A Christian's greatest moral dilemma...

... do you tell the kids about Santa or not?

I reckon this is one of the most talked-about topics among Christians around my age (which probably says more about us than we'd like). It's a subject that is entirely academic for me right now, and I've got about a million other things to care about first, but I thought this article by Noel Piper had some good points for those who care.

Possibly the best moment is the ending anecdote:

[My young son] and I were walking down the hall at the church we attended then. One of the older ladies leaned down to squeeze his pink, round cheek and asked, “What did Santa bring you?” Karsten’s head jerked quickly toward me, and he whispered loudly, “Doesn’t she know?”

I'm glad my parents were happy for us to have fun at Christmas: is there anything ever more exciting than hearing sleigh bells ringing on Christmas Eve? (Hey, where's Dad gone?) I have no faith scars from Santa, though perhaps it would have been better to know that all these amazing presents came from Mum and Dad rather than the Big Guy (not that One). And that would also have given me direct access to the decision-making process which chose not to get me that spy kit I asked for for so many years.