Santa Claus - What about the children?

Psalm 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Is Santa Claus a part of your Christmas celebration? If so may I ask you a simple question? Why?

As a little girl growing up in southern Manitoba, I always knew there was no such a thing as Santa Claus. I remember wishing that Santa was real. My reasoning was that if Santa was real and could bring me presents from the North Pole, then my parents would not need to spend the little money they had on presents for my sisters and me.
Now that I am a parent and my children are mostly grown up, I am still puzzled by the fact that many a parent will lie to their children teaching them to believe in Santa and at the same time these parents are trying to teach their children that lying is wrong and that we should be truthful and honest all the time. After all "honesty is the best policy" they say. How does it not apply to Christmas and Santa? You can't have truth and lies at the same time. Make your choice - Jesus the truth or Santa the lie. Santa is a big lie and should have nothing to do with Christmas for persons who say they are Christians.
I heard from my Dad a true life situation where the parents had always taught their little girl to believe in Santa and also to believe in Jesus and celebrate His birth at Christmas time. When the little girl got a little older, the parents decided to tell her the truth about Santa and told her - "Santa is not real, we are the ones who give you the presents at Christmas". The little girl deeply troubled replied - " Then is the story of Jesus not true either?"
This is very sad. Now this little girl ( and I am sure this story has played itself out many times over throughout the years ) was confused and did not understand why her parents would lie to her.
My husband and I have always taught our children the truth about Santa. He is not real. He has nothing to do with Christmas at all. My son remembers getting into trouble at school for telling others the truth about Santa. This is very sad.
As I said earlier, Santa has no part in Christmas. This is pagan thing that our Christian friends have begun to celebrate. It is another form of idolatry. Giving that which belongs to Jesus to a fake person - a silly man in a red suit. This is an undermining of the God's authority in our lives and does not meet the standards of our Holy God.

Please read the following verses from Joshua 24.
¹⁴ Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
¹⁵ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.


¹⁹ And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
²⁰ If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.
²¹ And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord.
²² And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
²³ Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.
²⁴ And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.