Re: BHA: Santa, God, kneeling

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> >Despite your disbelief in Santa, "he" is clearly having material effects
> >upon you, in the form of presents etc that cost a fortune, yes?
>
> Er, no he isn't, but my willingness to placate my son is - among other
> things. I don't see the problem here. My sons's belief in Santa is having a
> causal effect on me, not Santa. Let's straighten this out. I don't believe
> in santa yet I still play the Xmas game. But do I do this because of some
> power Santa possesses? No, of course not, I do it because of the power the
> DISCOURSES of Santa.

This seems absurd, without being placed in another framework. Whatever
"causal power" Santa has is on the *mode of gift-giving*, not on gift
giving. Christmas gifts are older than the modern Santa and the xmas gift
exchange goes on (with no substantive difference that I can see) in homes
in which the children either do not or never did believe in Santa.

The belief in Santa might have some important or trivial causal role in
the entire "institution" of CHristimas in the U.S., but not on gift giving
as such. (Incidentally, until Coca-Cola used him in an ad, his costume was
more often green than red.)

Carrol



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