Santa Claus: Why not to threaten your child with a bucket of coal for Christmas

Many parents are guilty of entitlement in this regard. Most parents have made threats that Santa Claus "would bring coal for Christmas", worse, hand parents a whip in order to "keep children in line". The fact of the matter is that Santa Claus, if used at all, should not be used in order to facilitate behavioral modification.

Threatening children with Santa is a moral offense under God's Law. 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 was understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including, but not limited, 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 is the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen 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 even took in a few orphaned children in his time. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers used the scourge of cords as a means of punishing their children, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were hated largely for being "too soft" on their children.

Santa Claus has been enlisted by parents to threaten punishment of various sorts for "bad" behavior. The threat I got that came with Santa Claus was "coal for Christmas". I feared throughout the year that I would get just coal for Christmas, and no presents. Did that change my rebellion as a child? Not one bit. Coal for Christmas was a feigned threat growing up, but I was never told that until later. Thus, it was a form of behavioral modification.

Behavioral modification, using Santa Claus, is a form of entitlement, and when it leads to offense perceived by a child, it is child abuse. I myself was scared of getting only coal for Christmas. Even if it is a feigned threat, the child won't know the difference. In my home, growing up, coal for Christmas was a feigned threat, but it sure seemed likely, as I knew at some level that my behavior was erratic and due to some mental disorder.

Most "problematic" behaviors in children are developmentally appropriate given the child's age and development. Children outgrow most disruptive and unruly behaviors. In the mean time, children are going to cry. Children are going to pout. Santa Claus should still give them presents, with his unconditional love.

I myself, however, might recommend against Santa Claus altogether. He is the direct replicate of the Norse god Odin, I can listen to Christmas tunes featuring Santa Claus, bur I can't believe in Santa Claus or encourage him with my children.

Sometimes, parents return presents to the store after children "didn't play with them right". This is an offense to any child, and thus is child abuse. Let children play with presents any way or no way at all. 

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 in 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!