I often hear the word “magical” used when people talk about Santa. I’ve been told that Santa made Christmas feel magical and the joy they felt is best described as “magical.” I think that’s truly wonderful. I enjoy hearing about how much joy people felt as children and even as adults around Christmastime.

But do the means justify the ends?

There is no argument that Santa brings so much joy to children and adults alike. But there are a lot of things that bring joy to people that aren’t right.

We can’t just point to the amount of joy that Santa brings and use that as proof that it’s right to do.

We have to point to the Bible and use it as proof of what the right thing to do is. Nothing else.

Santa Claus Is A False God For Children

This may be the most polarizing argument against Santa but I think it’s a valid one. When I say Santa is a false god, I don’t think that he has to be or always is.

The distinction between Santa being a false god for children and just being a jolly old fat man is whether they believe whole heartily that he’s real.

Making children believe that Santa is as real as God is where the line between family fun and false god is drawn.

There is a big difference between watching movies, opening presents, and writing letters for fun and truly believing that you’re seeing and writing to a real person.

To better illustrate my point, let’s look at some of the characteristics of Santa and why I believe they make him into a false god for children.

The Characteristics Of Santa Claus

Let’s meet Santa and break down who he really is. I’m not going to dive into the origins of Santa or anything like that because that’s not the point of this article. We’re only going to look at Santa the way we teach children about him.

What do we teach our children Santa Claus is like?

I’m going to make a short list of characteristics that I think represent Santa Claus quite well.

• Omniscient
• Omnipotent
• A moral judge
• A source and spreader of joy

Do these characteristics remind you of anyone? They remind me of God.

But we teach children to believe that two people have these characteristics. God and Santa.

Let’s take a closer look at each characteristic and go into more detail about what they mean.

Omniscient

Omniscient means all-knowing. We know from the Bible that God is omniscient Hebrews 4:13, 1 John 3:20, Psalm 139:4. God is the only true God that there is. There is no other God like Him that can do what He can.

There isn’t a single all-knowing god or man in existence besides the one true God.

But we teach our children that Santa has the same omniscient qualities as God does. We teach our children that Santa knows if they’ve been naughty or nice and whether they’re sleeping or awake.

He sees you when you're sleeping
And he knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

I was told once by a guy at work that you’re not teaching your kids that Santa is a false god, you’re teaching them to believe in Santa. That’s it.

But think about it from a kid’s perspective.

From their perspective, Santa would be just as all-knowing as God. Hebrews 4:13 tells us that nothing is hidden from God’s sight. But we teach our kids that nothing is hidden from Santa’s sight either. He knows if they’re sleeping and if they’ve been behaving.

We can’t teach children that God is like anyone or anything other than God.

There is no other god like our God Psalm 86:8.

How can you teach a child that God and Santa possess the same abilities and not expect them to make Santa into a false God?

Omnipotent

Omnipotent means all-powerful. The Bible tells us that God is the only all-powerful being there in Jeremiah 32:27, Job 42:1-2, and Isaiah 14:27.

But once again we teach our children that Santa is also all-powerful.

The only difference between God’s power and Santa’s power is that we call Santa’s power “magic.”

But how can a child discern the difference between the two?

To a child, the power of God may seem less than the power of Santa because the child has had “real” experiences with Santa’s power. A child can point to the toys that Santa magically brought him. What can the child point to that God brings him?

Infinitely more in reality.

But do you really think a child is going to value all the blessings that God has given them more than all the presents they got on Christmas?

I can’t even comprehend all the ways that God has blessed me. How can you expect a child to comprehend the blessing God has given them?

Presents are far more tangible than many of God’s blessings for children. Children who are too young to understand God’s power shouldn’t be taught to believe in another being with similar powers. It’s too confusing.

A Moral Judge

Earlier, I referenced the popular Christmas song Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. I remember being in the car with a family who was really into Santa and they used this song as a teaching moment for their youngest. If she would act up, they would remind her of this verse:

He's making a list
He's checking it twice
He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

I have a big problem with teaching children that anyone other than God has any moral authority.

The Bible is very clear that God is the only source of morality. He is the King of kings and the Judge of judges James 4:12, Isaiah 33:22, Psalm 50:6.

Teaching children that Santa also has the authority to say who has been “naughty and nice” goes against what the Bible teaches.

The biggest issue is that children will more than likely end up caring more about Santa than God. Which would worry you more during Christmastime, Santa calling you naughty and you not getting any presents or God calling you a sinner?

I don’t know about you but I would be much more worried about my presents.

A Source And Spreader Of Joy

Spreading joy is Santa’s bread and butter. Just about everyone I’ve talked to about Santa has told me how much joy Santa brought them when they were kids.

The Bible tells us that God is our source of joy and outside of Him nothing can compare 1 Chronicle 16:26–27, Psalm 16:11, James 1:17.

But during Christmastime who does our kids get more joy from? Is it the birth of our Savior who was born a man and died as a perfect sacrifice for us because of His love for us? Or is it Santa Claus?

I think it would be very difficult for kids to find more joy in Jesus on Christmas when so much emphasis is put on Santa and everything he does. Santa brings children presents, eats their cookies, and some kids even get Santa to write them back.

Believing that Santa is as real as Jesus would make it very hard for children to find more joy in Jesus than in Santa. If they find more joy in Santa than they do in Jesus then that might be a sign that they are serving two masters.

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:24

The False God

As you can see there are many parallels between Santa and Jesus. Parallels that I believe can lead to children viewing Santa as a false God.

I remember a friend of mine told me that no kids are thinking about if Santa is a false god and they probably don’t even know what a false god is. He said kids aren’t thinking about the Omniciant qualities of Santa and how they compare with Jesus.

This is understanding and probably quite true. I doubt many kids are thinking about those things which is all the more reason to be cautious of them.

An idol is anything that we put above God. It doesn’t matter what it is. What makes Santa a potential false god for children isn’t actually the qualities I listed above. It’s the belief that those qualities are real.

There is nothing wrong with incorporating Santa into your Christmases. It’s when your kids truly believe in their hearts that Santa is just as real as God that it goes too far.

Making our kids believe he’s real is making them believe that two beings are all-knowing, all-powerful moral judges. And we know from the Bible that this can’t be true.

Who Are We Celebrating?

When I hear people talk about their childhood Christmases, they usually talk about how amazing and magical Santa was. Writing letters to him, baking him cookies, watching movies, and waking up early Christmas morning to open up presents Santa brought.

But what about Jesus? All these joyous memories of Santa and very little of Jesus, the person whom we’re supposed to be celebrating.

Now, this isn’t to say that no one who celebrates Santa celebrates Jesus. I know a lot of people who love Jesus very much and Christmas is very important to them for both Santa and Jesus.

But what kind of magical and amazing memories are you making for your kids regarding Jesus? If the best memories your kids have from Christmas is of Santa doesn’t that mean something went wrong?

Christmas is about the birth of our Savior. Why would we add to that? Why would we need to add to that?

Is there not enough joy in Jesus?

When you have presents under the tree with Santa’s name on them you’ve made him a part of your Christmas celebration. You’ve written to him, you’ve made your kids believe he was actually in your house and now they’re opening up the presents he brought them.

How is Jesus a part of your Christmas? Too often I hear parents who will read the Christmas story every year and then say “Okay kids let’s see what Santa brought you.”

Who are your kids worshipping on Christmas? Who are they really celebrating?

Lying Is A Sin, every time

Lying is the most obvious issue with making children believe in Santa. The Bible is very clear that lying is without a doubt a sin. We all know that lying is one of the ten commandments where it says to not bear false witness against your neighbor in Exodus 20:16.

But the Bible takes lying a step further. Listen to how it’s described in Proverbs:

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19

Listen to how strong the language is in these verses. six things that the Lord hates. seven that are an abomination to Him. Lying isn’t just “naughty” it’s an abomination. It’s hated by God.

Anything that God hates we should hate too.

The same point was made earlier in Proverbs 12:22 and the same word is used. Abomination.

We know that the wages of sin are death by John 3:16 and that God sees all sin equally. He is not going to care how much joy your children received if it was gotten through a sin.

Sin is wrong every time.

There are no exceptions.

Is Santa A Lie?

I’ve talked to people who say that making your kids believe in Santa isn’t a lie. A friend of mine that I talked to told me that he doesn’t ever remember his parents actually telling him that Santa is real. They just did everything but say those words.

They told him about Santa, put Santa’s name on his presents, and had him write letters to Santa too.

But they never said, “Santa is real.”

He would say that his parents didn’t lie to him they just didn’t stop him from believing in Santa.

I would strongly disagree with this. I believe that it is without a doubt a lie to tell your kids that Santa is real knowing full well he is not. Even if you never say the words “Santa is real” you’re still teaching falsehood.

You are not bringing your child up in truth by allowing them to believe a lie.

Even if you don’t agree that it is a lie, it’s certainly deceptive. You’re deceiving your children into believing in Santa. You can’t deceive your children and bring them up in complete truth at the same time.

Ephesians 4:25 says to put away falsehood and speak to each other in truth. No, where in the Bible does it condone deceptive behavior or lying lips.

Even if you “don’t lie” because you don’t say the words “Santa is real” to your children, you’re still deceiving them.

This is like saying “I would never commit adultery but I have no problem lusting” Matthew 5:28. Or “I would never murder anyone but I will hate people who wrong me” 1 John 3:15. Or how about “I would never lie to my kids, but I have no problem deceiving them.”

The Bible tells us that all of these things are wrong. Lusting is the same as cheating and hate is the same as murder. How then, can we deceive but not lie?

There is not a single verse in the Bible that condones deceiving someone else, especially not children.

But This Is An Innocent Lie, It’s For Good

Another argument I’ve heard for why it’s ok to deceive your children into believing in Santa is because it’s a white lie. The means justify the ends.

I remember someone telling me “just think about the amount of joy this lie brings kids.” This is something that we’ve already talked about but let’s reiterate that point.

Santa without a doubt brings so much joy to children. That’s hardly even arguable. It’s plain to see. The issue is not that Santa doesn’t bring joy, it’s whether or not the joy outweighs the means by which it’s obtained.

Is joy worth the sin of lying? It can’t be if we’re truly born-again believers. Any sin should be an abomination to us. We know that all sin leads to death so is Santa Claus worth dying for?

Joy Doesn’t Make Something Right

As I said earlier, it’s very common to hear people say that the means justify the ends. Think about all the joy that Santa brings children. How can that be wrong?

But not all joy is created equal. There are many things that bring joy that isn’t biblical and come from sin.

Joy is not an accurate measurement of morality.

We see evidence of this throughout the entire Bible.

Remember the story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16: 16-40? They were beaten, thrown in prison, and shackled. Not long after, they began singing praises to God and wound up converting many men in the prison.

If they used joy as the measurement for the right thing to do then they would have probably died in that prison. They didn’t use the amount of joy they were feeling to determine what to do. They relied on God’s word.

Just because we feel joy doesn’t mean that we’re doing what’s right.

When I talk to people about my views on Santa I would often hear them say “do you not like joy or something?” I always thought this was rather silly. Joy doesn’t mean something is good. I had a friend call me out once when I was saying things that the Bible didn’t agree with and he told me that if you can’t back up your choices with the Bible then they’re probably the wrong choices.

I can’t back up making children believe that Santa is real with the Bible. Joy isn’t a sufficient reason.

Think about it this way, if you asked some of the best parents you know what their parental strategy is, what would they say? How likely do you think it is that they’ll say “we’re joy chasers.”

I don’t think it’s very likely at all. None of the good parents I know are joy chasers. Actually some of the worst parents I know would probably be described as that.

There’s nothing wrong with joy and seeking it out but the Bible tells us to chase Jesus not joy.

If you took your kids to the grocery store and bought every candy on the candy aisle and then sat them down with a dozen movies for the day, wouldn’t they feel joy? But you wouldn’t do that, would you? why not?

Because the means don’t justify the ends. Sure they feel joy but you’re teaching them lazy and unhealthy habits in the process.

Santa is very similar. Just because he brings joy to children doesn’t mean it’s right.

Joy is meaningless outside of Jesus.

The Core Issue

The core issue of Santa isn’t even Santa himself. It’s forcing your children to believe that he’s real. That’s where things change.

I don’t think it’s right to make your kids believe that Santa is just as real as Jesus.

You’re taking an impressionable, naive child and feeding them a lie while simultaneously telling them to believe the truth of the gospel.

There is nothing wrong with Santa or what he does. It’s only when your kids can no longer distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake.

Your kids should not believe a lie just as much as they believe Jesus.

Conclusion

I remember telling someone about my problems with Santa and he called me a Santa hater. I found it very funny at the time but I thought that I would address that here.

For the record, I don’t hate Santa Claus. Not at all.

As I said, the only part that I don’t like is when kids are forced to believe that he’s actually real.

I would be 100% in favor of everything Santa Claus related as long as kids knew that he isn’t real.

Go watch movies and listen to music about Santa. Write him letters and go sit on his lap at the mall. You could even write his name on some presents or bake some cookies for him. I don’t have any problem with any of those things. They all sound like a lot of fun.

I love to watch movies, listen to music, open presents, cook, and clearly, I like writing.

All of the activities associated with Santa Claus all sound fun for the whole family.

But joy is an irrelevant detail if it is derived from sin or doesn’t put God first.

If you really want to incorporate Santa Claus into your Christmas celebration then do so truthfully and transparently.

Teach your children about Saint Nicolas and the virtue of generosity. Make Santa a part of your Christmas celebration, not the celebration.

The celebration should be about the birth of Jesus and what He did for us. It should be primarily about giving thanks to Jesus and celebrating His birth.

Focus on those things primarily and then sprinkle in some Santa Claus fun.

Bring your children up in truth and wisdom. Bring them up in Jesus.

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