CHARGES

Charge #1: Santa Claus is a false god worshipped by children.

Charge #2: Santa Claus is designed to take people's eyes off of Jesus.

BACKGROUND

According to Wikipedia, Santa Claus' background is as follows:

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved ("good" or "nice") children on Christmas Eve (24 December) and the early morning hours of Christmas Day (25 December). The modern Santa Claus grew out of traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas (a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver of Myra), the British figure of Father Christmas and the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas (himself also based on Saint Nicholas). Some maintain Santa Claus also absorbed elements of the Germanic god Wodan, who was associated with the pagan midwinter event of Yule and led the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky.

Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man-sometimes with spectacles-wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, a red hat with white fur and black leather belt and boots and who carries a bag full of gifts for children. This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and of caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast. This image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, children's books, films, and advertising.

Common Depiction of Santa Claus

Santa Claus is said to make lists of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behavior ("good" and "bad", or "naughty" and "nice"), and to deliver presents, including toys and candy, to all of the well-behaved children in the world, and coal to all the misbehaved children, on the night of Christmas Eve. He accomplishes this feat with the aid of his elves, who make the toys in his workshop at the North Pole, and his flying reindeer, who pull his sleigh. He is commonly portrayed as living at the North Pole, and often laughing in a way that sounds like "ho ho ho".

PAGAN WORSHIP RITES

Santa Claus is a false god worshipped by children worldwide. Children reverence this mythological person in similar ways that pagan gods were worshipped in ancient times. One element of pagan worship included the leaving of an offering for the god. In ancient times, it could be food, wine, or some sort of sacrifice (animal or human). Pagan worshippers often did these things to appease and curry favor with their god to receive a beneficial gift, such as rain for their crops. In Santa Claus worship, children traditionally leave their god milk and cookies as an offering. If their god is pleased with them, children receive lots of presents (traditionally toys), as their reward.

History of Santa Claus' Modern Image

Santa Claus' traditional outfit is red with white trim. This iconic image was first produced for an advertisement for Coca-Cola in 1931 by illustrator Haddon Sundblom. For inspiration, Sundblom turned to Clement Clark Moore's 1822 poem, "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (commonly called "Twas the Night Before Christmas"). Moore's description of St. Nicholas led to an image of a warm, friendly, pleasantly plump and human Santa Claus. Even though it's often said that Santa wears a red coat because red is the color of Coca-Cola, Santa Claus appeared in a red coat before Sundblom painted him.

Haddon Sundblom's 1931 Illustration of Santa Claus Commissioned by Coca-Cola For Their Advertisements

Satanic Colors

Red is the traditional color associated with Satan's (a.k.a. The Devil's) image. This can be seen in many works of art and advertisements throughout the centuries. Take a look at these images:

ANAGRAM

According to Dictionary.com, an anagram is defined as: "a word, phrase, or name formed by rearranging the letters of another, such as 'cinema', formed from 'iceman'". The name "Santa" is an anagram of "Satan". Coincidence or intentional?

GOD-LIKE ATTRUBUTES
Santa Claus is attributed with attributes strikingly similar to that of the God of the Bible. These include: omnipotence (all-powerful), omniprescence (present everywhere at the same time), omniscience (all-knowing) and judgement. Omniscience and judgement can be clearly seen in the lyrics of the popular Christmas song, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Here are the lyrics to this song:

"SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN"
(Chorus)
Oh, you better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees when you are sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.

(Chorus)
You better watch out,
You better not cry,
Better not pout I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town.

He's making a list and checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice,
Santa Claus is comin' to town

He sees you when you're sleepin',
He knows when you're a wake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.

(Chorus)
Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry,
Better not pout, I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is comin' to town.

As you can clearly see from all three verses, omniscience is accredited to Santa Claus. In addition, these three verses contain an element of judgement, which is another attribute of God. The chorus also contains a judgmental warning essentially saying, "Do this or else!", The line that says, "He sees you when you're sleepin'," implies omnipresence as Santa Claus is supposedly at the North Pole 364 days out of the year. How can he "see you" unless he was omnipresent.

On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus supposedly is able to travel to every house on the planet, climb down their chimney, leave children presents and do it all in a single night. All of these presents for these hundreds of millions, if not billions of children, all supposedly fit into one sack that Santa Claus can carry on his back. In order to accomplish this seemingly impossible task it would require Santa Claus' flying reindeer-powered sleigh to travel faster than a jet plane and able to stop on a dime and softly land on each rooftop without waking up the residents of each house. This obese god would then shimmy down a chimney (some of which are only 2 feet wide) with his 3-foot wide sack of toys. These are feats which defy the laws of physics. Only if Santa Claus was omnipotent could he accomplish all of these seemingly impossible tasks, and do it all in a single night. Only with god-like powers could Santa Claus accomplish all of these feats.

THE CASE AGAINST – PROHIBITION AGAINST IDOLATRY AND WORSHIPPING FALSE GODS

Idolatry is the worship of a false god, usually accompanied by a man-made image of the false god. The Word of God (aka The Holy Bible) strictly forbids idolatry of any kind. In fact, God Almighty Himself laid out these commandments to the people of Israel not long after the Exodus from Egypt. They are commonly referred to today as the First Commandment (prohibition against worshipping other gods) and the Second Commandment (prohibition against making and bowing down to images of a false god), both of which are part of the so-called Ten Commandments that were written by God on tablets that Moses brought down from Mount Siani.

FIRST COMMANDMENT
"I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:2-3)

SECOND COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:4-6)

In other scriptures in the Old Testament this warning against idolatry and worshipping false gods is repeated:

"Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:4)

"Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips." (Psalm 16:4)

"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." (Psalm 115:4-8)

"They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?" (Isaiah 44:9-20)

"I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts. Thus saith the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." (Isaiah 45:5-25)

However, the prohibition of idolatry and the worshipping of false gods was not just for the children of Israel, but this prohibition was echoed by the Apostles in the New Testament as well.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:18-25)

"Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." (1 Corinthians 10:7)

"Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." (1 Corinthians 10:14)

"Dear children, keep yourself from idols." (1 John 5:21)

"And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk." (Revelation 9:20)

"IN THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES SHALL EVERY MATTER BE ESTABLISHED." (2 Corinthians 13:1)