Santa Claus

Say you bump into a 15 year old boy.
This said boy is perfectly normal in every sense of the word: Average IQ, fully working bodily functions, etc.
But, this said boy of 15 years of age still believes in Santa Claus.

You could weigh it up, couldn't you? Should you spoil the kid's myth and his beliefs or you could let him live happily for-ever-after in denial of the truth.

Why would you destroy his fantasy world?
Well, one could argue that his friends are probably making fun of him. You could also discuss the morality of letting a 15 year old be mislead by a fairy tale. Couldn't you?

So, I guess my question is: Would you tell the 15 year old that Santa Claus does not exist. Or would you let him carry on believing in him?

Originally posted by shavixmir
Say you bump into a 15 year old boy.
This said boy is perfectly normal in every sense of the word: Average IQ, fully working bodily functions, etc.
But, this said boy of 15 years of age still believes in Santa Claus.

You could weigh it up, couldn't you? Should you spoil the kid's myth and his beliefs or you could let him live happily for-ever-aft ...[text shortened]... the 15 year old that Santa Claus does not exist. Or would you let him carry on believing in him?

I would use facts, not my personal beliefs, to kindly show him he is in error.

Originally posted by Darfius
I would use facts, not my personal beliefs, to kindly show him he is in error.

But you would do your best to destroy his faith in Santa?

Why?

Originally posted by shavixmir
But you would do your best to destroy his faith in Santa?

Why?

To save him from further unnecessary embarrassment.

Originally posted by Darfius
To save him from further unnecessary embarrassment.

You completely fail to see the irony in your stance here, don't you. sigh.

OKay, here's the senario: You attampt to let him down gently, as you proposed, yet he reacts like he is being attacked, tells you that you aren't going to get any presents because you do not believe, you are not inside Santas chosen circle. You try to point out the "facts," as you call them, but all he does is take them and spin them in a twisted way that supports his stance. It doesn't matter to him how he constantly contradicts himself, how he has to keep changing his story to deflect the barrage of facts. He slowly unravels before you until all he can do is blurt: "The only way to get presents is to believe in the one true Santa Claus exactly as I see it!"

All you can do is shake your head, shocked that such an intelligent young man could react so defensively, could avoid the issues so clumsily and yet still think that his house is built on the rock, not the sand. Perhaps his faith blinds him; perhaps on some level he knows the truth of the matter but he supresses it because without his faith he is alone.

Oh well, at least he won't go to Hell for it.

... --- ...

Originally posted by shavixmir
Say you bump into a 15 year old boy.
This said boy is perfectly normal in every sense of the word: Average IQ, fully working bodily functions, etc.
But, this said boy of 15 years of age still believes in Santa Claus.

You could weigh it up, couldn't you? Should you spoil the kid's myth and his beliefs or you could let him live happily for-ever-aft ...[text shortened]... the 15 year old that Santa Claus does not exist. Or would you let him carry on believing in him?

Considering his age, I would suggest the Easter Bunny to him. It seems Hugh Heffner was one of the most fervent advocates of this belief ..... and please don't tell me he wasn't a happy man .......

Originally posted by thesonofsaul
You completely fail to see the irony in your stance here, don't you. sigh.

OKay, here's the senario: You attampt to let him down gently, as you proposed, yet he reacts like he is being attacked, tells you that you aren't going to get any presents because you do not believe, you are not inside Santas chosen circle. You try to point out the "fact ...[text shortened]... without his faith he is alone.

Oh well, at least he won't go to Hell for it.

... --- ...

It is because I saw the intention of the post that I replied. You fail to see that my beliefs are just as (to appease you), if not more (what I believe) grounded in reality as yours.

Originally posted by shavixmir
Say you bump into a 15 year old boy.
This said boy is perfectly normal in every sense of the word: Average IQ, fully working bodily functions, etc.
But, this said boy of 15 years of age still believes in Santa Claus.

You could weigh it up, couldn't you? Should you spoil the kid's myth and his beliefs or you could let him live happily for-ever-aft ...[text shortened]... the 15 year old that Santa Claus does not exist. Or would you let him carry on believing in him?

What a fantastic question.

: D

I'd just like to note that we again have a Rec'ing of a post that is arguably not worthy of one unless you agree with its underlying message.

I just wanted to put the hypocrisy out for all to see.

Originally posted by Darfius
I'd just like to note that we again have a Rec'ing of a post that is arguably not worthy of one unless you agree with its underlying message.

I just wanted to put the hypocrisy out for all to see.

What? Darfius doesn't like it? Well, here's another rec for Shavixmir.

Me too. Keep it up, Shavi!

Telerion -

Surely, you've all noticed that members of the Holier-Than-Thou Alliance, a highly unstable partnership of born-agains and one fundamentalist Roman Catholic, have been giving each other rec's like Chic Tracks at Halloween.

As a result of this reckless behavior, the true value of the recommendation has been in sharp decline, prompting some to consider whether the HTT Alliance should be forced to start it's own recommendation union currency, the Amen. Only posts of members of the HTT Alliance could receive Amens, and only members of the Holy Alliance could spontaneously create them.

Now if a "True Christian" from the HTT Alliance wishes to display affirmation for a post written by a hell-bound heathen, they must convert an Amen into a Rec at market value. In a similar manner, non-cult members could convert Rec's into Amens to support the posts of those special few who really talk to God.

In this way, the HTT Alliance is free to exercise irresponsible expansionary recommendation policy without further diminishing the valule of our prized intellectual/comedic currency.

Rwingett-

As the recs in this forum are overwhelmingly partisan, perhaps posts in the "Spirituality" forum should have no rec option at all. It could be a recless (reckless) forum.

Originally posted by Darfius
Rwingett-

As the recs in this forum are overwhelmingly partisan, perhaps posts in the "Spirituality" forum should have no rec option at all. It could be a recless (reckless) forum.

I'm all for it. When do we start?

I make no pretense about giving objective recs in this forum. And since a vast majority of recs in this forum are partisan recs there seems to be little point in giving them out at all, except to try to irritate the other side. So if you want to make this a rec-less forum to stop such flagrant abuses as I have engaged in, then I'm all for it. Until then, all my recs in this forum will go to pro-secular posts (although I really don't give out that many, anyway).

Originally posted by rwingett
I'm all for it. When do we start?

I make no pretense about giving objective recs in this forum. And since a vast majority of recs in this forum are partisan recs there seems to be little point in giving them out at all, except to try to irritate the other side. So if you want to make this a rec-less forum to stop such flagrant abuses as I have engaged ...[text shortened]... this forum will go to pro-secular posts (although I really don't give out that many, anyway).

Why not get rid of rec's on RHP altogether then? I like how you amend your position to admit you're partisan.

Originally posted by Darfius
Why not get rid of rec's on RHP altogether then? I like how you amend your position to admit you're partisan.

I never pretended not to be partisan. But I think recs serve a useful function on the other forums.