Is Santa a Metaphor of God?

[Kher_the_angel_reborn]

So, it came to me just now. God rewards you if you have been good with the gift of Heaven, and he punishes those who have been bad with Hell. Santa also rewards you with many gifts if you behave and gives you coal if you're bad. They both can tell wherever you are and what you are doing. So, is Santa used to express God on Earth?

[TeaDidikai]

One can argue that one could use it as a metaphor for YHVH.

One could even put together prose or poetry to do just that.

That wouldn't mean it is such traditionally, nor would it be a quality metaphor.

There's no account for salvation within Santa's mythos. There is no account for drawing to or away from Santa that accounts for the reward as sin represents in YHVH's faiths.

[Chrono_Tata]

I think both stem from people's want to be rewarded, rather than one stemming from the other.

[A Soporific]

I've always thought that Santa was a cultural construct and product of the fears about the Industrial Revolution.

[Cyc]

Kher_the_angel_reborn

So, it came to me just now. God rewards you if you have been good with the gift of Heaven, and he punishes those who have been bad with Hell. Santa also rewards you with many gifts if you behave and gives you coal if you're bad.

Because the ideas of positive and negative reinforcement are exclusively the realm of religion.

[Kher_the_angel_reborn]

Cyc

Kher_the_angel_reborn

So, it came to me just now. God rewards you if you have been good with the gift of Heaven, and he punishes those who have been bad with Hell. Santa also rewards you with many gifts if you behave and gives you coal if you're bad.

Because the ideas of positive and negative reinforcement are exclusively the realm of religion.

i never said that those ideas were exclusively the realm of religion; I was just comparing Santa to an idea that God represents

[DarkLordDiasnis]

Some people would prefer coal to meaningless, material crap. Santa isn't in the Bible, so there shouldn't even be this discussion. Santa's an invention of people to try to get their kids to behave for at least the two weeks before Christmas, nothing more.

Also, don't say the "Santa Mythos." That's so much bullcrap it hurts my kittens.

[Viviane_neechan]

DarkLordDiasnis

Some people would prefer coal to meaningless, material crap. Santa isn't in the Bible, so there shouldn't even be this discussion. Santa's an invention of people to try to get their kids to behave for at least the two weeks before Christmas, nothing more.

Also, don't say the "Santa Mythos." That's so much bullcrap it hurts my kittens.

rofl

..'twas funny. Anywho. Yes, I'd read somewhere that Santa represented God's generosity and such, but Diasnis' theory seems more realistic... xd

heart

[Cyc]

Kher_the_angel_reborn

Cyc

Kher_the_angel_reborn

So, it came to me just now. God rewards you if you have been good with the gift of Heaven, and he punishes those who have been bad with Hell. Santa also rewards you with many gifts if you behave and gives you coal if you're bad.

Because the ideas of positive and negative reinforcement are exclusively the realm of religion.

i never said that those ideas were exclusively the realm of religion; I was just comparing Santa to an idea that God represents

Friend Computer knows when you are sleeping, and he knows when you're awake.

[discotriffled]

Viviane_neechan

DarkLordDiasnis

Some people would prefer coal to meaningless, material crap. Santa isn't in the Bible, so there shouldn't even be this discussion. Santa's an invention of people to try to get their kids to behave for at least the two weeks before Christmas, nothing more.

Also, don't say the "Santa Mythos." That's so much bullcrap it hurts my kittens.

Nooo! Poor kittens.

[Pixxiemx]

No,
Santa is real but he just wanted to help out kids who couldn't afford Christmas...

[Undead Arson]

Santa isn't metaphor for god, he represents Saint Nicholas who anonymously gave poor people money.

[Suki_Chan_Kaggy]

Santa Claus is not a metaphor.
It's a gimmick for parents who want to trick their kids to be good all-year round. razz
Oh and religiously, it represents Saint Nicholas, who wasn't as fat as Kris Kringle.