Why do people compare belief in God to belief in Santa Claus?

Question

It really doesn't make sense... We have proof that Santa Claus doesn't exist, because as we grow older we figure out that it's our parents that put the presents under the tree. That becomes fact. Belief in God is way different though, because we see everything around us, we reason about it, yet there is still no proof presented that everything just popped into existence...

Answer 1

Or could it be that your parents had to give you presents because you were a naughty child and Santa wouldn't go to your house?

Answer 2

I'm afraid your post is mixing two different ideas -- proof that Santa Claus doesn't exist, and proof that God does exist. Logically speaking, your parents putting presents under the tree does not prove that Santa Claus DOESN'T exist, but it's also true that there isn't any more evidence for Santa Claus than for the existence of God.



The universe being so awesome is not proof of anything except the universe being awesome. Neither is a baby's smile or a butterfly flying or watching a sunset proof of anything, although some folks will try and convince you that it is. Give it a couple of days and then read this thread again...



People compare the two beliefs because of the similarities: Both Santa Claus and God reward good and punish evil. Both are invisible beings. Nobody has found any objective proof of the existence of either one.

Answer 3

they are compared because they both have similar magical powers. and were it not for you figuring out your parents put the gifts under the tree, then you would still believe in santa clause forever. the only difference is that for santa claus your parents tell you he doesn't exist. for god a whole bunch of people tell you he doesn't exist, but not your parents, and you choose to listen to your parents, and people close to you.



but there is no proof that god exists either, same as santa claus and we all believed that would have forever. and almost everything can be explained in a way that makes sense. but alot of it requires extensive knowledge in physics. just because you or your family or your friends don't know the answer to something it doesn't mean humanity doesn't know one, and it doesn't mean god is the answer.



no, studying science all day for one day won't find you the answers. you would need to study it all day everyday for like 5 years.

Answer 4

Look at your words - belief in Santa, belief in god. One is way different. They are the same. They are beliefs. The main difference is that Santa won't condemn you to everlasting torment if you don't believe in him. You just don't get a few presents that year.



There is no proof presented that everything just popped into existence. You are absolutely correct, which is why most of us don't accept that the universe "just popped into existence", we accept the singularity and big bang theory. This popped into existence when your imaginary person, what you BELEIVE TO BE TRUE, waved his hands and the universe popped into existence.



You may study science all day, but your thinking is very flawed.

Answer 5

If you are honest with yourself you have to admit the correlation is consistent.



We can't actually prove or disprove that santa exists. However, as you indicated, as we grow older we learn to identify inconsistencies, and discount the existence of Santa based on logic. This is true of all god concepts as well. There is no proof or disproof of the existence of a god. However, as we grow older we learn to identify inconsistencies and discount (or for some accept on faith despite inconsistencies) the existance of god(s).



By the way, atheism does not have dogma regarding abiogenisis. Although many atheists mostly accept in a general sense evolution, evolution is not a tenant of atheism either. Nor does abiogenisis indicate that "everything just popped into existence". It is the creation theory that indicated things were "created in six days" (apparently by a god who has the ability to magically do so) and thereby "popped" into existence.

Answer 6

As others have said, we do not have proof that Santa Claus does not exist. What we do have is self-experienced circumstantial evidence that Santa Claus, as described in his mythos, does not exist. At the same time, the concept of Santa Claus is proven true everytime one person gives a surprise gift to another at Christmas time.



However, it's important to remember that an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. In other words, claiming that any God exists because there is no evidence to the contrary is invalid.



The existence of reality is not evidence, other than in a circular manner. As Robert Heinlein put it in "To Sail Beyond the Sunset":



"Pointing to something (the physical world) and asserting that it has to have a Creator...proves nothing save that you have made certain assertions without proof. You have ponited at a physical thing, the physical world; you have asserted that this physical thing has to have a Creator...But to assert that something physical was created out of nothing - not even empty space - by a Thingamajig you can't point to is not to make philosophical statement or any sort of statement, it is mere noise, amphigory, sound and fury signifying nothing."

Answer 7

Kim, you are so right. Evidence is all around us, in all God's creation. Don't take any of these quirky or rude remarks - they are just lost souls. I love the fun and idea of Santa, but when I took one of my sons to see Santa one year, when we got home he wanted to tell his dad about the trip and said mommy what was that man's name that was dressed up in a Santa Clause costume? I had to laugh. It might just as well have been the Cookie Monster or Barney. Children express much depth about God that grown ups don't "put in them". Even children whose parents hate God often know inside that Someone is with them and they have hope that "someday" things will be better. I know this. God is Love, He is good and I doubt if He has any problem with the spirit of giving that Santa Claus represents. It's the commercialism that has soured it all. After all He gave the greatest gift in giving His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Answer 8

you won't be able to earnings. God is a real Holy Spirit. Santa Claus is a made up character who gets caught in chimneys ever3y Christmas Eve, The teeth Fairy could be a g.. dentist and Harry Potter works with clay.

Answer 9

What can I say? St Nicolaus was a very real person, that the 19th Century entreprenuers engineered in the person of Santa Claus. There's nothing wrong with spreading a little cheer in a very gloomy and otherwise boring world , filled with so much sadness. People want to be so real because they are unhappy with themselves and their own disillusioned lives that they would prefer to rob kids of their childhood. They lack inspiration or imagination!



Others think that God is a Cosmic Bell Hop to do their bidding. He is too big for them to rationally and intellectually wrap their minds around Him or even concieve it.

Answer 10

There's no *proof* that Santa doesn't exist. It's just that the evidence we *did* have is shown to be a deception.



There is more than sufficient evidence to explain where and how everything that we see in the universe came about by natural processes, for those with the desire to learn. It's just that those who invented the gods are too long dead to reveal that they were only lying.

Answer 11

It doesn't make sense huh? I hope you are not an adult. If you can't see the similarity - I can't help you. What you might wanna do is enroll yourself in some classes that will teach you some basic skills about biology and evolution. Maybe you failed those classes or never took them at all. Your question is childish and I hope you educate yourself.



***I doubt you even have a GED.

Answer 12

Substitute God or Santa with Zeus, Ra, Odin, the list is long. You are not focusing on the right issue here - that they are imaginary beings that some people believe in fervently.



And if you want to represent 14.x billion years of natural history with "popping into existence" then I will condense your bible to "unexplained magic man in the sky did it; he's angry".

Answer 13

You have proof that Santa doesn't exist????



No you don't.



I have "faith" in Santa.

Answer 14

To those who believe that God is a myth, there is a strong correlation.

To others, there is not.

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Answer 15

There's no Santa??????



*cry*

Answer 16

because both "god" and "santa" work on the same concept....



"magic"

Answer 17

I like Santa he is good. jesus is nothing but evil so do not compare the two please

Answer 18

They are just trying to instigate, don't let it bother you.