Santa Clause or Jesus

[thelionheart]

Hello all and merry Christmas,
They say that the 24th day of December is the Birthday of Jesus. Why isn't he the center of this holiday instead of Santa clause and his Christmas gifts. It seams that this holiday is only about what gifts you give and receive! Is it due to the non-spiritual and capitalist nature of Europe and America?

[Col. Tartleton]

Hello all and merry Christmas,
They say that the 24th day of December is the Birthday of Jesus. Why isn't he the center of this holiday instead of Santa clause and his Christmas gifts. It seams that this holiday is only about what gifts you give and receive! Is it due to the non-spiritual and capitalist nature of Europe and America?

Because Jesus' miracles were less potent than FTL travel dimension bending, teleportation, mind reading of hundreds of millions of people's desires and filtering out unneeded information, teaching Reindeer how to fly, and most importantly the mass production of billions of trademarked toys without being pursued for IP infringements over the years.

Aghios Nikolaos o Thaurmaturgos has more midichlorians than Jesus. Fact.

[thelionheart]

Because Jesus' miracles were less potent than FTL travel dimension bending, teleportation, mind reading of hundreds of millions of people's desires and filtering out unneeded information, teaching Reindeer how to fly, and most importantly the mass production of billions of trademarked toys without being pursued for IP infringements over the years.

Aghios Nikolaos o Thaurmaturgos has more midichlorians than Jesus. Fact.

I am not a christian col. but the majority of people who celebrate this Holiday are! Even if Santa Clause is more impressive, it is still Jesus' birthday (well at least they say so ).

[boofhead]

Jesus wasn't born in December at all (it's impossible, based on the evidence) so I just see the day as one to make children happy

[rosomaha]

Imaginary friend for kids vs notional friend for adults

Jesus wasn't born in December at all (it's impossible, based on the evidence) so I just see the day as one to make children happy

Could you enlighten me please, what evidence that might be? There are many theological controversies and none of them have any proof.

Anyway kids, you don't have to be christian to have fun and enjoy this holiday.

[Khassaki]

Imaginary friend for kids vs notional friend for adults


Could you enlighten me please, what evidence that might be? There are many theological controversies and none of them have any proof.

Anyway kids, you don't have to be christian to have fun and enjoy this holiday.

Jesus of Nazareth was born in Nazareth. Pretending he was born in Jerusalem was to do with a prophecy about the next king of israel being a direct descendant of King David and being born in Jerusalem

[EmperorBatman999]

The Church found that it would be easier to make up Holidays occuring around the time of Pagan celebrations to ease the conversion. For the Roman Polytheists it was Saturnalia. This holiday included giving gifts and masters doing their slaves' work for a week around the Winter Solstice, so you can see where the generosity and giving thing came from. Also around that time, the German barbarians celebrated their winter solstice celebrations. This included finding a large tree that people believed Odin resided inside. The village would then decorate the tree for the favor of Odin. That tradition was revived some time in the 19th century for Capitalistic purposes. It is also believed Santa Claus is inspired by Odin because of the large size and great white beard.

Jesus, according to the bible, was probalbly born in Spring or early Summer. So the reason why Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December is so missionaries and businesses had an easier time getting clients to get their "products." For missionaries, it was Christianity. For business, it was toys and gifts.

[rosomaha]

Jesus of Nazareth was born in Nazareth. Pretending he was born in Jerusalem was to do with a prophecy about the next king of israel being a direct descendant of King David and being born in Jerusalem

"Where" is utterly different question.
I was merely referring to his ostensible tenure of - "impossible". It's not a fact that he was born in April or June, there is no evident proof of that. And without a fact there is plenty room for possibility. So is it possible that this dude was born in December? Absolutely yes.

[Big War Bird]

Who is this Santa Clause?

[Erwin Rommel]

Who is this Santa Clause?

[thelionheart]

Who is this Santa Clause?

He is an old man with a white beard who distributes presents for all the children of the world on the 24th evening of December with the help of rain dears. Da

[Monarchist]

Santa Claus is a cultural corruption of St. Nicholas, who was well-known in Myra for dropping coins into the shoes of paupers as they washed their feet in public fountains. There is the famous legend that the saint secretly gave money to a proud man who had no dowry for his daughters to be married with; in the story, he dropped bags of money down the chimney of the proud man's house (or the window, depending on the version you read). Jesus Christ is about as related to Santa Claus as Darth Vader is related to Obi-wan.

[Enemy of the State]

What does it matter? People love getting presents. It's why kids wait so anxiously for christmas. If you value the spiritual side more, then go ahead and celebrate christmas the way you want to.

[Helm]

Christimas is some kind of celebration of mass consumption these days, but I'm not sure whether that's better or worse than a celebration of the Christian religion. Back in the day it was a celebration of the Earths axial tilt towords the Sun resulting in the shortest day and longest night, so some kind of rebirth symbolism. I don't think anyone particularly cares about that anymore though.

[CamilleBonparte]

Okay good, for a second I thought this was going to be a "Who would win in a fight" thread.

[Helm]

Santa Claus sleigh and flying reindeer are also based on Odins flying horse sleipnir. Santa has a magic workshop where the toys are supposedly made by elves, Odin had elves make magically items for him in much the same way. In the Germanic folklore set out on Yule to beat up the parents if they beat their children too hard. So Santa Claus is a combination of Odin and the merry gift giving Saint Nicholas. Santa Claus only wears red because that's what he wore in a 1930s Coke Cola advert.

[Col. Tartleton]

Santa Claus sleigh and flying reindeer are also based on Odins flying horse sleipnir. Santa has a magic workshop where the toys are supposedly made by elves, Odin had elves make magically items for him in much the same way. In the Germanic folklore set out on Yule to beat up the parents if they beat their children too hard. So Santa Claus is a combination of Odin and the merry gift giving Saint Nicholas. Santa Claus only wears red because that's what he wore in a 1930s Coke Cola advert.

Sinterklaas rocks red to hide the blood of his enemies. He is accompanied by the monstrous Krampus (aka the Grinch.)

[Tom Crooze]

The date of modern Christmas was taken from an old Persian celebration of the god Mithra, so basically they pulled the date from there ass

[Randarkmaan]

The date of modern Christmas was taken from an old Persian celebration of the god Mithra, so basically they pulled the date from there ass

Hmmm... actually it's tied to the winter solistice, which was widely marked all across Europe with quite the celebration (probably the world as well, but definately Europe). Germanics called it Yule, which means... holy , we (Scandinavians) still use the pagan name!

Anyway Christmas is all about presents, because when you have a celebration that's centred around presents, everybody wins. Leave Jesus out of it. He only wants us to go to church and be sorry, plus he scares away the Jews and Muslims (and everybody else).

[boofhead]

So is it possible that this dude was born in December? Absolutely yes.

Probably not, actually. It was a conversion of pagan festival dates, i.e. the winter solstice in the Roman calendar and various pagan winter festivals.

The flocks were still in the fields when Jesus was born.

It was a custom among the Jews to send out their sheep to the deserts [wilderness], about the passover [sic], and bring them home at the commencement of the first rain: during the time they were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. As the passover [sic] occurred in the spring, and the first rain began early in the month of Marchesvan, which answers to part of our October and November, we find that the sheep were kept out in the open country during the whole of the summer. And as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, our Lord was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor could He have been born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very ground the nativity in December should be given up. The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a chronological fact, which casts considerable light on this disputed point. (Clarke's Commentary, vol. V, p. 370)

That's only one evidence. There are many more if you care to use google.