lol

[@mchobbit2951]

That's the thing. The child then feels like they are NEVER good enough :(. My cousin told her kids that Santa only brings one thing and the parents pay him to make the rest and that's how Santa pays the elves and feeds the reindeer. I hate to say it, but it was a pretty creative lie.

[@jilliansmith7123]

Mc Hobbit: lots of parents tell their kids that. Must be a "meme" that many people have thought of in the last ten decades.

[@thealientree3821]

MsHaroldCamping Did I detect a Jimmy Neutron reference?

[@chriscos123]

Honestly, if the kids are coming up with their own questions about Santa clause and how these things don't make sense, slowly piecing together the puzzle until they come to the realization, isn't that in a way teaching them to think independently?

[@itaraaah]

Yeah I was considering doing that if I ever have children. I might tell them about Santa and once they start to question it I'll slowly reveal clues about how he actually isn't real, then applaud them for thinking critically and realistically.

[@mchobbit2951]

Yes, that's fine. BUT when they come to you, you can't feed them more lies and lies and lies. You tell ask them what they think and have them come up with reasons why they think he doesn't and possible explanations etc. But most people don't do that. Most people, when their kid asks them about Santa, tell some stupid lie to keep them believing.

[@afail3421]

parents are just testing how stupid there kids are, or how long it takes them to find out age.5 wtf this kid is smart age 7, wow! age 8, I'm happy could be better age 10... come on now age 12, should I just tell him age 14 alright I'm telling him age 16... he doesn't belive me age 20 (moves into his own house, and realises santa doesn't visit adults age 21 got a computer went on wiki found out santa was fake age 46 (gets a job at bass pro as santa)

[@gaminglol1167]

A Fail their*

[@hannah-cu1bt]

I found out when I was 8

[@Keurgui1]

10 for me

[@lizzetfarrera1514]

8 for me

[@skvll_and_cr0ssb0nes]

Yass

[@charlottegrayyxo]

My mum and dad will still not tell me he is not real.

[@charlottegrayyxo]

No

[@user-to9ps9og5q]

+Guinea-pig Love no your parents take your tooth

[@blue5had0w]

that's funny lol I still milk it so I get one present from my parents and one from Santa haha

[@richardgoodman6655]

Charlotte Gray is god real? no

[@spacenoke]

Im 17.... my brothers are both adults, 22 and 24 years old. My mom STILL acts like santa is real really hard lol

[@patrickgarcia38]

I love this video. My fiancee and I are sociology students and we have always talked about this. We also think income inequalities and the idea of Santa Claus hurts the child as well. For example, a child from a poor family is good all year. This child faces hunger and endures many struggles that the average poor family faces. This child believes in Santa and hopes that he will make their life a bit easier by rewarding them for good behavior. The child then receives a coloring book and a teddy bear for Christmas. It isn't much, but the child is happy. Then a classmate (known to be spoiled and mean) who comes from a rich family receives a new gaming system and the newest and most expensive toy. This child then brags about the gifts from "Santa." The poor child will them question if they are even good enough or worthy enough of gifts as such.

[@Altorin]

when every kid has an ipad with wifi connection to the internet, I don't think Santa works anymore.

[@Wawagirl17]

Good point. lol

[@YouReallyMadHuh]

My parents always made it clear that they worked hard to put the gifts we had under our tree and that will continue to happen in my household. This video is spot on.

[@chewchewtrain]

Christmas is no longer about God or Santa. IT IS ABOUT MONEY!

[@WhiteCottontailTeemo]

Christmas has nothing to do with christianity. Christmas is a pagan holiday which got stolen by christians

[@burningFirefox]

+The Amazing Infidel um are you sure my school never told me that

[@WhiteCottontailTeemo]

burning Firefox 2006 yeah I am 100% sure

[@burningFirefox]

The Amazing Infidel ok could you please show me a link so that I know what you are saying is ligit

[@WhiteCottontailTeemo]

burning Firefox 2006 well I saw that on some Cosmos episode and I've heard that few times before and I think Jaclynnglen or something explains that in one of her videos And sorry but I don't know in witch video so I can't link it but you can do some research on your own

[@swabby429]

I learned early that Santa was make believe. I still enjoyed Santa anyway. I liked him as much as Bugs Bunny.

[@bkeels002]

"Christmas is the time of year when people are more likely to be generous and charitable." It's also the time of year when the rate of suicide is at it's peak. Just a fun snippet for anyone interested. Have a nice day. :)

[@bkeels002]

Exactly right.

[@dmans140]

well sine it is a myth, there does not need to be any reason

[@MaeNotEast]

Actually, suicides peak in late Spring. Worldwide. Who knew? I looked it up because I thought they'd peak after the holidays. They really have no idea why. People who work in cubicles are more likely to commit suicide in the Fall. Huh? Now this is going to bug me all night. LOL

[@cam.singer]

i’m 12, i don’t believe in him, and it was so magical for me when i was a kid!!! i think it’s okay, and i still trust my parents, and i’m not mad at them for telling me santa is real

[@neonnatella4632]

@@Sambocha Well too late he is 15 by now lmao

[@beanman5525]

I tested my mom I told her I saw her putting presents there and she actually admit

[@arnavsachdeva7438]

@@neonnatella4632 Lmao XD I am 15 too

[@erikburzinski8248]

Depends on the person most are fine and some are not.

[@brockytv7359]

I remember when I was 11 I was told that santa wasn't real and then the next day in school I told all the other kids that santa wasn't real and there was a big argument

[@vaultstar168]

My mother told me that when she first explained Santa to me that I asked "Why is an old man breaking into my house?" She also said not too long after, I asked "Why do the rick kids get more stuff from Santa than the poor kids?"

[@Xelger]

If I was a parent, I would be in this category, telling my kid(s) straight up that Santa does not exist. Your other video that explains reasons for the opposite stance just isn't as influential to me.

[@rentheadangelcollins]

Kids _need_ that level of imagination. They _need_ to _learn_ to be critical thinkers. Tell them about Santa and the other myths of the holiday, _along_ with religion, and then when they ask you questions, tell them the truth, but the best thing you can do is let them believe, even just a little while, to give them the creativity and imagination _every_ kid needs to grow. You'll give them a happy, imaginative childhood, _and_ the ability to ask the questions many kids just won't ask _because_ of what he said in the video: That parents who lie or brush off those questions prevent critical thinking by making it seem like a bad thing. It's a learning experience for two _great_ causes in a child's development.

[@Xelger]

As a kid, I was traumatized by things which resulted from lies and silence about truths, so as a result, it's become a hard-set part of my beliefs to not lie or keep silent about truths unless doing otherwise would cause a meaningless death or something.

[@HenryRSeymour]

Is there a Santa Claus? No known species of reindeer can fly. However, there are hundreds of thousands, even millions of species of living organisms yet to be classified. While most of these are insects and germs, this does not COMPLETELY rule out flying reindeer which only Santa has ever seen. There are 2 billion children (persons under 18) in the world. Since Santa doesn't (appear) to handle the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish & Buddhist children, that reduces the workload to 15% of the total - 378 million according to Population Reference Bureau. At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that's 91.8 million homes. One presumes there's at least one good child in each. Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with. This is due to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 822.6 visits/second. This is to say that for each Christian household with good children, Santa has .001 seconds to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left, get back up the chimney, get back into the sleigh and move on to the next house. Assuming that each of these 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the earth (which of course, we know to be false but for the purposes of our calculations we will accept), we are now talking about .78 miles/household, a total trip of 75.5 million miles; not counting stops to do what most of us must do at least once ever 31 hours, plus feeding etc. So Santa's sleigh must be moving at 650 miles/second, 3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle on the earth, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second. A conventional reindeer can run, TOPS, 15 miles/hour. The payload on the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium-size Lego set (2 lb.); the sleigh is carrying 321,300 tons, not counting Santa, who is invariably described as overweight. On land, conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 lbs. Even granting that "flying reindeer" (see above) could pull 10 TIMES the normal amount, we cannot do the job with 8, or even 9 reindeer. We need 214,200. This increases the payload - not counting the weight of the sleigh to 353,430 tons. This is four times the weight of the ocean-liner Queen Elizabeth!!! 353,00 tons traveling at 650 miles/second creates enormous air resistance. This will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as a spacecraft reentering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer will absorb 14.3 QUINTILLION joules of energy!!! Per second!!! Each!!! In short, they will burst into flame almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them, and creating deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporized within .00426th of a second. Meanwhile, Santa will be subjected to centrifugal forces 17,500.06 times greater than gravity, A 250 lb Santa (seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of this sleigh by 4,315,015 lbs. of force. Therefore, if Santa ever DID deliver presents on Christmas Eve ... he's dead now.

[@rentheadangelcollins]

Xelger That's why you don't lie. You tell them the stories. What? Is fiction evil? It's technically a lie, but fiction saved my life. Harry Potter really did keep me alive. Or are you going to raise your kids on documentaries and biographies, and ignore the worlds fantasy gives us? Religion, the holiday mascots, and all fiction are in the exact same group, I think. If your kids believe in it for a time, there is nothing wrong with that. Just be honest when they ask questions.

[@princesszeldaprincess447]

@@HenryRSeymour ecuse me ??????doesn't deal with Muslim children um ecuse me but your wrong Santa deals with every single child I as a Muslim included I got presents from him growing up

[@MrTweej]

Developing a healthy sense of skepticism is part of growing up. The Santa thing is a good harmless way to help develop that.

[@schok51]

So say you. This video shows reasons why that might not be the case. Or at least not in the traditional way of constantly lying to your kid from the beginning to the end of their belief.

[@schok51]

That doesn't support your claim either...

[@schok51]

That it's a good harmless way to develop skepticism. Harmless maybe(though not for everyone), but do you have studies to support the claim that consistently lying to someone develop general skepticism skills? I mean, I can imagine why it might, but I can also imagine how it might have other negative impact(i.e. as mentioned in the video).

[@schok51]

What? First of all, read your first comment, and tell me again you didn't claim that. The rest doesn't make any sense. I'm against consistently lying to your children about the existence of some fictional character , that is telling your child it exists and continuing to do so even when he brings up questions and shows critical thinking. That's gaslighting more than anything.

[@schok51]

And a skeptic can perfectly well hold "strong opinions" as long as these opinions are justified... I didn't claim anything that needs evidence, I think, but you did.

[@tuodekab]

i was the last of my friends to stop believing in santa and the first to start questioning the existence of god (becoming an atheist soon after. now i refuse to label myself as anything). even though i had been questioning santa's existence for at least a year or two i was still devastated when my parents told me the truth. it just shook my entire world and brought upon my first existential crisis. after that i started questioning EVERYTHING about everything. anything and everything that i had been told to believe, unless i knew from my own personal experience to be true was up for serious questioning (which growing up catholic and going to sunday school, christianity and the christian idea of god, was not one of them). it seriously fucked with my head.

[@fadfudge4719]

God is not dead he is surely alive!

[@Ltresso12]

FALSE!!!!!

[@tuodekab]

Fad Fudge life and death are two sides of the same coin.

[@wiggy009]

I think I went through something similar I would cry

[@coolboygamer5308]

I'm only 9 years old so my heart stopped

[@csat1308]

Srsly? Or theoretically?

[@lasavagetacos1635]

Coolboygamer5 same here

[@hdoge4517]

I'm ten years old l Died

[@maitenamuro1139]

Coolboygamer5 dont be sad

[@ashleycolchado8262]

Coolboygamer5 i know im 9 too and My heart brote i even cried all this time ive be living in Santa when he is not real😰😨😱😤😤😤😤🤔😥😢😧😭😪😓🤐😲😵 IM SO MAD AT MY MOM

[@guardianofthegalaxy6902]

I could see it being a teachable moment, show them how to debunk a myth. Thats how it was for me. I realized he wasn't real organically and it was a big turning point in my life. Just don't lie when they ask you questions.

[@aaronlee8694]

I’ve never wanted to teach my future children about Santa

[@andreww2194]

I am 13 and I found out when I was like 8. I was way too smart and I recognized my mom's hand writing. Anyway. I think we should let santa give them little stuff and the big gifts should be from the parents. When they are like 8 teach them they need to give gifts too. Do like a secret santa where each family member gives gifts to the other family members combined with the gifts from santa that aren't as big and as expensive because then its not fair that rich kids get expensive gifts and kids who's family is not that fortunate get less gifts, maybe no gifts.

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

I was 12 years old when I learned Santa wasn't real, that was rough!

[@aroundtheoutside5189]

@@marvinthemaniac7698 12! What led you to believing for so long

[@Vampire-666.]

I was 8 when I found

[@Straddllw]

Santa was never my childhood and I really can't grasp how gullible people. I remember learning about the Tooth Fairy in 3rd grade from my teacher at school when one of the boys had a loose tooth and I thought she was mad. My parents taught me about Santa when I was 6 years old and I laughed it off and thought it was a joke. Then I remember there being a puppet giraffe named Harold that came to our school every year to teach about safety and I got detention for telling other kids that it's just a puppet. I was 7 years old back then and kids older than me believed it was real. This is madness and I remember really resenting my school. My mom also have a habit of telling little white lies. At first it was about this imaginary creatures that every parents tell their kids. Then it was little lies about the time or whats for dinner to get me to go to bed or get off the computer. Then she lies so often that I think even she's confused about what's true or false. It's not a good habit to get into. We don't have a good relationship because I start doubting every little thing that she says. There's a lot of mistrust. I hope that other people don't brush it off for the sake of letting kids be kids. Frankly I would have been much happier with the truth, and I have a knack of getting to the truth regardless.

[@herpaderpa6101]

Straddllw Well aren't you such a special snowflake.

[@birchwilliams2587]

Herpa Derpa LOL :D

[@NKRevolution]

I stopped believing in Santa when I was like 3

[@sweetiebuttons3498]

Wow, you were such a mature little genius.

[@lainapamanet1690]

u got detention when u were 7??!!?

[@kirbyvoss5477]

3:22 I’d have Santa charged with stalking, Conspiracy theories, and major child abuse, and up to life sentencing in prison. As well as for every child he threatened, I’d put him behind bars for thousands of years

[@stickytoastcrunch5500]

People just made Santa so that kids aren't naughty

[@herpaderpa6101]

Fizz Hawken At least we're not telling them about the Yule Cat. I's literally a big ass cat that eats people if they don't get new clothes for Christmas.

[@dartngaming2604]

Fizz Hawken Your stupid whats 9 + 10!?

[@BMTHMada]

DartNGaming You're*, and you make fun of other people.

[@stormingcrow2541]

Fizz Hawken That's also why people made God...

[@Hi-kk1fu]

+DartNGaming and over used joke

[@Yusuf1187]

I think that kids can still enjoy the IDEA of Santa Claus without literally believing he exists. We do that with all kinds of things. So it's not like you're taking away the fun of childhood and Christmas by being honest with your kids.

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

I came to accept Santa Claus as a feeling/state of mind when I was 12 years old.

[@xxluaxx6]

Yes! I agree with everything he says her AND my husband is dead set on Santa. So we compromise. There’s no naughty nice list, no always watching, he needs permission to enter the house, and I’m gonna be honest with my kids. We can call it “pretending Santa” and it’s just as fun!

[@roywempor8395]

no need for Santa, Christmas is Christ's birthday not the Fatty's

[@Stettafire]

Agreed. It's playing make believe, which is fun. But believing in unreal things is dangerous and not healthy

[@emilefrenette9325]

I'm not an atheist, but when i realised my entourage & wider society lied to me(i was 9 years old) about Santa Claus, Tooh-fairy, "Bonhomme sept-heures"(the closest equivalent in my culture to Sandman), was the time i also realised that "responsible" adults would lie against me if they like it and that my enemies were the ones i should listen to for the truth. I was 8-years old when i told my 3 years old cousin he didn't exist & the "adults" punished me for it. The years after i developped an habit of lying up to my late adolescence, for which all the former was a justifiable precedent to me.

[@jakegreek1]

I didn't tell my kids that Santa was real. K made it very clear to them that it was a lie. Sounds bad right? I didn't lie to my kids, what I did instead was follow a different cultures Christmas beliefs every year, for example, this year is icelandic Christmas. My kids understand more about different cultures and know that, to us, the stories they tell are not real but their emotions and feelings towards that make it true to them. Its important to understand every culture and see that it is no different from your own

[@VashTheDamnFiend]

Awesome

[@MarkArandjus]

But on the flipside learning that there is no Santa is the one atheist experience everyone has. Even bible belt creationist Christians had this one moment where they stopped believing in a myth where an old wise man who watches over everyone, loves the good and dislikes the bad, because they find it ridiculous, even though that's basically the Abrahamic god. Every atheist alive believed in Santa, maybe giving people a practical experience in letting go of faith has some value?

[@sidestracked]

Good point, Mark. Perhaps there is value in the use of Santa to show how mass marketing of religion deceives the masses.

[@steveb0503]

It's my opinion that all of you defending the whole idea of teaching kids about Santa and coming from a position of: "Hey, no big - what's the harm?" are doing so out of adherence to tradition. Instead of stopping to consider what the harm might actually be - you just seem to rely on the fact that that's the way we've always done things. Isn't that the worst POSSIBLE reason to continue doing something? Stop, think. What possible good reason can there be for promoting gullibility - for convincing someone to believe something MERELY because you say they should? I challenge ANYONE to come up with a good reason requiring blind faith in a proposition that couldn't be achieved in some other way that doesn't require lying to them (and risking future distrust by them).

[@steveb0503]

***** Irony.

[@potatomo42]

I,m not atheist and I agree on this. My mom never told me Santa was real and I never believed he was in fact I never even got a present that was labeled 'from Santa' And thats how its gonna be when I have my own children

[@patmos09]

Probably why you aren't an atheist- you never learnt the lesson that believe is not evidence for truth, were never taught to think critically.

[@mistyhaney5565]

I agree that you shouldn't use Santa to control behavior, but I think that answering the questions they come up with by having a honest discussion with them about what they think the answers are and agreeing with them when they're right. It is a way to learn critical thinking as long as you don't lie when they start to question. I'm in my 50's and I've never met anyone who suddenly didn't trust their parents when they figured out Santa wasn't real, but I've known several people who were told he wasn't real as small children who wish they had been given the chance to believe in him.

[@julianmarsh1378]

Give it a rest. Having an honest discussion with kids about Santa? So glad I was able to teach outside the US for 8 years and put on Christmas shows instead of 'winter' programs....who the hell ever celebrated winter???

[@Dombowerphoto]

Telling the truth will get very confusing when in every shopping mall there are queues for Santa grottos. In school it's taught loads and even on TV Santa and his magic are promoted everywhere. Your effectively telling your kid that everyone is lying but you.

[@FelixNielsen]

That depends how you teach your kid. As long as you do not promote santa as the truth and answer any question truthfully, then it will work out without incident while teaching a lesson about thinking critically and that you shouldn't believe anything on faith alone.

[@Wawagirl17]

So what if you say that everyone around is lying to kids. They...are. You don't have to say it as such a bad thing. Say its a game that most adults like to play with kids, that's all.

[@wesmartino64]

you're forgetting about all the non-christians in the US. Jewish kids grow up not believing in santa claus and don't become emotionally disturbed.

[@JeremyHolovacs]

Of course... they actually *are* lying...

[@theewildrose]

It's not that confusing. Don't underestimate a child's intelligence. Kids know what fantasy is. They figure it out around 3. Its simple when put in the context that Santa is like a holiday mascot.

[@MarceloTaranto]

Believing in Santa will not destroy your ability to think rationally. In fact, it stimulates creativity. I'm an atheist and I always had a critical thinking, but I couldn't imagine my early childhood without believing in Santa.

[@TheCartoonLoon]

I have to agree

[@Felizdakat]

I grew up not believing in Santa and at 31 I still have a very active imagination. Not sure how believing in Santa stimulates creativity though? Care to elaborate,

[@TheCartoonLoon]

Felizda Kat Well, its obviously not exclusive, but thats not to say it can not.

[@SrValeriolete]

I started questioning how Santa was able to get so many presents in a single night, cool thing about Santa is that it was ok to ask anything about him, it was a good training to apply to Christ later in my teens.

[@girlbossincorporated]

as a child i believed in santa claus, but i had my suspicions about him. at 11, i found the present stash and knew it wasn't true. at 13, my parents sat me down to tell me he wasnt and i was like "i know haha" now im a 14 year old agnostic. i ended up asking the same questions about god so i thank the santa claus for that

[@hyperionsolomon]

I am trying to find videos on how to teach my children that the religious idea of God doesn't exist. As I watch this video, I find myself asking how I'm going to teach my six and seven year old about physics and Santa Clause. Kids don't understand the terminology. Does anyone know where I can find a video that might appeal to them? I think their Grandma is screwing up their brain a bit. My daughter gets violent if people don't pray at dinner time, because she is convinced they will be tortured forever. IT IS SERIOUSLY SCREWING UP MY KIDS.

[@newtonsneighborhood]

Use Santa! For example, when they discover Santa isn't real, ask them if they can think of anything else that might not be real. Let them figure out the similarities between Santa & God with leading questions, I.E. They both see you all the time, they both have magical powers, they both know if you've been bad or good, they both reward you for being good or punish for being bad, etc... I hope that helps. Sorry my response is so late.

[@hyperionsolomon]

Mr Newton's Neighborhood That's pretty good! I would still like to figure out a video though, for all children who are the victims of this deception. I think someone should create it, for all of us. Maybe someday that will happen, in the mean-time, I can't break the Santa notion, because I'm married and my wife wouldn't allow it, but when it comes to the harmful thing with the whole religious idea of God, we don't argue as much. She grew up religious, but I think she kind of gets the idea that it's profoundly harmful to them... I guess I'm not at a point in life where I can bring Santa into the fold, not yet. Darn.

[@mixer8774]

Jeffrey Rynearson no!.. i think that you should let your kids believe in what they want to believe. I mean would if God is real and hear you have taught your kids not to believe in him? i mean if god is real atheist go to hell. and if he isn't....well then atheist are right ....big deal. don't take the chance. Let your kids figure it all out on there own and support whatever it is that they turn out to believe in!!!! That is how it should be done!!!!!

[@hyperionsolomon]

RGH No...that is unethical. I play a part in how my child sees the world. I would like my children to think for themselves. What your asking me to do is wrong, and I view it as evil. Also, it's fear mongering, and that is my primary issue. What you're saying is evil in itself, which is manipulating a small child by using fear. The proof is in your own words. The mindset your trying to instill, is exactly why my daughter is lashing out and hurting people. She is afraid of something that doesn't exist in the way she's been taught. There be a spirit of white light, there may be an after=life, but there is no way in hell that the Bible is a true story. That's about the most outrageous thing that has ever existed. There is a lot of scientific evidence that supports, without a doubt, that it causes delusional thinking, and life-ling behavioral issues. I would know, I was raised being told these things, by religious people. I'm 32 and still slightly screwed up.

[@mixer8774]

ok...honestly i didnt understand a word you said ....also dont care lol

[@TheBabyDollFamily]

Me and my friends made a song: Santa Ain't Real. Santa ain't real, so grow the heck up! Santa ain't real, so grow the heck up! Santa ain't real, so grow the heck up! I bought you all those presents Magic is fake, so grow the heck up! Magic is fake, so grow the heck up! Magic is fake, so grow the heck up! It just isn't logical Reindeer can't fly, so grow the heck up! Reindeer can't fly, so grow the heck up! Reindeer can't fly, so grow the heck up! How would that be possible? Do you really want a stalker? Do you really want a stalker? Do you really want a stalker? That would be pretty creepy! Santa ain't real, and magic is fake Reindeer can't fly, and Santa's a creep!

[@ramozap1373]

The BabyDollFamily. YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU AINT REAL!!!!!!!!!😤😤

[@TheBabyDollFamily]

Ramo Zap13 And to you, apparently, logic isn't either.

[@jrlproductions1596]

BEST SONG EVER

[@TheBabyDollFamily]

JRL Productions Thanks, my friends and I worked really hard on all four verses! :-)

[@TheBabyDollFamily]

Watch dogs 2 fan SANTA HATERS UNITE

[@lancecjohnson]

I'll teach my son about Santa, but I also plan on encouraging him when he asks critical and skeptical questions.

[@michaelspangenberg1339]

well, now I know santa is not real. :( my dad and mom have lied to me my whole life

[@ashleysadoglover5307]

It's a traditional story. It's fun for kids so don't ruin it for others.

[@ramozap1373]

Michael Spangenberg I fell the same

[@davidevans8793]

Yeah kids lives being crushed

[@jilliansmith7123]

Ashley: why do you think it's fun for kids? It's only fun until they realize it's not true and their parents are fucking liars. Nice one.

[@bennyboyblack689]

Nice way to hide a suicide note👍 "My whole life"

[@JeremyHolovacs]

THIS makes a lot more sense to me than the 4 previous.

[@octoaiden]

Santa: fake, still believed by billions.

[@richardgoodman6655]

FyrePlayZ so is god and it's the 21st century.

[@someguyfromfinland4239]

Wait so you mean that over a 1% of the world belives in santa

[@kenziekylecfacundo829]

Santa clause is real

[@someguyfromfinland4239]

kenzie kyle fake*

[@pyrxntt7376]

Nothisispatrick What is wrong with you? God is real ya dumb duck. Ur ass wouldn’t be on this planet if it wasn’t for god. Screw you

[@Vaguenoodle]

I figured out Santa wasn't real because my dad's handwriting and Santa's were the same, funnily enough.

[@tannedwillie1143]

Me too! I never really believed the whole Santa story because the name tags always had my mom's handwriting on them. And my mom was such a pack-rat hoarder that she insisted we always had to save the same wrapping paper to reuse from one year to the next. She said that was why she and my dad had to stay up so late on xmas eve, to wrap all the packages after Santa had dropped them off. But I had several siblings, so how could they have possibly remembered which gifts were intended for which person?! Never really fooled me one bit!

[@Aphetorusbull]

I strongly disagree! I absolutely think that parents have a responsibility to tune their children's bullshit meter. I want my children to learn that even the things that trusted people say to them should be questioned. I don't want them to take even my answers as unquestionable. When they learn that Santa is a fallacy and I was pulling their leg they'll know that it's up to them to discern the truth and not just take someones word for it.

[@annadios]

Good point. My uber Christian parents did not teach me about Santa and now I'm wondering if they had, would I have figured out the whole god's not real thing way sooner than age 24?

[@FernieCanto]

You've got a very solid point there, but I'm still uncertain. I mean, society as a whole already teaches kids about Santa, and encourages that belief. The relationship between a kid and his parents go way beyond mere authority. Besides, when we learn the truth about Santa, we always feel that our parents did all that for our own happiness, and not for their self-interest. They did it out of love, so we don't feel the deception. Society, however, is the opposite: they do it for its own self-interest. I think there are way too many layers to this, and it's hard to put it all together and come up with a satisfying answer.

[@Aphetorusbull]

I just think it's the first step in developing independent thinkers. Of course if you want compliant little minions then being 100% truthful I suppose would help.

[@The_Gallowglass]

Agreed.

[@trafalgarla]

So, you need to lie in order to tune their "bullshit meter"? Then just tell kids murder is right, rape is right, little pixies in the T.V. cause the images to appear, etc. But, for some reason, that would not be agreeable, right? All you need to do to "tune kids bullshit meter" is to explain to them that you are a fallible human being, who doesn't know nearly enough about the world to be right on most subjects, and that, if they have any objections, they should come to you and talk about such objections in a discussion. And, if your goal is to lie to them on certain subjects to try and develop their thinking skills, then they have no reason to listen to you, since at any given moment you could be lying to them, which that is hardly a good relationship if your child cannot even trust you on any level.

[@TKStoddart]

How about if instead we make up our own holiday where gifts mysteriously appear, and we leave it up to the kids to figure out where they came from.

[@EminorReal]

Love the idea

[@jonathanlee7355]

This is something I struggle with because santa was fun when I was a kid. Leaving out milk n cookies n stuff. Tons of kids believed in santa and found out he wasnt real on their own n in sure most are fine and didnt hold it against their parents. I like the idea of the kid figuring it out on their own tho. Engaging them with the questions..

[@emikochan13]

Lying to kids is the worst.

[@Sambocha]

I dont consider it lieing

[@emikochan13]

@@Sambocha What is your definition of a lie then? Mine is "telling someone something that you know is false"

[@Sambocha]

@@emikochan13 its part of peoples childhood. Technically yes its lying, but most kids are fine once they find out

[@hexitonstrexintons5289]

@@Sambocha its lying because he doesn't exist

[@Othelbark]

I'm clearly on the no side on this one. I was never taught about Santa and I don’t think I'm any worse off for the lack of that delusion. Every argument I’ve ever heard for teaching Santa falls apart when I compare it to my own experience. The most important arguments I've heard for teaching Santa have to do with imagination- *you don’t need delusion for imagination*. Trust me on that one, my ambition is to become a writer and/or game designer, I have whole worlds running in my head and I’ve never believed in Santa, God, etc. When I was younger I never thought fiction was real; but I played “make believe” all the time (I still do in a way, pacing around the room developing worlds and stories).

[@Wawagirl17]

THANK YOU! I am so fucking sick of hearing that you have to actually BELIEVE myths to have a great imagination. As if everyone in the creative field, all the wonderful writers and directors and painters and designers and actors actually BELIEVE stuff that is not real to bring wonder into the fictional world. Bullshit.

[@Neonhelmet]

Yea, you should always be 100 % honest with your children. Teaching them stuff like creativity and imaginative thought should really be outlawed. Same with fairy-tales, and anything fictional. Art and fashion is also a lie. Only facts should be allowed, hard facts like there is no god, you are only an animal, you do not have free will. You know... Hard facts. And why stop here, why do we shelter our kids from the reality that is? They should know first hand about the atrocities of man. Throw them on the streets, turn your back to them, that will teach them how life really is and should be.

[@trafalgarla]

You can't have it both ways? Do you believe the "lord of the rings" actually happened? If not, then it seems you are perfectly capable of having the fun of fantasy, while maintaining real world facts. You can tell kids Christmas stories, just preface that they are works of fantasy. And yes, you should be 100% honest with your children.

[@edwardfennell2580]

There is a difference between fiction and fiction disguised as reality.

[@Timmoux]

Nice fallacy. Your fallacy is: yourlogicalfallacyis.com/black-or-white

[@Timmoux]

***** Thank you for restoring some of my faith in humanity.

[@ameliapiner9245]

My dad never told me Santa, etc. was real. He always said they weren't real but I could believe in them if I wanted. Like the little asshole I was, I would go around telling my peers that Santa wasn't real. So that's why as a child from kindergarten up, I have never had any friends.

[@ilyem999]

I think parents should absolutely teach their kids about Santa because it inspires those critical thinking questions give them the opportunity to arrive upon the conclusion for themselves that way they have the experience of debunking myths themselves. ALSO as much as we want to foster critical thinking in our children I think 5 year olds have the right to believe in fairies and dragons and magic playing pretend is way more fun when you believe it. This doesn't harm their critical thinking I promise. We all did it and look at us now just as rational as can be.

[@bluumberry]

This. Santa is just a part of the holiday that as we grow up is replaced by the other values of the holiday. I have never met a single person who has become bitter about realising Santa is not real, and most won't even remember when the realisation came to them.

[@ValknutGaming]

I remember when my parents were trying to CONVINCE me that he's real and i never believed them. Which is also a reason i didn't buy their religious thing either. Also it made sense because i was good all year and got a fucking painting block and other kids that were fucking assholes got Gameboys and shit.

[@TrueChaoSclx]

My parents told me about Santa, but never denied my questions. "How can Santa visit everyone in one night?" "You tell me". So on. They never reinforced the idea, just put it there in the first place, and I worked it out myself.

[@ValknutGaming]

TrueChaoSclx That's actually good, they were testing your intelligence.

[@TrueChaoSclx]

***** Mmmm. Seems to be the only thing they were good at when it comes to parenting, which sucks xD .. but still. I think that's a good way of handling the whole Santa situation.

[@ramozap1373]

watch the language, I'm 10 and belive him

[@PolyphonicPress]

I think you can still have your child believe in Santa Claus and still teach them about critical thinking. If your kid asks "How does Santa travel all around the world in one night?" You can respond by asking them "How do you think he does it." It's not as black and white as the video made it out to be.

[@DavidLeeLewisM]

That's what he was talking about -- letting your children figure it out for themselves...

[@elenaberries]

I figured out Santa is not real because of my 2nd grade teacher

[@elenaberries]

That literally broke my heart

[@ramozap1373]

Elena Michelle Vega Gomez i fell so sorry for you

[@TerriazeCAPCUTeditor]

W G ABSOLUTE Chad teacher. Not lying to children. Doing what they are supposed to do: teach facts. Be fact. Educate. Be educated.

[@TerriazeCAPCUTeditor]

Theres a reason santa is horrible. It breaks your childs heart.

[@desireewolf9458]

Honestly when I was a kid and believed in Santa, tooth fairy, unicorns and the Easter Bunny it was an awesome time. The world seemed so cool and magical. I look back on that now and have all kinds of warm memories about it. I'd totally give my kids that. They'll be sad for a little bit when they find out but they'd have all the awesome memories of waiting for Santa on Christmas and making cookies and believing fairies that come and give you quarters.

[@Duncan984]

Exactly, and children learn about unselfish giving.

[@jokeman248]

Finding out Santa wasn't real was what got me thinking that god might not be real either.

[@josephrowe849]

I'll believe in space aliens before I believe there's a freakin' Santa. And besides, all Santa is good at is taking all the credit for the presents your parents buy at Wal-Mart.

[@DoctorHver]

But what if Santa is Space Alien?

[@mlgcat57]

pLoT tWiSt mOmEnT

[@birdosquad3495]

Found the Santa denier 🙄

[@blindvisionary2903]

if you think about it the lie kids are told about Santa has a lot of similarities with religion

[@Josecuevasification]

I don´t agree with you on this one, i grew up believing in Santa Claus and I´m an atheist because i know what is real and what isn´t. Santa Claus was part of my childhood

[@ETericET]

But but but ... If we don't tell them Santa is real how are we going to convince them about talking snakes and virgin birth.

[@Corristo89]

He knows what you've been up to all year, knows where you are and is everywhere and nowhere... NSA's employee of the year!

[@djpeacannon8461]

This is why I didn't like the Polar Express movie. The main protagonist is using critical thinking skills to see if Santa is actually real, and is treated as a sad "non-believer" because of it. Then, at the end, he and the audience are taught the moral to NOT think critically, but to believe anything blindly, which the main protagonist does, depicting it as a positive character arc. What a horrible moral.

[@SignalsEverywhere]

#1 Lie This is exactly what first made my question god.. If Santa, the Easter bunny, etc are lies/fake..... Can I trust that god is real? I was Agnostic for years (though never publicly said so..) at 22 years old I'm openly an Atheist.

[@JustAnotherMutant]

How about teaching them that he was a good man who lived 1800 years ago, so people keep his memory alive?

[@TheJournalCEO]

I don't have a problem with Santa up to a point, but when a kid stops believing or asks critical questions, that could be a time for a healthy conversation about reality. Kids should get to believe in some magic while they can. They watch cartoons and play pretend. Kids know not everything is real on some level. We don't tell kids their drawings suck or their music was terrible. Some lying is healthy in relationships. But it could be telling a kid the "legend of Santa" instead of "there's a man that comes down the chimney." When they're older, they'll realize what legend means and what you meant. When they're old enough to wonder "how does Santa get to every house," maybe that's the the point that the parents should explain what a legend is and that it is a tale of a person long ago doing kindness that people now continue to do in his honor.

[@calicojo3536]

When I have kids, I will teach them about Santa Claws and on Christmas Day, there would be a white Persian kitten with a Santa hat probably wrecking the Christmas tree. And now we would have four kittens! ( I forgot to mention that when I get older I would get three kittens)

[@vvkool9653]

I remember when I was 10, I stopped believing in him and I told my parents that I stopped believing. I am now 15 and my parents are still shoving his "existence" down my throat for some reason.

[@gwen9915]

SadhuryC Relatable

[@minakostova1952]

Same..

[@eyelessjack8260]

They must be a little old, huh?

[@makeupyourmind2019]

I'm about to get married and I'm thinking about having kids. I really appreciate these videos and that you are presenting both perspectives, they're helping me decide which way I want to go ... or maybe they're making it harder, but at least once I make up my mind, it'll be because I thought it through. :)

[@MrChillerNo1]

I would argue that kids should find out themselves. I think it's a good lesson to question everything, EVEN what your parents tell. I would help them reason when they come with the question to me. But i think it's important, that every one should at least once in live have a revealing moment of truth, that conflicts with what they already know. It will eventually show them that sometimes we follow illusions, so it's better to learn that while they are kids. BTW my best Christmas memories were when i still believed in the Weihnachtsmann. But i knew the Santa who took bad kids with him in Knechtruprechts sack. Not the lousy all loving and wish fulfilling cola Santa you Americans "worship".

[@lulolie]

Krampus? I thought he was supposed to be like a counterpart, and they both visited...

[@Mistyvr]

Bro when I was 7 I woke up because I heard a creek in the floor and i saw my mom and dad putting down presents but they didn’t see me so I closed the door and went to sleep and asked my mom to tell me the truth about Santa and they said he wasn’t real

[@RadioactivFly]

I'm and atheist, and I think being anti-Santa is absolutely ridiculous. Childhood should be a time when children can use their imaginations and believe things that aren't true--as long as they grow up to realize that these things are not true. I believed in Santa as a kid, and my parents were atheists who believed in Santa as kids too. None of us became any more receptive to religion as a result.

[@katyblamire3056]

+RadioactivFly YOU ARE TOTOLY RIGHT!:)

[@kellywilson-lawson1857]

But you are lying to your kids about something that isn't important so when your kids find out there's a very good chance they won't trust you anymore because you lied to them they're whole life

[@RadioactivFly]

kelly wilson whitehead Can you find many examples of that actually happening? I never lost any trust in my parents. Did you?

[@524ian]

When I was a kid I wanted to know everything, and only the truth (This may be because I have Asperger's). When I was 9, I knew more about computers than my parents. And since I almost always believed my parents, i used to always ask them about Santa, and when they said yes he's real, I just believed them. But when I was about 12 (Yes, I know. This is a late age) I felt like something was off. Then I found out on Christmas Eve when I was 13, I heard my parents downstairs talking about my new phone, and something about drinking milk.

[@vinteote]

"Childhood should be a time when children can use their imaginations and believe things that aren't true--as long as they grow up to realize that these things are not true." you sure that's okay? to make someone believe a lie just to disover the truth later? i'm so happy i never believed in santa, even though my parents wanted me to. must be awful to discover the truth and feel betrayed by your parents about something so stupid & unnecesarry. i also saw my sister go through it and it was no good. *every christmas was only tears and suffering for her because she believed santa is real.*.CHRISTMAS, FOR HER, WAS OPPORTUNITY TO FINALLY GET THE THINGS SHE WISHED BUT WE COULDNT AFFORD. she always wanted very expensive things whIch our parents wasnt able to buy. she wanted phones and computers and tv and stuff. she was always so dissapointed because she NEVER, not once, got what she wanted. and it didnt really help her that I, her older sister, ALWAYS got what i wanted because i chose afordable things. she always thought santa hates her, or she was not good enough to deserve what she wanted. in her letters for santa she alwayswrote about how she was good and apologized for the wrong things and begged santa to finally bring her the thing she wanted and told him to bring all the other children what they want too.. and she was always so hopeful thinking THIS YEAR SHE WILL REALLY GET THE THING.well, discovering it was a lie wasnt really helpful for her either as you can imagine.. NO CHILD DESERVES TO GO THROUGH THIS SHIT. she was devastated every fucking christmas. and she was like "i asked my parents if santa really exists or they've been lying to me and they said he does. so it must be true" for a long time. DONT DO THIS TO YOUR CHILDREN YOU STUPID PEOPLE-.-

[@jeanetteyork2582]

My parents lied to me about Santa Claus and everything else too. It harmed me to know they were liars. I resent that about them more than anything else. I am living proof of your thesis. Thank you!!!

[@revan4130]

Ok that seems like a massive strech. I am 23 years old, considering a family in the near future, but to say your parents were "liars" like be for real? I don't want to indoctrinate my kids into Santa claus hence why I am watching this. But to blantanly say your parents are 'LIARS' that is a VERY serious issue. There is a stark difference in keeping the magic vs flat out indroctination. While I obiously don't believe in santa, some of my greatest childhood memories were of Santa clause. You may resent your parents for the "lie" but that "lie" was my entire childhood. I''m not saying its right but that magic is things kids remember.

[@revan4130]

Its easy to look back as adults, but my greatest memories were of Santa and my family. Just keep that in mind

[@dashua1735]

I learn a lot about becoming a parent from this channel

[@arigelanndaep4937]

If you say that santa is not true how come i have gifts every chistmas eve answer that

[@TheBabyDollFamily]

Arigel Ann Daep Your parents give them to you.

[@MissJubillee]

When my son was young, I told him that Santa was a symbol of Christmas. My son is now a grown man. He told me that he wishes that I had done the Santa thing. He says he appreciated that I didn't lie to him but he feels he missed out on a right of passage.

[@ASHMANhaynes]

I'm a Truth seeking person who believes in God. I see that you have a very stable mind. It's amazing how much sense atheists make even though I believe God is real. You're definitely the smartest Atheist I've ever heard. Not to say that other Atheists aren't smart. I just admire the way you think. Christians should honestly be taking notes. They could definitely get their point across a lot easier. I know now that just because someone doesn't have my beliefs doesn't mean that they can't speak anything true.

[@ASHMANhaynes]

I tell them I know God's real, and if they keep seeking him God will show them, but not if you don't care that much about it. It's a risky world we live in, but the last thing I'm going to do is have my kids lie to themselves about it. Eventually they will branch off and do their own thing anyways.

[@ASHMANhaynes]

You are assuming that I don't know there's a god, because you have not found evidence for yourself. I'm sure you hate it when Christians assume you are just denying God. For someone who doesn't believe in imaginary things, you should do act like you can read my mind.

[@ASHMANhaynes]

This is why I say you are making assumptions. You got a lot of that right, but not all of it. I'm not the type of person to just believe what I believe. I'm actually more open than you. I didn't always know. I did a lot of work for God to show me. Honestly I still don't know if speaking in tongues has any effect on me. I will never say it does until God shows me. Just to give you an idea of how much I search instead of trying to disprove anybody. I just hope you haven't given up on the possibility of God not existing, because you don't know him. That's why I can't explain to you how I know. If God came down and told you he was real than you would believe it too. I don't expect you to believe my personal experience, because first of all you don't know me. But I see the same videos you do. So I know what idea you get from me because I say I'm a person who believes in God. A lot of Christians lie to themselves, sin more than people outside church, and preach God's word without showing any type of love. I'm not that person. I just feel if you mark off answers on a test without doing the proper research you'll find yourself failing. This life test is not as easy as you make it sound. God wants us to be strong. If this life is just God's personal game because he got bored I'm the person who is going to make sure I win. You smart though. I like challenging debates like this. That's why I really like the way Atheists speak. Very intelligent people most of them.

[@ASHMANhaynes]

Where did you get your definition of evidence? I didn't read the same thing as you.

[@ASHMANhaynes]

Lol My bad I meant to say,"I just hope you haven't given up on the possibility of God existing." I know you was bouta tear me up for that statement LMBO

[@StormiidaeBlogspot]

Interesting video. TheraminTrees does a wonderful video about belief, wherein a child figures out the Santa fallacy, applies the reasoning to Jesus and is promptly punished for good reasoning,

[@ashton5959]

I found this channel yesterday. I have been watching nothing but this channel for the past day xD

[@harana5595]

Me too

[@Justintime4xmas24]

Neither should Christian parents.

[@airbending_sith]

Justin Brown agreed

[@trubyboo4072]

Yep. It's funny cuz this video literally justifies why atheist and Christians alike should just be truthful with their children. Lol

[@TheBabyDollFamily]

Justin Brown especially Christian parents, because magic conflicts with Christianity.

[@Moviefan2k4]

Atheism can't justify why anything is right or wrong, beyond personal opinion. By rejecting absolute truth, you reject the core of concepts like "should" or "ought"...and words like "good" or "evil" lose all meaning.

[@legalfictionnaturalfact3969]

Movie, atheism does not imply a rejection of truth. Morality is objective. You don't need a book or a god to tell you what's right or wrong. Just a BRAIN.

[@HisCarlnessI]

I actually wasn't raised with the whole Santa thing, it confuses me.

[@HisCarlnessI]

imAwesomeChris I don't remember having any trouble differentiating between stories, like on the tv, and reality, as a child. But then, I have a really bad memory, so maybe I did struggle with it at some point.

[@canadiangopher4443]

I disagree, i think small children should be allowed to believe in santa claus and the easter bunny etc, its all in fun and imaginative, i grew up believing in santa and i am a critical thinker and then when i was around 8 or 9 my parents told me the truth, i still grew up with a good trusting relationship with them, i always got excited every year to go to the mall and sit on santa's lap and meet his elves, and when i was young i would try and imagine what it must be like at the north pole etc, it created a sense of wonder and imagination which i think is perfectly healthy for a small child.

[@literallydreams3714]

+Stan Boyd I agree

[@choicegospelnetwork]

That's what free will means my brother, God gives us free will ,if you believe it's cool to lie to your children because the whole world is doing it. then that's your call and your judgement. Every one will stand before the judgment seat of Christ!!. Teach the children in the way they should Grow.

[@canadiangopher4443]

foster straker ah, but does the biblical god actually give free will, after all, it also says god has a plan for us all, and that he knows everything including when we will die, whether we will believe in him or not etc. So do I choose when I die with a decision I made, or is my death predetermined and therefore my "free will' is just a false sense and that I am actually making these choices because they were part of a plan for my life and I just think that I decided them when they were actually predetermined and therefore not truly free will?

[@kellywilson-lawson1857]

You guys are idiots that really shouldn't be allowed to reproduce

[@blazesteel7501]

Stan Boyd as u grow olxer you find out the truth I used to LOVE santa but then I realized I saw similar handritkng and wrapping paper

[@paalfoyn]

I half way agree with you. I am teaching my children about Santa despite being an atheist. I think it is a good way to teach them to be skeptical about all the things they learn. Where I do agree with you is that you should not create an elaborate lie to keep them believing. When they figure it out for them selves, hopefully before 5 years old, they should be told the truth

[@goulet268]

I remember kind of beliving in santa and having magical taughts about getting presents from him. I think it set the way for other magical/superstitious taughts a kid could have and magical thinking can lead to a wrong understanding of the natural world.

[@jeanniewood]

my parents taught me about Santa. and when i grew up, and learned better, i never once had a trust issue with my parents. it's santa. enjoy life, if you only have the one. i was never punished for thinking critically. when i figured it out, they never stopped me or tried to push it back. Santa had helpers. and the question about "how does Santa get all over the world?" my dad taught me about time zones. i stop listening after these two points.

[@kenbobcorn]

Sadly people don't live in a family like yours. I personally grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, and I studied to become a chemical engineer and now I'm an atheist. My family looks down upon me for questioning my beliefs and for being skeptic. Just because you had a good experience with Santa with your family, does not mean we can assume all families follow the same rhetoric.

[@BlackLotus30]

Jamie Dimon Perhaps but what you went trought had nothing to do with beleiving in Santa as a kid.

[@cody4916]

It's sad to see where the earth is right now. Parents lying to their kids for their whole childhood is horrible, and should never even be considered. I grew up knowing Santa was fake and I turned out fine. You don't need Santa to make christmas ''good''.

[@aWERFRGT6545BGFG]

+Cody oh hun u learnt the wrong way then cause it wasnt a lie cause i recorded him

[@cody4916]

MissesKitty Get off the internet. Santa isn't real.

[@aWERFRGT6545BGFG]

Cody ok im sick of theese fights i really need to stop starting them u ahve the right to not belive but i still will got that we can just not have a fight

[@cody4916]

MissesKitty Your horrible grammar proves your young age. Please get off the internet as santa is 100% FAKE.

[@carlaghgallagher9102]

+Cody Santa USED to exist. He died ages ago, he used to bring apples to people and little trinket kind of things. Don't say he doesn't exist because he USED to. And little kids could be watching this so don't spoil it please, (My parents told me today)

[@LLSaga]

Christmas doesn't have to be a religious holiday.

[@giggles2302]

I see no harm in Santa. Unlike god, no one kills in the name of Santa, no one tortures in the name of Santa, and no one makes laws based upon Santa. No one makes such laws that everyone is required to obey, whether they believe in Santa or not. Santa is childhood innocence and fun. As for "manipulation," it's not manipulation, it's earning a privilege. Parents do it all the time: "If you haven't finished your homework, you can't play video games." Santa is fun.

[@saulb1801]

As a Christian I’m scared to teach my kids about Santa because when I realised he was fake it was when I doubted God most, I thought that maybe if my parents (and the whole world) lied to me about Santa maybe they had lied to me about God and Jesus too. So I agree with you that Santa shouldn’t be taught to kids (but obviously for different reasons)

[@lilytheplant_]

I’m glad you said that because I completely relate to you

[@GodWokeMeUp]

I agree, me too.

[@Jesse_Richardson08]

Santa is not fake, if God exists then anything exists

[@kreaturen]

How can a child ask these critical questions if you haven't first presented the lie? There's no harm believing in a little magic... when you're five ;) Probably healthy even... Santa is an excellent exercise kids get to go through, discovering that not everything people say to them is true. That's probably why the Jehovas scrapped the whole thing too (made their kids too clever).

[@jonathansnares3363]

I have a question. Do you really think a pile of rubble smashing together will make living creature?

[@eyelessjack8260]

Specify?

[@cobaltcr7336]

You get a reward for being good, because there is no other reason to do good besides getting a reward, either on earth through increased blessings or in heaven with a larger mansion. Sounds pretty damned moral doesn't it?

[@jimmypage889]

I'm confused are you promoting cynicism or pointing out the immorality of a reward system?

[@SaintAdjacent]

jimmy page Both, it seems...good should be done for itself nothing more.

[@lily6943]

My mum made me believe in Santa and the tooth fairy and when I found out it didn't damage my relationship with my mum, in fact it actually made me feel really warmly towards her. That she bought presents and watched me thank Santa when I was opening them and i remember how excited I was for Santa and the tooth fairy coming and now that i don't believe, I felt like I had officially left the naïve part of my childhood behind in a good way. I still got stockings and we always joked by saying "thank you Santa!" It's fine to let kids believe in Santa, it's keeping them safe in the magical realm of childhood fantasy.

[@mawulomkoumako7269]

Okay I'm a Christian but he does have apoint

[@thealientree3821]

Why does it have to be restricted to Atheism? Santa (besides the fact that he is basically the children version of Jesus) has nothing to do with Christianity.

[@johnpalomo6671]

@@thealientree3821 How is a Greek Orthodox Bishop not related to Christianity.

[@thealientree3821]

@John Palmo How is a Greek Orthodox Bishop not related to the Ancient Greek religion?

[@TheRayInPV]

As an agnostic, I do not agree. Having a childhood is ok, as children we believe in certain, things, we have make believe freinds, are you gonna tell your kid to stop that? A child is not gonna ask you about wrapping paper, the day after xmas they will be with their gifts. Kids normally dont ask adult questions. Let a kid enjoy Santa, and if he happens to look out the attic window as his parents are bringing in the gifts, then you tell him. Just like it happened to me.. no harm no foul.

[@sizzorgirl67]

I used to believe in Santa and I grew up and was able to think for myself

[@SIMKINETICS]

Young children between 2 - 4 years of age go through a phase of fantasy naturally. I'm sure this is necessary for the development of their imagination, so some benign Santa plus the magic of twinkling lights are merely a nice way to engage them. It's part of the celebration of life that we teach them that can connect them with families. Later in their development, they'll start asking questions that show that they're developing critical faculties; that's when to teach children about critical thinking which they'll naturally pick up. Observant parents will learn that intruding in their children's natural phases isn't optimal for the relationship between them. Good parents nurture both imagination & a sense of skepticism in a timely way. The result will be that the child will grow up to accept his limits without stunting his creativity.

[@DavidLeeLewisM]

I'd rather teach my children about the Grey Alien Overlords... Then when they're older, they'll figure it out for themselves that they're actually real...

[@abitupthehudson]

I have quite a problem with a 'child will grow up to accept his limits'. I do side with the concept of TRUTH and it excludes Santa Claus.

[@SIMKINETICS]

Michael Gregory Do you have grown children? Good luck with teaching a 3-year-old about 'TRUTH'!

[@abitupthehudson]

Yes, I do have an adult son and I do not believe any child is too young to be taught to respect the truth. I was an orphan so I did not get into the Santa thing but, I really don't see a valid point in teaching children at any age, lying is cute and harmless. Telling the truth goes along with treat others the way you wish to be treated. I have learned real love does not come from lies and my love for you and anyone else reading the 'truth' I can offer. The whole Christmas thing is all turned around anyway. I feel good giving what ever I can when I can. Maybe that is why so many people give to me (my perception, of course).

[@SIMKINETICS]

Michael Gregory My wife & I indulged our kids in their childhood fantasies, and had great fun doing it. My daughter was convinced that she was a caballero on her rocking horse with her home-made sword & helmet, my son built a star-ship cruiser from legos in defiance of 'Dark-Vader' (as he called him). They got over it. My daughter is a molecular biologist and my son is a university science & engineering professor. Their childhood fantasies didn't affect their adult rationality or objectivity.

[@Marialla.]

I think Christians teach kids "Santa is real", because they DO want to teach kids to believe the unbelieveable. They want kids to NOT question ridiculous fairy tales. It's good training for becoming a good Christian later.

[@RagingBlast2Fan]

Nonsense. Christians do it as much as Atheists. It has nothing to do with a conspiracy among Christian believers to brainwash their children to believe fairy tales so as to make it easier for those children to later believe in Yahweh without a doubt. I'm sincerely wondering how one can be this stupid. It's a tradition that makes kids happy, and at times a lie or two can benefit parenting tremendously. For instance I would much rather give my son false hope about his mother being in a better place after her passing, rather than make him completely and utterly miserable until he can grasp the meaning of an afterlife, and what it implies. My kid would have to deal with irreparable damage that would definitely destroy his childhood. This could result to his personality changing for the worse, indefinitely, but even if he weren't to become an unsocial, depressed individual later in life, he would have spent all of his childhood not being able to understand why he has lost his mother. One small lie can make things so much better, at least until you are in the position to tell the truth. We're acting as if lying is the absolute moral evil that we should all avoid, at all times. This is simply not the case. Moreover one could benefit from lying to one who is about to commit suicide. What would we try? We'd lie to him in order to comfort him, and change his mind.

[@Marialla.]

Much as I'd sympathize with any child who suffered the loss of a parent, my form of comforting them wouldn't involve lying to them, telling them fables about any afterlife. I WOULD comfort the child, though, by reassuring them that *I* am still here, willing to care for them as much as I can. That's what the child needs, is to know their needs for love and safety will be met. They do not have any need to believe in metaphysical nonsense. My own son had to suffer the loss of a parent at age four. I guarantee you he has not suffered any angst from not believing in an afterlife where he will be magically reunited with his father. It is a grief which we dealt with together, and got through together.

[@RagingBlast2Fan]

Marialla That is just circular reasoning. 1. Why is lying bad? 2. It's because it's lying to somebody! You're already explicitly implying that lying is absolutely immoral, when you say that you wouldn't comfort your child by lying to them. You're missing the point. You can only comfort your children up until a point. While telling them that they have you can be useful, it's really not enough. You realize this yourself, and you say that you will take care of them 'as much as you can'. You're not being a realist, we're talking about the loss of a loved one, and the simple fact is that children are not ready to apprehend that sort of thing. Your rhetoric is all just perfectly good until it actually comes down to doing it yourself, and waiting for the unfortunate consequences that I have named. Regardless of how much you love them, and care for them, they will never have their parent. What you can do is at least temporarily comfort them--until they can understand--by saying he or she is looking out for them. I understand that your personal experience has not been the one that I had in mind, but I also have personal experience, and much to the contrary I myself suffered the loss of a loved one--even though they hadn't even died--and my life changed forever. My childhood was a disaster, and I became unsocial, suffered severely from OCD, and it's all because I didn't have my father there to care for me. I won't really insist with the personal experience, rather I suggest that you do some research on the matter. There's inevitably going to be consequences to losing a parent, but what we should care about is at least nullifying those negative consequences to a certain extent. Moreover the kind of hope that I named gives children the opportunity to enjoy their youth. I am not really happy about promoting an 'ignorance is bliss' ideology, but the former, meaning hope of an afterlife, is indefinitely better than the latter, namely the brute facts that they, children, cannot yet fully comprehend, and would potentially destroy their childhood, and perhaps cause undesirable long term effects.

[@Marialla.]

You seem to be extrapolating that since you had a negative experience that you know what would have worked for you, and therefore for everybody else. You cannot put yourself in anyone else's shoes. You cannot judge for me or anyone else that lying is the RIGHT thing to do, and nothing less could possibly be appropriate comfort for a child. That is pretty arrogant of you. It seems you've decided to scapegoat all your problems onto this one issue. Maybe you should look into other ways to deal with those issues, rather than blaming the lack of an "appropriate" fairy tale for your young mind to have dealt with.

[@RagingBlast2Fan]

Marialla You truly are dishonest! Pay attention to what I'm saying: " I won't really insist with the personal experience, rather I suggest that you do some research on the matter." You didn't even attempt to address my points and rebutt my criticism regarding your use of circular reasoning. You're making a red herring of huge proportions. This has nothing to do with my experience. I mentioned it because you mentioned your OWN personal experience, and I noted that personal experience is almost irrelevant as to what happens on a larger scale! I pity the likes of you.

[@daniellat2151]

Honestly I don’t want to teach my kids about Santa... yeah it’s fun while it lasts but.... I was fucking DEVASTED when I learned the truth... from my own parents. I loved Santa, and it was kind of heartbreaking to learn what I believed in for so long was all a lie. So.... /: