"Be nice to your sister or Santa won't bring you that new fire truck for christmas"... Isn't that just saying be more kind to other and you will be rewarded? That example puts humanity first before the reward.

have you seen the look on someone's face as they give a special, creative, much-thought-about gift to someone else? have you seen how much joy is brought just by GIVING? it's an amazing thing...and i could never refuse to participate in something that makes so many people happy.

even when i am prideful, even when i'm broke...the season breaks in and makes me smile.

in my family, gifts are a sign of the love around us...they are given to family and friends rather than to Jesus, because he's not visible to receive them. There's no manipulative BS revolving around them...we don't play that way. gifts are given regardless.

even if it's just a little token, it's given as a sign of love. negativity just doesn't play in for us.

That's how it should IMO.

I believe in giving gifts as well, it is a wonderful thing. I think that the concept of Santa however takes away from the true reason that gift are given in the first place.

Christians are rewarded with heaven for their good works in much the same way Santa rewards good children.

Yes, but a true christian does not follow christ because that is the way to heaven, a true christian follows christ because they believe in him, and love him.

Don't you have to good to get the reward of heaven?

No, to get into heaven all you have to do is accept Christ. Doing good is not what gets christians into heaven, accepting Christ is what does.

What do you think of a ministries preach a form of "Word of Faith" theology, known as prosperity gospel, which teaches that God wants believers to reap material rewards for their faith?

So no action can get you into heaven?

This may seem kind of straight-forward after the fact. But if Christ hadn’t yet been nailed to a cross would you condone nailing him to a cross to save your butt?

To me, this is a large part of the problem with the whole sin and salvation thesis of Christianity.

To accept that Christ died for your sins on a cross is to condone the act of nailing him to the cross for YOUR SAKE!

When you think about it from that perspective would you condone this?

I wouldn’t. Therefore I can’t accept that he died that way for my sins. To accept this act is to condone it, and that I cannot do. So I refuse to allow my sins to be washed away by the blood of Christ. I reject the notion. To accept that notion would be to agree to drive the nails in his body myself.

I refuse to do that. I reject his blood from that horrific act. I want no parts of it. I refuse to condone the act.

God has informed me that the religion does not matter...it is what kind of person you are that counts. It does not even matter whether or not you believe in God if you are truly a good person.

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!!!!

I’m so excited!

I finally got something right!

Yipeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

indeed. God is watching you Abra...it may appear to be a casual once over easy, but with a bemused countenance and somewhat skeptical expression. it may have just been divine whimsy. one never can tell these things...

The God of Vodka, does wonders for me

I'm with you 110%, even though I'm not going to critise an individual for doing it, it's still far away from being a true christian event. Even gift giving is for the most part to loved ones who don't need it while there are people out there starving who have absolutly nothing. That being said, the only thing I can get behind in christmas is giving food to the poor. Thank God there are still churches that feel the same way;^]

Does no one know the history of Santa Clause? There really is a history of a real man. His name was not Santa, but he is based off of a a real man. And the tradition of gift giving comes from this.

Actualy there is some heavy debate on whether or not St. Nick actualy existed, but it is somewhat based on the story of st. nick mixed with dozens of pagan traditions. Still, I'm not going to critise an individual, but common sense tells me that the story can be told without all the blatent lies that puts a childs trust & faith in danger. Just my humble;^]

Yes Nicholas did exist. And he was the one we started a traditionon. The fact is, this man went into a diguise to beg for food and things that he gave away wrapped in paper. This we do today to honor the memory of this man. Thats what I tell my kids. And we celebrate the birth of Christ.

I know the story, I'm just saying there's debate as to his existance (I have no opinion either way). The story is a wonderful thing, but I don't think lying to our kids about him coming down the chimney and giving gifts to them is what God wants, nor the pagan traditions involved (trees, stockings, mistletoe, etc). I think the best way to honer the story would be the same best way to honer what Christ would want us to do, to give to the poor;^]