Comments on: ‘Tis the Season to Tell Lies?

By: Ryan Healy

Ryan Healy — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:06:57 +0000

That's a great example of framing, Rick. Thanks for sharing it here — and thanks for retweeting this post. I really appreciate it!

Merry Christmas!

Ryan

By: Ryan Healy

Ryan Healy — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:06:57 +0000

That's a great example of framing, Rick. Thanks for sharing it here — and thanks for retweeting this post. I really appreciate it!

Merry Christmas!

Ryan

By: rickbutts

rickbutts — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:31:33 +0000

Jesus was the best at framing illustrative stories (parables) for instance:

"A certain man had two sons..."

As Zig Ziglar always say's, Jesus is the best salesman in history, and to study his stuff, get a red letter edition of the Bible (Jesus' words in Red) - because he asked a LOT of questions.

And, Zig would continue, while you are in there, read the black words too, for the answers!

Merry Christmas Ryan - (oh, and I ended up here because Terry Dean posted about this article.)

By: Ryan Healy

Ryan Healy — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:09:35 +0000

I've read some really fascinating discussions about the similarity between Santa and God.

Both are represented with a flowing white beard; both are represented as being omnipresent and omniscient (have you been naughty or nice?); and both are represented as being the source of good gifts.

Yet what happens if you tell your children that both Santa and God are real? Later, when the child discovers Santa is NOT real, isn't he or she likely to question the reality of God as well?

And this is just scratching the surface...

Ryan

By: Michael Beck

Michael Beck — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:00:45 +0000

Funny. My wife and I just discussed the same thing. We've been back and forth on the issue of Santa, although for more theological reasons. It doesn't help when the grandparents perpetuate the lie either. Thanks to John Piper's recent post, we've decided next year we'll be doing away with Santa!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:22:41 +0000

Hi Ryan, I agree totally. I NEVER told my kids the Santa Claus myth. I figure if I lied about that, how would they trust me on other subjects? Not worth it. Plus they need to know that somebody (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, etc.) has to work to earn the money to buy the things they want. If some bottomless pit of toys fulfilled their wishes, how would they learn the value of the things they want? Strangely, though, when my son was 2, we saw a fake Santa in a store window and he excitedly said “Santa!” How did he know???

By: Ryan Healy

Ryan Healy — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:46:27 +0000

Great interview, Shel! I love this line from L'Engle:

"We live in a world where it's very difficult for people to understand that a story can be truthful and not factual."

Ryan

By: Heather Villa

Heather Villa — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:18:22 +0000

I've always believed and practiced the philosophy that the truth will get your further. Lies are too hard to remember and keep up with.

By: shelhorowitz

shelhorowitz — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:41:10 +0000

Years ago, I was lucky enough to interview the legendary Madeline L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle In Time and many other books. She talked at length about the need to distinguish between truth and fact: http://www.frugalfun.com/l%27engle.html

By: anitaashland

anitaashland — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:50:19 +0000

When my youngest kids ask about Santa I remind them about St. Nicholas, who was a bishop in the early church and the original Santa Claus, and they find his story more interesting than the reindeer/elf/north pole thing. Yet they've had their moments when they wanted to believe Santa is real.