Santa Claus: Why never to threaten children with Santa

Parents these days find anything that is fun for children, and turn it into a behavioral modification program for children. The common "wisdom" that children that imposed on children is summed up by the Christmas carol "Santa Claus is coming to town". Santa is allegedly creating a nice list and a naughty list so "you better watch out, your not cry, you better not pout.." Can't children be children?

It is a moral crime against children to punish or threaten children in any way, including by using Santa as a threat when children are simply having a bad day. See 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 child 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, even taking in a few orphaned children in his time. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers used the scourge of cords to punish their children, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were persecuted largely for being "too soft" on their children.

Child abuse has a clear definition in the Bible - anything perceived as offensive or damaging, stemming from entitlement. This includes any threats, including any threats from Santa Claus. Santa regularly threatens children with a bucket of coal for Christmas. That was the line I got from my parent abuser - that I better watch out, because then Santa would bring me a bucket of coal. In a lawfully abusive home, these threats are usually feigned threats, but offensive nonetheless. 

Threatening "I am going to call Santa" is a form of entitled control, with all attempts to be controlling towards behavior, or modify behavior, being entitlement, in and of itself. Threatening children with Santa at all, especially with Santa punishing children, does not fall in with the spirit of Christmas, which is charity, not good behavior.

Children need to be allowed space to develop on their own. Most childhood behaviors that adults see as problematic is developmentally appropriate behavior, given the age and development of the child. Children grow up almost entirely on their own, albeit guided by a good Christian example. Crying, whining, and pouting are all normal stages of development.

One form of abuse of a child come Christmas day is returning toys because the child isn't "playing properly" with the toy. Children are free to play the way they want, or else no way at all. Children with autism like to dabble, meaning engage in repeated play. I didn't play with imaginary friends until the teen years.

The legend of Santa Claus comes from the Norse god Odin. Thus, I oppose Santa Claus. Let's keep Christ in Christmas!

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them forever be cast 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!