Saturday, December 21, 2024

The Original St. Nick Was No Jolly Fat Fool

The Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ has been a religious tradition for more than 2,000 years. Yet, over the past decades the Christian holiday has been reinvented by Western secular forces to serve consumerism, indulgence and materialism alone. The deep, philosophical meaning of Christmas and God's love for humankind is gone from our atheist mainstream culture, and we are shifting into nihilism, vanity and lovelessness.

Santa Claus has become this fat, humorous troll from the North Pole who puts gifts into children's stockings, riding his sleigh on reindeer in the air like a witch, while occult figures such as gnomes and elves aid him in the pursuit of serving the interests of the retail market. It is all Walt Disney. The story of the true Santa is totally lost.

Church history explains well who the original Santa Claus was, namely an early Christian bishop in modern-day Turkey, Saint Nicholas (A.D. 270-343). He was a wealthy man and one of the greatest church fathers in Christian history, an example in humility, generosity, love for the suffering, fearlessly facing evil. He used his money to help the destitute, the poor, the orphaned, and courageously spoke up against political leaders when he found injustice and wrongdoing. Saint Nicholas' work was marked by a desire not to achieve praise for his good deeds. He kept giving in secret, so that only God would see it. The aim was to mimic Christ in doing good to others and helping solve their problems. "The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic His giving".

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