Santa Claus: Why not to punish or threaten children with Santa

It is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents use anything they can think of as a from of behavioral modification for children. Most children in America are taught to believe in Santa Claus. The next line children get is "be good all year" and then "he's making a list, and checking it twice". The fact of the matter is that using Santa Claus as a threat to scare children into behaving is a moral offense in the Bible.

Threatening children with Santa, by threatening coal for Christmas, is a moral offense against a child. It says in Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including, but not limited to, any punishments, reprimands, or other controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his secular writings. Paul may not have gotten along with the women of the church, but he sure loved children, and took in a few orphaned children in his time. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers used the scourge of cords in order to punish their children, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were hated largely for being "too soft" on their children.

Many parents threaten their child with Santa Claus. The whole idea is that Santa is watching, and so children better "be good". The whole line given to children is "better watch out, better not cry". Many parents threaten children with coal for Christmas, or worse, maybe a "whip that cracks'. Christmas culture in American is steeped on making sure children behaved.

Threatening children with coal for Christmas, even if in vain. scares children into thinking that they might get nothing but a sack of coal for Christmas. Any threat of coal for Christmas is a threat of punishment, and any punishments or reprimands are considered a moral crime against children. 

Most childhood behaviors are understandable developmental stages, and are developmentally appropriate given their age and development. When children don't grow out of behaviors, then you may want to check for a disorder such as autism or ADHD. Don't get Santa to punish them.

My parents used Santa as a vain threat, but I was honestly worried about getting coal for Christmas. I was relieved when I woke up Christmas morning. I have a warm and cold trauma, meaning some memories are fond, and others are cold. I was raised to love Christmas, and so I do, but without Santa Claus - Santa Claus is a direct replicate of the Norse god Odin.

The ultimate offense to a child is punishing them on Christmas morning by taking their toys back because they wouldn't "play with the toy properly". The moment you make them cry in punishment, for something as little as that, you are offending them by provoking them to anger.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!