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Debate Info

26
18
Belief in Santa is Positive Belief in Santa is Harmful
Debate Score:44
Arguments:34
Total Votes:48
Ended:12/10/12
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 Belief in Santa is Positive (18)
 
 Belief in Santa is Harmful (14)

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Is perpetuating the myth of Santa Claus good for children?

Is it OK to tell a child that Santa Claus is real? Is this a harmless "white lie", an innocent and loving attempt to give a child the pleasure of make-believe, and the reassurance of fitting into our culture, or is it essentially and inescapably a lie that can affect the child's critical capacity to trust?

Belief in Santa is Positive

Side Score: 26
Winning Side!
VS.

Belief in Santa is Harmful

Side Score: 18

Two reasons:

1. It encourages kids to be good around Christmas

2. If the child doesn't get what they wanted, the parents can simply say something about Santa, instead of explaining how they have no money and cant afford to get the a nice gift.

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
Ted_Atheist Disputed
1 point

Having children believe in shit that's not true is bad. I wouldn't do Santa, nor would I do any other fictitious character.

Same goes for religion. Belief in a god is bad for children, too.

They deserve to know the truth about the world we live in.

Side: Belief in Santa is Harmful
1 point

The truth? Dude, its not like these people are putting bags over their kids heads, they're just using a different character to explain how presents get to the house, so that if they don't have enough money for something, they can just say "oh, guess Santa didn't make it" rather than "sorry lil' billy, but we cant afford anything and will probably lose the house."

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
TheThinker(1688) Disputed
1 point

I am going to downvote you because you spoke of the "truth." The truth is that nobody knows if Santa Clause is real or not. An example would be to turn around and see if someone name Santa is behind you. Now turn around again because someone named Santa may be behind you. No matter how much you turn around, you are going to be blind to what is behind you. And the question will still arise: Is Santa behind you? :) I can be wrong. My logic has been told "twisted" before.

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
2 points

Of course Santa is good, there is nothing better as a kid than going to sleep on Christmas eve knowing that Santa is coming tonight to fill your stockings with lots of awesome gifts for you and your family. Santa also encourages kids to behave.

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
2 points

Christmas is a magical time of the year when you are a kid and Santa is an essential part of that magic. Kids eventually grow out of these illogical ideas and the world grows dull for them because of this. Kids should be sheltered from reality and given as many good memories as possible during their youth. Otherwise there is a good chance they will grow up cynical and lose the ability to see the good in what is around them.

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
2 points

Myth, really...do you not believe in Saint Nick? Not the incarnation that was created by Coca Cola, but the historical version from stories passed dow generation after generation. I believe there is value to keeping the historical value.

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive

It is alright since it makes children reflect what they have done through the past year and helps them make amends to their current life.

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
Cambriel(711) Disputed
1 point

What makes you so sure that they make amends after not receiving a Christmas gift? What if they only do good things because they are afraid that they wont get a gift on Christmas, and not really do these things just for the sake of doing it? Because doing good is right, and not just for presents.

Side: Belief in Santa is Harmful
lolzors93(3225) Disputed
1 point

Does anyone do anything except for selfish reasons?

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
1 point

Children tend to not think about morality and the like. it does not matter at first since they are still children. When they grow up, its their parent`s job to let them know the true reason behind doing good.

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
2 points

If you tell someone a lie you are in reality depriving them of their ability to make rational choices over primitive, thus depriving them of their dignity. When a person lies, even for a good reason even to a child, you are stealing their freedom. You have taken control of their mind, which is immoral. Moreover, when someone lies they deprive humanity of its cohesion, faith and trust in other people. Therefore, lying in any situation is harmful to both yourself, your partner, and humanity.

So yes

Side: Belief in Santa is Harmful
TheAshman(2298) Disputed
2 points

Ok chuckles, a belief in Santa is harmless in fact telling kids the truth can be confusing for them. Kids will believe what they believe regardless of what their parents tell them, I had a friend who's parents came up with the same bright idea as yourself when they told their kids Santa did'nt exist they were devastated one of them actually said does that mean he wont come, just goes to show that kids will believe what their friends tell them and what they see in popular culture

Side: Belief in Santa is Positive
lolzors93(3225) Disputed
2 points

So what about it? Does that make it morally correct to control some else's mind?

Side: Belief in Santa is Harmful

well i say yes and no, but i think people HATE the myth of santa because kids become ungrateful of how much money theyre parents put into gifts because they think santa did it, not the parents, but i kinda agree with them, but it does encourage kids to be good around the holidays. so im in the middle, as always.

Side: Belief in Santa is Harmful
1 point

when kids find out that Santa isn't real it takes away the joy and fun of Christmas. i found out last year and i remember how boring and lame Christmas seamed after that. if you don't know about him in the 1st place you wont have to have the joy of Christmas taken away from you when you find out the truth.

Side: Belief in Santa is Harmful