It is really quite sad that parents would be outraged because someone told their kid the truth.

I guess if you think about it, anyone would be mad just after you exposed their lies...

Originally posted by Jkd Up
The parents are upset at the teacher... For tellign them the TRUTH.

That was my first thought. How bizarre! While I think it should be up to the parents to tell their kids the truth, if they choose to lie to them, it's not the teacher's place to go against that.

If this happened to my children I don't think I would be outraged. But I would be disappointed. I like that my 9 and 6 year olds still believe in Santa. In a world where kids see and do a lot more then they should..a little Christmas magic is an ok thing.

This could be viewed as a microcosm event for larger 'delusions', such as equality, the American Dream and various other ideologies that invariably differ for every individual based on circumstance.

Why do we as a society lie to each other for the purpose of entertainment and illusion?

Surely, there is no benefit to the parent for hoaxing their kids to believe in a non-existant entity. In fact, having a child with a realistic perception and an inquisitive mind would be preferable, I would think...

A lie is a lie...I certainly don't think that a lie motivated by 'the spirit of the holidays' is any more valid then a lie based on more malicious intentions...but that is my opinion.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by Jkd Up
The parents are upset at the teacher... For tellign them the TRUTH.

That was my first thought. How bizarre! While I think it should be up to the parents to tell their kids the truth, if they choose to lie to them, it's not the teacher's place to go against that.

Indeed! The teachers between a rock and a hard place. If she says Santa's real all the anti Christian rehtoric kicks in and well... We see what happened this way...

I don't look at Santa Claus as a lie at all. I see nothing wrong with letting children believe in something magical, especially in a world where there is very little left to believe in.

i can see how parents could be upset. there are some things that teachers shouldn't tell kids. It really amazes me the things teachers say or do in the classroom.

It just takes normal common sense to act like a reasonable human being and some teachers are completely clueless how to act around children!

What, Santa's not real? Then who was that fat bastard eating cookies under my tree last year?

Some people just aren't good with kids. Even teachers.

Kids' gotta learn sometime.

In a world with all the problems of this one, it would be nice to think that there is a little magic left and that there are cheerful, happy, optimistic things that appear in the most depressing of seasons.

Frankly I'm more bothered by the fact that Coca-cola practically has mascot rights on Santa Claus during the Christmas season.

Well, this makes me sad. And maybe because I heard the truth about Santa from a substitute teacher when I was about that age. I think it's one of those things anymore that by the time the kids are in school, they know the drill, but play along for the sake of the season. It's a fun thing.

You call it a "lie", I call it a little harmless pretend magic and part of the innocence of youth. There are any number of things we as parents do to add some enjoyment and harmless fantasy to our kids' lives. They grow up soon enough, and personally I'd have been pretty upset had one of my children's teachers done that. There's plenty of time for reality. Let's let them get through the 3rd grade.

I couldn't agree with you more. Perhaps you have to be a parent to understand the problem with this.

It's not that cut and dried. Saying all lies are wrong no matter the reason just is'nt fair. If a teacher told my kids that, I would be upset too. It's not their place.

A teacher who perptuates a lie is not one worth learning from. The best teachers always blow your mind, teach you to think in new ways, challenge your individual paradigm. The truth only hurts because of the initial lie and betrayal of trust. Parents who are pissed at teachers who engage in this behavior are BAD parents, there I said it. They are Idiots that fill their children's head full of nonsense, deluding and lobotimizing them until they don't know whats real. That's why so many people are ignorant as hell these days. It all goes back to when and how they found out about Santa. Santa is evil and must be stopped.

Originally posted by MemoryShock
This could be viewed as a microcosm event for larger 'delusions', such as equality, the American Dream and various other ideologies that invariably differ for every individual based on circumstance.

Why do we as a society lie to each other for the purpose of entertainment and illusion?

Surely, there is no benefit to the parent for hoaxing their kids to believe in a non-existant entity. In fact, having a child with a realistic perception and an inquisitive mind would be preferable, I would think...

A lie is a lie...I certainly don't think that a lie motivated by 'the spirit of the holidays' is any more valid then a lie based on more malicious intentions...but that is my opinion.

It's still something that should be left to parents.

What if the teacher said there was no God? There is such thing as cultural sensibilities regardless of what one might see as truth.