I have been disappointed in learning that “some believers,” in their observance of the holiday known as Christmas, do teach their children about “Santa” and then some years later they expose to them the truth that there is no such thing as Santa Claus. Presumably, they believe it is done in innocence and makes Christmas fun. But any celebration based on a LIE is not innocent and it’s certainly not scriptural. We read in Proverbs 6:16-17, 20: “These six things the LORD hates…a LYING tongues…a false witness who SPEAKS LIES.” Later, in Proverbs 13:5, we read “A righteous man HATES LYING.”  Christian parents may reason that once the children are old enough to hear the truth, they will understand that Santa was just a “white lie” that made Christmas more enjoyable and memorable, but these scriptures are clear that God HATES LIES and a righteous man/woman HATES LIES too! And there may be some children who will feel they were deceived by their parents and have a hard time trusting them for having “LIED to them.”

The fact that a Christian school is also adopting this lie to make their celebration of Christmas more festive is also troublesome. Not only is it a lie, but it also encourages GREED and MATERIALISM when children are expecting GIFTS from Santa. In Acts 20:35 the Apostle Paul said, “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” The Lord Jesus was the greatest example of a GIVER, for He not only spent His whole life “ministering to the needs of others,” but eventually He “laid down His life for sinners on the cross so they could be saved.“  The Lord’s example of GIVING led the Apostle Paul to devote his life to “giving to others” (as we saw in Acts 20:35) and in Galatians 2:20 he declared, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME.” Paul’s life was guided solely by the example of Christ and it was Christ’s love demonstrated on the cross (where He GAVE HIMSELF for Paul) that was the driving force in his devoted life to others.

As to your question, if you were to approach the school to inform them that you disagree with them “celebrating Santa” (for reasons mentioned above), you should go to them in true love and yet with conviction. We (believers) are told to be “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). With conviction we “speak the TRUTH” and yet we must “speak the truth IN LOVE.” We are also told how to approach those who need to hear the truth in 2nd Timothy 2:24-25, “And a servant of the Lord MUST NOT QUARREL but BE GENTLE to all, able to teach, PATIENT, in HUMILITY correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.”

I will close by saying, “I will pray for you.” I would encourage you to pray and ask the Lord for His WISDOM (James 1:5), His BOLDNESS (Ephesians 6:19), and His GRACE (Ephesians 6:29). I have no idea how they may respond to you, but they “may” feel you are being too strict (they would probably call you “legalistic”), so be prepared for that response. Considering that possibility, I would also ask the Lord for His MEEKNESS, for He too met with opposition and yet He was meek, which means He was NOT OFFENDED which would have caused Him to lash out in anger towards those who opposed Him (see Matthew 11:25-30; King James Version).  (DO)  (610.3)