This may seem a little hard on ole' Santa Claus, but he's got it coming...
Carol Brooks
Carol Brooks
A pretender is a claimant to a throne already occupied by somebody else.
(Based, in part, on an article entitled Santa Claus The Great Imposter
by Dr. Terry Watkins, Th.D.)
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| Santa Claus, Wild Man of the Woods |
One beautiful hymn contains the following line ”Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;” Sadly the “earth” is doing anything but. The meaning of Christmas has been lost in an endless round of festivities... shopping sprees, parties, decorations, trees, food, gifts and merrymaking. The King whose birth we celebrate at Christmas has slowly been ousted from centre stage as He doesn’t fit into today's politically correct views. For example... In 2006 Britain’s Royal Mail unveiled their 40th set of Christmas stamps… with six faith-free designs including snowmen, reindeer and Santa Claus. Christmas has become has become one gigantic commercial venture, with Santa Claus as the god-figure rather than Christ.
For the most part, the world will tolerate stars,
angels, Christmas trees, or a baby sleeping in a manger. But there’s still
"no room at the inn" for the King who invites us to walk His lowly path.
Worse.. Jesus’ place has been usurped by a pleasant fat fellow’ boasting a red
hat and team of reindeer. [usurp: to take a position of power or importance
illegally or by force.]
Sound Ridiculous? It is! In fact it’s worse than
ridiculous. Santa Claus has become the most beloved of Christmas symbols and
traditions.
So how do we understand the Santa Claus
phenomenon?
What do we REALLY know about Santa?
Is Santa just a harmless, friendly fellow? Or
is there something or someone else hiding behind the façade?
Is he Satan in disguise, or wholly Christian
modeled after a 4th century bishop
Sadly there is a lot more to the story than most
people are aware of. Santa originated as an amalgam of St. Nicholas and various
other pagan beliefs, which is bad enough. But, over the years, he morphed [a
little added here and a little changed there] into the modern day, well known
and well recognized figure, that bears far too many similarities to the one who
appears as an “angel of light”, who once said he would exalt his throne above
the stars of God and would be “like the most High”, and who is actively
"seeking" those "whom he may devour"... The one the Bible
calls ‘The Great Deceiver’. [TOP OF PAGE]
The Great Deceiver
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,
called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he
was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. [Revelation
12:9].
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of
the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the
nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of
the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of
the clouds; I will be like the most High.[ Isaiah 14:12-14]
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light"
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour: [1 Peter 5:8]. [Also See Evidence For The
Devil] [TOP OF PAGE]
Seeking Whom He May Devour:
Children are the most vulnerable members of our society and it is no wonder that The Lord Jesus Christ warned several times against harming the "little ones".
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus,
saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a
little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I
say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble
himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And
whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But
whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were
better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were
drowned in the depth of the sea. [Matthew 18:1-6]
And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones
that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his
neck, and he were cast into the sea. [Mark 9:42.]
Our Children and Youth are Under Attack From All
Sides.
“Everyone wants to get a piece of them. For
instance, the New-Age
Movement has an army just waiting to get hold of our children and youth. The
gay-rights movement in this country wants nothing more than to make a generation
of children think homosexuality is an acceptable alternative life-style.
Advertisers on Saturday-morning cartoons want to influence our kids. Heavy-metal
rock bands are trying to influence them. Those in favor of abortion
rights want to get our kids thinking from their point-of-view. Drug dealers,
beer companies, cigarette manufacturers, pornography publishers – the list goes
on and on – they too are battling for the souls of our children and youth.
[1]
[Harry Potter and, more recently, The
Golden Compass are other direct frontal assault on the children, again with
the willing compliance of many church leaders, parents and others that are
spiritually blind]
Almost everywhere we turn we see modern-day
Nebuchadnezzars trying to turn the minds of our children from serving our God.
Everywhere and from every direction, our children and youth come under attack,
even as Daniel and his friends came under attack”. [1]
Dr. Terry Watkins bring up an interesting point in
Santa Claus The Great Imposter, regarding a story in Mark...
“Many parents have been "lullabied to sleep" with
the deception that our children are innocently immune to the attack of Satan.
There is a false security that believes our children will naturally "grow out of
it" or "they’re just sowing their wild oats" or maybe "they’re just being kids".
But the Bible paints a much different picture. In Mark chapter 9, God details a
frightening occurrence. A man brings his "spirit possessed" son to the Lord
Jesus Christ”.
And one of the multitude answered and said, Master,
I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he
taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and
pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and
they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long
shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they
brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and
he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
And he asked his father, How long is it ago since
this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast
him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any
thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to him that believeth.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came
out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But
Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was
come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast
him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by
prayer and fasting. [Mark 9:17-29]
It is interesting the apostles could not cast out
this kind (vs 29). Jesus said, "This kind can come forth by
nothing, but by prayer and fasting." What kind of possession was it? What
was different about this possession? I believe the answer is found in the
only question the Lord Jesus asked. Jesus Christ asked the man "How
long is it ago since this came unto him?" And the man answered, "Of a
child". These hard to cast out kind are those that enter in a child.
Is it because the possession reaches so deep and so strong that they’re almost
impossible to remove?
Dr. Watkins goes on to say..
“In Proverbs 22:6, the Bible explains the
lifelong fruits of training a young child in the way he should go. That
early training is so strong and so deep – as that child grows and matures – they
will not depart from it.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when
he is old, he will not depart from it. [Proverbs 22:6]
But. . . The flip side is: if that same child is
trained by the ways of Satan and the world, chances are that child will not
depart from it.
A Point to Consider …
“If you once believed in a man who knew what you
were doing, who had amazing abilities, and who gave you nice things, and he
turned out to be a fake, why should you believe in another man who knows what
you are doing, has amazing abilities, gives you nice things--Jesus Christ? If
you get burned once, why get burned the second time? Wouldn’t it be better to be
honest with our children right from the start, and teach them the difference
between truth and make-believe?” [2]
Apart from the fact that it is wrong to
systematically lie to one's children, there is a danger that when they discover
the truth or simply grow out of what is eventually perceived as a childish
belief, they could subconsciously dismiss the true story of Jesus’ birth as just
another “story”.
So what is the truth behind the ‘story’ that millions of children are fed every year at Christmas… A story that they spend many years believing. Is it a harmless myth or has it been carefully orchestrated and manipulated over the years with the ultimate aim of taking center stage at Christmas… and helping ensure that the Christ is once again sidelined.
The journey should begin with a look at the fourth
century bishop who is often credited as being the inspiration for Santa.
St. Nicholas
[Nikolaus]The Fourth Century Bishop
Despite his popularity, the original Nicholas is a
shadowy figure. Patron saint of sailors, pawnbrokers and 
many other groups,
there is little doubt that a Bishop of that name did exist in Myra (modern-day
Antalya province, Turkey) in the 4th century. A church was built for him in the
6th century, which continues to be a tourist attraction in Myra, although the
bishops remains were spirited away by 1087 by merchants from Bari in Italy, and
are now held in the Basilica di San Nicola of that city... Pope Urban II
is said to have been present at the consecration in 1089.
many other groups,
there is little doubt that a Bishop of that name did exist in Myra (modern-day
Antalya province, Turkey) in the 4th century. A church was built for him in the
6th century, which continues to be a tourist attraction in Myra, although the
bishops remains were spirited away by 1087 by merchants from Bari in Italy, and
are now held in the Basilica di San Nicola of that city... Pope Urban II
is said to have been present at the consecration in 1089.
While we don't really know whether the original
Nikolaus was particularly jolly or not, the enduring legends about his life
suggest a great reputation for generosity. Many, many miracles [one more
extravagant than the next] and good deeds have been attributed to St. Nick,
including saving sailors from storms, restoring life to murdered boys, providing
dowries for poor unmarried girls and destroying several pagan
temples.
The Cult of St. NicholasThe cult of St.
Nicholas spread far and wide. Holland built no
fewer than 23 churches dedicated to him, many of which are still standing.
Amsterdam even adopted St. Nicholas as its patron saint as did a few other
towns.
“Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried
stories of his favor and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas chapels were
built in many seaports. As his popularity spread during the Middle Ages, he
became the patron saint of Apulia (Italy), Sicily, Greece, and Lorraine
(France), and many cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia,
Belgium, and the Netherlands. Following his baptism in Constantinople, Vladimir
I of Russia brought St. Nicholas' stories and devotion to St. Nicholas to his
homeland where Nicholas became the most beloved saint. Nicholas was so widely
revered that more than 2,000 churches were named for him, including three
hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three in the Netherlands and
more than four hundred in England”. [3] Emphasis Added
He is venerated in the East as a miracle
worker and in the West as patron of a great variety of persons -children,
mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers,
merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors,
victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers!
He is known as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need. [3] Emphasis
Added.
". . . the cult of St. Nicholas was, before the
Reformation, the most intensive of any nonbiblical saint in Christendom.
. . there were 2,137 ecclesiastical dedications [churches] to Nicholas in
France, Germany, and the Low Countries alone before the year 1500." [4]
"By the height of the Middle Ages, St. Nicholas
was probably invoked in prayer more than any other figure except the Virgin
Mary and Christ Himself" [5]
And his popularity continues even today… For
example [from Wikipedia]
In Trieste in northeastern Italy St. Nicholas
(San Nicolò) is celebrated with gifts given to children on the morning of
the 6th of December and with a fair called Fiera di San Nicolò during the first
weeks of December.
In Germany many children put a boot, called
Nikolaus-Stiefel, outside the front door on the night of December 5 to
December 6. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts, and at the same time checks
up on the children to see if they were good. If they were not, they will have
charcoal in their boots instead.
St. Nicholas (San Nicola) is the patron of
the city of Bari, where he is buried. Its deeply felt celebration is called the
Festa di San Nicola], held on the 7-8-9 of May. In particular on 8 May
the relics of the saint are carried on a boat on the sea in front of the city
with many boats following (Festa a mare). On December 6 there is a ritual
called the Rito delle nubili.
Interestingly St. Nicholas is the patron saint of a
small town called Beit Jala near Bethlehem, since he is said to have spent four
years there during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Every year on the 19th of
December according to the Gregorian calendar [the 6th of December according to
the Julian calendar] a great mass is held in the Orthodox Church of St.
Nicholas, and is usually followed by parades, exhibitions etc.
It is difficult to reconcile the popularity of this
man with the almost complete lack of verifiable detail about his life.
However he is said to have opposed Arianism at the First Council of Nicaea in
325. [Apparently his name appears on some ancient lists]
“the original minutes of this council were
destroyed, people have tried to reconstruct the list of bishops who agreed to
the orthodox formula to describe the Trinity, a brief text that became famous as
the Nicene Creed. This list is known from eleven medieval copies. Only three of
them mention Nicholas, but one of these is considered to be among the best
copies”. [6]
Physical Appearance: In Catholic iconography
[pictured above], Saint Nicholas is depicted as a bishop, wearing the insignia
of this profession: a red bishop's cloak, red miter and a bishop's staff.
Popularly depicted as a slim ascetic looking man dressed in religious apparel,
the Bishop of Myra bears very little physical resemblance to the modern day
Santa Claus, who has a long white beard, and is usually short and fat.
If Nicholas, the ascetic bishop of fourth-century
Asia Manor, could see Santa Claus, he would not know who he was. [7]
Date: There is absolutely nothing to connect
the original St. Nicholas to the celebration of Christmas on December
25th. On the contrary, the
celebration of St. Nicholas is separate from the Christmas holidays. Most
Europeans [and some Americans] still celebrate St. Nicholas day on December
6th, the date in AD 343 on which
he was believed to have died. Many people in Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St.
Louis and other cities in the US with strong Germanic traditions have observed
this day for generations. Often St. Nicholas Day, not Christmas, is the main
holiday for gift giving, However the gifts he left beside the hearth were
usually small: fruit, nuts, candy, small figurines etc.
The Gift Giver:
“The Feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 6 has been
observed with great enthusiasm throughout Medieval Europe over the centuries.
This enthusiasm was due to the many legends that had grown up around Nicholas:
that he had distributed gifts to the poor at night through their windows, had
fasted while a baby, had helped dowerless maidens, saved a city from famine, had
aided a ship in distress, etc. [9]
St. Nicholas traditions vary slightly from country
to country. In sixteenth-century Holland, children placed wooden shoes by the
hearth the night of St. Nicholas's arrival. The shoes were filled with straw, a
meal for the saint's gift-laden donkey. In return, Nicholas would insert a small
treat into each clog. [The shoe was replaced with the stocking, hung by the
chimney In America.
Because of the gift-giving legends associated with
Nicholas, it was held (especially in Belgium and Holland) that on the Eve the
Feast of Nicholas, the bishop himself would come from heaven and visit children
in their homes, giving gifts to those who had been good. Nicholas, decked out in
full ecclesiastical garb (bishop's vestments, with miter and crozier), would
arrive on a flying gray horse (or white donkey, depending on the custom). In
some variations of the legend, he was accompanied by Black Peter, an elf whose
job was to punish children who had been bad”. [10]
In Belgium
On St. Nicholas' Eve, December 5th, or the weekend
before, children put their shoes or small baskets at the hearth or beside the
door with carrots, turnips, and a sugar lump for the saint's horse and a glass
of wine for the saint. There may also be a picture they've drawn (or a list)
showing what they would like. They believe St. Nicholas rides on horseback over
the rooftops, dropping his gifts down the chimneys. In the morning shoes have
been filled with chocolates, spiced cookies shaped like the saint and Piet,
oranges, marzipan, and toys. In the spirit of St. Nicholas, treats are meant to
be shared, not hoarded. Bad children, of which there are none, would find twigs.
…” [11]
And in Germany
In Roman Catholic areas of southern Germany, such as
Bavaria, Sankt Nikolaus still comes as a with flowing beard and a
bishop's and staff. Houses are thoroughly cleaned and children clean and polish
their shoes or boots in preparation for the visit. On the evening before ,
children put letters to the good saint along with carrots or other food for his
white horse or donkey on a plate or in their shoes. These are left outside,
under the bed, beside a radiator, or on a windowsill in hopes of finding goodies
from St. Nicholas the next morning. During the night Sankt Nikolaus goes from
house to house carrying a book in which all the children's deeds are written. If
they have been good, he fills their plate, shoe or boot with delicious fruits,
nuts and candies. If not, they may find potatoes, coal, or twigs. [11]
While in Bulgaria the feast does not seem to be
particularly centered around children and gift giving
Bulgarians celebrate St. Nicholas as the protector
of sailors and fishermen. Stories are told of St. Nikolay, the commander of the
sea, calming wind and storms and saving ships in danger… A fish dish, ribnik,
carp wrapped in dough or baked with rice, is served as carp is regarded as
Nicholas' servant. Ribnik is baked in the oven along with two special loaves of
bread. The food is blessed at church or at home before being
served. [12]
End Notes
[1] Rev. Adrian
Dieleman. Sermon on Daniel 1:1-7. November 20, 2005
[2] Who is Santa Claus?.
http://rumela.com/events/christmas_santa.htm
[3]
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38
[4] Jones, Charles. W. "Knickerbocker Santa Claus."
The New-York Historical Society Quarterly, October 1954, Volume XXXVIII Number
Four, p.357. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry
Watkins.
[5] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas
Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, p. 131. As Quoted in Santa Claus The
Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins
[6] Articles on Ancient History. Saint Nicholas,
Sinterklaas, Santa Claus.
http://www.livius.org/ne-nn/nicholas/nicholas_of_myra1.html
http://www.livius.org/ne-nn/nicholas/nicholas_of_myra1.html
[7] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas
Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, pp. 138,141, As Quoted in Santa Claus
The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.
[8] Walsh, William S. The Story of Santa Klaus.
Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1970, p. 54, As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great
Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins
[9] George H. McKnight, St. Nicholas: His Legend and
His Role in the Christmas Celebration and Other Popular Customs (New York: G. P.
Putnam's Sons, 1917), McKnight has a collection of these legends in St.
Nicholas, 37-88
[10] Dr. Richard P. Bucher. The Origin of Santa
Claus and the Christian Response to Him
[11] St. Nicholas Center. Around The World.
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=76
[12] St. Nicholas Center. Bulgaria.
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=82
Read more at - http://www.inplainsite.org/html/santa_claus.html
