GOD Is The Adult Version Of Santa Clause?

[Tristan Bull]

Hey guys,

Depending on your religious stand point this may ruffle a few feathers but hear me out.

Little children believe in santa clause, a man who see everything all the time. A man who rewards good behavior by giving presents at Christmas and punishes bad behavior by giving cole.

God is a man (apparently) who also see's everything. He will reward you for good behavior by allowing you into heaven and he will punish you for bad behavior by sending you to hell.

Both stories sound pretty similar don't you think?

When we grow up we realize that believing in santa is silly and childish, I mean it's impossible for one man to be able to monitor every single child on the planet but yet we believe it's possible for God to monitor every single PERSON on the planet.

Most people believe in God and go to church because they are scared that if they don't they will go to hell.

Hell however has never been identified as an actual place, neither has heaven for that matter.

The bible never said that heaven was a physical place, up in the sky amongst the clouds where everyone lived in condos.

We as a society made it all up!

Society created the image that God is an actual human person who has special powers, a super human if you will.

Society created the image that heaven is above us in the clouds and that hell is below us.

Society created the image that God is an old dude with a white beard and dresses in white robes.

Society created the image that the devil is some weird looking creature with red skin and horns.

It sounds like some sort of movie or fairytale but people believe in it with everything they have and they let it control their lives.

I'd invite you to ask yourself the question what if all of that isn't true. What if there is no such thing as an afterlife? I'm not saying there is or there isn't because I have no way of knowing for sure.

But what if you spent your entire life on earth sacrificing because you thought you were going to heaven but when you died it turned out there was no heaven and all that sacrificing was just a waste of time?

I believe there is a "creative source". What I mean by that is we all had to come from somewhere, at one point there had to be a beginning.

Quantum physics state that we are all connected as energy. I think it's healthy to question things, most of us are just told the way it is as we grow up and we never question it we just accept it then pass it down through generations.

So some food for thought anyway.

I'd love to hear some opinions, feedback, comments etc.

Cheers,
Tristan

[Melchior]

Well, not only it that a possibility, I think it is also a somewhat probable one, at least, more than the alternative. As for after you 'die', well, that sacrifice wouldn't matter if there was nothing, now would it? There's a reason why "religion is the opiate of the people", for while we are alive, it lets us 'ignore' our condition so to speak. Still, we have to keep ourselves occupied somehow...

[joelr]

I think most people here are quite familiar with the concepts. Many agree to different degrees.

But "sacrifices" are never a waste of time. They produce psychological results among other positive things. Going without one thing makes other things more enjoyable.


A structured life with rules is not more/less than a reckless life. Each has it's own particular qualities and rewards.

[joelr]

Originally Posted by Melchior

Well, not only it that a possibility, I think it is also a somewhat probable one, at least, more than the alternative. As for after you 'die', well, that sacrifice wouldn't matter if there was nothing, now would it? There's a reason why "religion is the opiate of the people", for while we are alive, it lets us 'ignore' our condition so to speak. Still, we have to keep ourselves occupied somehow...

I think opiates are the opiate of the people

[Melchior]

Originally Posted by joelr

I think opiates are the opiate of the people

lol, true, true.

[LVGeneration]

It's funny to read this thread now, since I just watched one of Abraham-Hicks videos entitled Satan and Santa. Haha, it sounded a lot like that, but you said God instead of Satan. But the point is the same, they said that Satan and Santa are both invented to control us into the mainframe of religion, so ultimately they are the same. The religious God is the same, invented. The true force of the Universe has no name, and is everything. There is nothing outside of it. We can't even wrap our minds around it, so we keep inventing these figures, and make the absurd claim that religion holds the ultimate truth.

[rei]

there is one way that omnipotence makes sense... if the energy signified by God/Allah/Yahweh/Jah/Shiva/Shakti/Ganesh/etc. IS us. if we are Source then collectively we are always able to watch ourselves.

i think those myths can make the time here more meaningful. it's when we cling to them and use them to judge or condemn that it creates problems (judging and condemnation, according to a Christian view, are God's responsibility. judging and condemning others then, is obviously something we wouldn't rightly have the authority for). there's no way to know which version is right, if any of them are even close. so maybe it shouldn't be as much about new converts as it is about whether it seems to make life more interesting for us, or whether it is a belief system that is fluid and flexible.

one issue i have with the Christian dogma of afterlife is it seems to create a future focus instead of presence. if we are meant to attend some awesome after-party, ok, but i think that's something we all have access to. it would not be about only certain people. it's all or none of the collective. but i find some folks use this concept to keep them from being here, now. not my cup of tea, but i'm not in a position to tell them what to do. (i admit i'm being a lil judgmental about being judgmental... but i am more tolerant of intolerance than many people i've met who support tolerance...)

pass those opiates

[Tristan Bull]

When I talk about sacrifice I mean people who sacrifice their enitre lives because they believe if they do they will go to heaven.

Of course sometimes there is a need for sacrifice in order to create something worthy.

I'm talking about the people who almost "punish" themselves because they essecially believe it's wrong to have anything good.

I once met a lady who was againts cruelty to animals, she only ate raw food and constantly protested in the streets.

She sacrificed cooked food even though she liked it, she also sacrificed her job because she thought it was more important to be out on the streets campaigning.

However she was broke and extremely depressed.

She was trying to be spiritual and "do good" but she was miserable.

This is also a good example of focusing on the positive instead of the negative. She didn't own a pet but she could of got a dog or something and made sure she treated it really well instead of focusing on all the poor treatment of animals.

I think some people can be the same when it comes to god.

They believe they need to sacrifice and punish themselves for the greater good.

My question is this: what if there is no heaven, there is no after life and when you die that's it. Wouldn't all that sacrifice and suffering be a waste?

Sometimes I think that the real "heaven" is actually life on earth. We have the potential and the ability to live amazing lives but we just dont realize that the time is NOW not after we die.

All of this is just my opinion, others are welcomed

[joelr]

I knew what you were talking about when you said sacrifice.
I don't think that lifestyle is a waste if it brings one peace, happiness, a feeling of accomplishment, a grounded spiritual feeling, a goal etc. As long as they don't hassle others to do the same thing.

If I had to judge that type of thing then I think that spiritual lifestyle is much better off than the majority in terms of wasted time.
I see an awful lot of folks working in jobs they dislike or bores them silly, then spend their free time "losing themselves" in sitcoms and reality shows, getting brainwashed to spend too much money on cars and overpriced fake food, buy the music and vacations corporations tell them too, justify the lifestyle because they are raising kids and by the time the kids move out they are fat, stupidly out of shape, unhealthy have dropped all the things they loved to do when they were younger and now that the "I have no time" excuse isn't valid they still do nothing.
Then sit around watching more tv waiting for family to come visit or a wedding/funeral to go to.


The type of spiritual person you describe would likely maintain, church, religion meetings, study groups, spend time reading, protesting in public, actually helping animals in need, animal cruelty meeting, events, and all these things can give one a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with their life.

If she's depressed now she would probably be depressed no matter what she did.
No cooked food is an extreme, I don't know about that.

I see so many who have so many years left but seem so lifeless and done with life, yet I know for a fact that they are smart and have (had) huge intellectual interests and plans. Now they watch tv. I don't know what happens?

Anyway, I would not consider her life wasted any more than the Buddhist monks who meditate 6 hours a day and live simple lives

[Andrew Brunelle]

In a word, yes. I have said the same thing using the exact words "the adult Santa Claus" in my stand-up act. It always got a good response. Although I do work here in the south, people still thought of it as a funny and true idea. But is God a bad thing? I wouldn't say so, but if that is the only thing that is keeping you from doing bad things, then there could be a problem. If you are using God as a crutch, it can be disempowering. If you feel like doing positive things because you have an innate desire to do them, and God is something that allows you to do more, do better, than it is empowering for you. Your faith is up to you. Choose it consciously.

[sheffy4]

I prefer the other way around That Santa Claus is God for kids. Probably to get them used to the idea of always being watched and judged

[Tristan Bull]

Originally Posted by sheffy4

I prefer the other way around That Santa Claus is God for kids. Probably to get them used to the idea of always being watched and judged

Haha I like that

[Tristan Bull]

I don't think there is anything wrong with sacrificing and doing other things if those things make you truely happy.

The lady in my example was not enjoying the things she was doing but she continued to do them even though they made her unhappy because she believed she was being spiritual.

I think a lot of people get confused and think that they have to suffer in order to be seen as good.

A lot of people also think they have to suffer to get into heaven.

I think you should always do things that make you happy and avoid things they don't.

The lady who was depressed wasn't helping her depression by doing things she didn't enjoy and watching animal cruelty videos that made her cry each day.

I don't think she would be depressed no matter what, I think that if she eliminated the negative things in her life and just focused on the good she would be a lot happier person.

Remember that guy that was giving away free hugs, he went all over the world spreading positivity and even got on Oprah.

Protesting usually just annoys people so she is actually spreading negativity, I believe that she would live a lot better life is she started spreading positive things instead of making everyone aware of how bad it it.

I just found this lady really interesting because she is the perfect example of what a lot of people think and act towards religion.

Too many people believe they personally have to suffer to be a good person. They try to spread good but they just hurt themselves.

This lady is a really nice person and wants to do good but she was going about it the wrong way.

It's like Mother Teresa said, I won't go to an anti-war protest but when you have a pro peace one please invite me.

Cheers,
Tristan