If Santa Claus is Real, Why Not the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

A thought occurred to me tonight. Young children believe in Santa Claus. They really do! Why? Because Mommy and Daddy tell them he is real.

Why is this significant? It testifies to the malleability of a child's brain—their thoughts, attitudes and religion. Yes, religion.

A child's idea of religion comes from his/her parents. As with Santa Claus, a child will believe whatever their parents tell them is true. If you can convince a child that a fictional elf at the North Pole flies around the globe in a single night with a sleigh pulled by reindeer, then certainly you can convince them to worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

"But children outgrow Santa Claus", you might argue. Well, yes, they do. But there is a very big difference between Santa Claus and religion. As parents, we allow our children to mature and give up the myth of Santa Claus. We know he's not real, and therefore, we would never allow our children to carry this fantasy into adulthood, since doing so would have disastrous consequences as the child grows into adulthood.

When it comes to religion, parents set an example by their own practice of it. Religious parents expect and demand their children attend church and obey the doctrines it embraces. The child who questions or rebels against the faith is regarded as a wayward son & a troublemaker. Because parents and fellow parishioners make such an issue out of such behavior, the child's self-esteem becomes shattered. They quickly "learn" that if they want to "fit in" in their most dominant social circle, they must fall in line. Other children in the church grow up witnessing these reactions. Because the young mind is so malleable, children will not question faith unless given the same freedom to question religion as they would Santa Claus. Because it is reinforced with such frequency, and by so many people, the child will grow up believing whatever myth(s) they were taught. If you don't believe me, you need to take Psychology 101. It's a no-brainer.

Most religious parents will deny that their children are not free to explore other options. For most people, it is very difficult to recognize our own actions for what they really are. Parents do not realize the effect their words, ever so brief, can have on their child. As a Christian for many years, I have witnessed this very thing. Well meaning parents cannot hide their bias, however much they would like to think they do.