Mark Driscoll: Children could question Jesus after discovering truth about Santa

One of the longest standing debate in many cultures around the world is whether parents should tell their children the truth about Santa Claus. Pastor Mark Driscoll of Arizona-based Trinity Church recently provided insights on the topic.

In a video message posted on his website, Driscoll said he can relate to the dilemma that parents face when it comes to Santa Claus. If they tell their kids that there is no Santa, they might spread the word and spoil Christmas for other kids. If they tell the kids about the cultural Santa who is believed to travels all the way from the North Pole to come down chimneys to deliver presents to kids, sooner or later the youngsters will realize that the story is not real, and such could create trust issues. They might question if they can still trust their parents and wonder if Jesus was also a lie.

Driscoll's views on telling the children the truth about Santa is in line with psychologist professor Christopher Boyle and social scientist Dr. Kathy McKay wrote in the Journal "The Lancet Psychiatry."

"If they (parents) are capable of lying about something so special and magical, can they be relied upon to continue as the guardians of wisdom and truth?" they stated in a paper titled "A Wonderful Lie," adding, "If adults have been lying about Santa, even though it has usually been well intentioned, what else is a lie? If Santa isn't real, are fairies real? Is magic? Is God?"

The pastor recommends that parents find a middle ground by telling their kids about St. Nicolas, a Christian saint and former Bishop of Myra who lived and dedicated his life to serving Jesus many centuries ago and to create a family tradition that celebrates his life.

"We told them the truth, that there really was in history past a guy who we now know as Santa Claus, who did love and serve Jesus, he was a pastor and a godly man," Driscoll states in the video, sharing what he himself told his own kids.

He also encourages parents to tell their kids about the good deeds of St. Nicolas that could be the bases of some of the modern-day beliefs about cultural Santa Claus. Such include that St. Nicholas was a generous man — he liked giving food and toys to children — and that he was well-loved by many people. He also advises parents to explain to the young ones that stories about St. Nicolas' life and good deeds over the years got intermingled with folklore and customs from different places around the world, which were eventually included in the Christmas celebration as Santa Claus and Kris Kringle.