Jesus vs Santa Claus: the old grudge match!

[basildestiny]

A bit of a precursor before I jump into this diatribe. I've tried to have one of those funny journals. In which I talk about all of the funny things I do so people can laugh and feel comfortable. But I find that's not my personality. While I can be funny, it's more of a riff off of other people. I like to make people laugh and I like for people to feel comfortable and to enjoy themselves. But it's not a format that I can do anymore. So I'm progressing into the format that I've always wanted to do and I've made attempts at and then reverted back to wanting to get along with everyone and not to be mistaken for saying something else. Being overly sensitive about these kinds of things hasn't made it easier either. I don't mean to offend, only ever in jest, but I can't offer a different perspective if I don't ever come to terms with the fact that I have a different perspective to offer. I'm very introspective. This means that I wouldn't follow the crowd off the bridge just to hang out with the cool kids, but I wouldn't try to stop the kids from jumping. I would silently disagree. And that's fine. But I've always wanted to do more than that. I've always wanted to offer my feedback, but in the name of getting along, I've declined. I've abstained. I've kept it zipped.

The only way I know to move on in my development is to make an attempt at it. I'll learn from my failures if I must. But I can't wait for all of my ducks to be in a row anymore. I need to just take action and get out there.

All of this to say that I have no ill intentions, but you have to do what you have to do. I'm only given so many things to do in this life. It's my choice to act or not. I choose act.

So without further ado...


Something that has been bothering me this year is something that has bothered many people this holiday season. As the country becomes more and more politically correct, terms like "Christmas" become replaced with "holidays." And Jesus is replaced with Santa. Or that's how the debate goes.

Jesus versus Santa! Who would win in the great show down? And further more, could Santa be an anagram for Satan? I have a friend who absolutely despises Santa. I find his hatred disturbing. He has gone as far as to tell me that he'd like to have a "Halloween" decoration on his lawn for Christmas. It would be something to the effect of Jesus destroying Santa. Setting him on fire or some such. I know what he means, but it's misguided. Luckily he doesn't have a lawn. And I wonder if he wasn't just being funny about the whole thing.

Still there's the South Park humor of Matt and Trey which pits Jesus against Santa. And I can't help, but to buy into the grudge match theory. Who is right? Or maybe it's a nuance? Maybe I'm just to decide who is more sincere? After all, every time Santa appears in the holiday movies, he is a sincere, jolly old fellow who just wants to give me the gift I've always wanted.

Or maybe it's just a matter of they are both fairy tales and now the public should decide which fairy tale to celebrate!

Being an aspiring apologetic, I would say neither are fairy tales. I would say that Santa's mythology is based on Saint Nicholas. Jesus has no mythology. To say Jesus has a mythology is to say that there is no logic. There is no right or wrong. And it's just go out there on that ever changing limb of everything is equal. Everything is the same. That sounds nice and enlightened. But where did that come from? What exactly is that based on? I'd much sooner believe in reincarnation than everything is the same. At least I can buy into that logically with the old lesson "matter is neither created nor destroyed." Jesus doesn't have mythology. His stories come from people who were there. It's just a matter or whether or not you choose to believe them or not. To give a short lesson of apologetics, let's take C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If Lucy is neither insane nor prone to lying, perhaps there's a third option: she is telling the truth.

And further, I don't think Saint Nicholas would take kindly to his name being thrown out there to compete with Jesus. He was a bishop who went to jail for his beliefs.

I prefer to see the gift giving as symbolic of the gift the world received that started this tradition off in the first place.

So Jesus versus Santa, who would win? Hands down, Jesus. Santa would forfeit.

Still, the question does remain how exactly do those reindeer fly?


But did I really pose a question at all? Well I'm not one to "live every day under a question" as I have enough of those already.
~Mrs. White

Comments

[nikgirl.livejournal.com]

I always figured "Christmas" is replaced with the word, "Holidays" because not everyone celebrates Jesus's birth this time of year. Some people are celebrating other things.

I don't think Jesus is replaced by Santa, because Chris Cringle is still a Christian symbol. Like you said, he's a saint, man. I don't think Jewish people believe in Santa.

I have to disagree. Jesus wouldn't win, though. Santa is all about gaining and Jesus is all about giving. ;)

[spaghetti-os.livejournal.com]

Jesus IS all about giving. In fact, Jesus hopes Santa saved room for the Almighty's fist! Because he is going to ram it into Santa's jolly stomach! This is the word of the Lord. Amen. :)