No matter how old I get, I still can’t sleep on Christmas Eve. As a child, my brother and I would be ushered off to bed early, just to lie there with heavy eyes. We would try so hard to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus. Growing up we are all imprinted with the idea of a portly man in a red suit coming down our chimney to deposit gifts under our tree; that is, if you made the nice list. This ideology is a hundred and fifty year old tradition that encourages a child to believe in a fabricated being in exchange for a reward. As much as our parents try to shelter us from the truth, it is inevitable that we will discover that our beloved Santa is nothing more than a fable. As a child our naivety is attributed to our innocence, but as adults, there is a myriad of information out there for the taking. …show more content…
Whereas ideas and beliefs are generally stunted in their growth and often tend to be passed down from one generation to the next. Intellectuals should never become shackled by their beliefs to the point it stands in the way of their quest for academic wisdom. Being well educated, one should always explore learning beyond the boundaries of their individual views. One of the more dogmatic topics of debate has always been religion versus science. Galileo, “the father of modern science”, was ultimately condemned for heresy by the Roman Inquisition for his lust for knowledge. Fortunately, times have changed and science and religion have learned to co-exist. Nonetheless, there is still a sense of social stigma associated with some of the topics that teeter on religion, such as Darwin’s Theory of Evolution or the Big Bang Theory. Some of the greatest contributions to our world throughout the ages have been fueled by free thinkers that dared to venture outside the scope of their
There will always be a battle between religion and science, it is a truth universally acknowledged. Galileo attempted to make the two compatible by suggesting that the truth can only be sought out if the notion under consideration can be accurately tested and if the opposing view can be founded as false. Galileo’s goes into depth about the truth of scripture and the sciences, intertwined with the reason of man, in his letter to Christina of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of
In this paper, I will discuss how three influential scholars in this order: Augustine, Aquinas, Galileo, delimit science or the bible and the ways their beliefs overlapped or didn’t.
Once the leaves begin to alter their color for the winter, most houses and businesses also change their appearance for the winter. Many families drag out their boxes of red and green to decorate their house for the holidays. Parents may brave a line stretching down the mall so their child can tell Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, what he or she wishes to unwrap on Christmas morning. Some parents question the effect of a child’s health or morals associated with the belief in Santa Claus, but, with research and psychologists weighing in on the subject, there is no tramatic evidence apparent in letting a child have faith in Santa Claus. Evidence gathered may suggest a benefit for children. Children should have the oportunity to believe in Santa Claus because it stems creativity and can improve mental health, shows youth an example of giving without expecting anything in return, and when the time comes, forces kids to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
During the Middle Ages, the relationship between science and religion was central to the ability of intellectuals to pursue the natural sciences. Without approval from their religious leaders, the great thinkers of the Middle Ages were unable to make any large strides in natural philosophy. However, this does not mean that the pervasiveness of religion prevented science from thriving. Rather, the nature of the relationship between science and religion was wholly dependent on the religion in question. In some cases, such as in Christianity, science was given a comparably more sympathetic environment in which to grow and develop. Due to the necessity of a class of men who were both theologians and natural philosophers in Christian societies,
Santa Claus is the one thing children believe in unfailingly. I mean, the exact gifts they want for Christmas always appear under the tree overnight, and for a child the only explanation is magic. But in today’s world of over parenting, the
Santa Claus was well-known as a kind man who had a long white bread, wore big red-white clothes and carried children’s gifts with his flying reindeers as a vehicle. Christians all around the world have had Santa traditions since the 1820’s, which is lying children to believe in Santa, hang a sock on the window, behave nicely and go to bed early so that Santa can come and give them presents (Sleepypanda 2013). Until December 2016, psychologists claimed that Santa myth could destroy children’s trust to parents. "All children will eventually find out they've been consistently lied to for years, and this might make them wonder what other lies they've been told," (Boyle & McKay 2016)
Furthermore, Galileo dictates that “the holy Bible and nature proceed alike from the divine word…but nature…never transgresses the laws imposed upon her.” Through this argument, Galileo suggests that his professional analysis of nature is an art more divine than previously considered and should be treated with due respect rather than attacks by those who do not practice or understand it. The tension that exists between this and his self-portrayal as a humble victim are a result of his unique personality that drew mostly all questions and methods of research not from what was considered scientifically relevant but from what could deliver him the highest social
The myth of Santa Claus is believed by millions and millions of children. Parents feed them the stories about his reindeer and the north pole; they even take them to see a man with the classic white beard and red suit. What is the point of having your child believing with all their heart only to have it crushed years later when they are finally told he’s not real.
The jolly prowler known as Santa Claus is a beloved character by all ages, but the youth of the world believe fully in the hero's existence. Many adults refute this idea as mere rubbish, reasoning that there possibly cannot be a magical man in a red suit delivering gifts to all peoples of good nature. But, there is irrefutable evidence of not a single man, but a spatial entity that feeds off of joy, charity, and love. Santa is an otherworldly being capable of defying the usual laws of physics. Santa is capable of taking any shape he pleases (usually a jolly fat man in a red suit), seeing everything, existing in at any place and time, creating matter. Santa also understands human morality enabling him to render a verdict upon the naughty
Middle Knowledge is God’s knowledge of what a free will being would do in any particular situation, including counterfactuals (knowledge of what the free will being would have done if he is in a different situation, a contrary-to-fact circumstance). It contains the range of possible things that would happen given certain circumstances (thus, it is limited and does not include all possibilities).
Throughout the course of history, religion has left a lasting impact upon society. It is clear that our civilization is progressively becoming more secular; however, religion still remains evident throughout society. Though as science continues to progress, the demand and involvement of religion within the public school system has categorically diminished. After Darwin’s Origin of Species, science in the last century has undoubtedly become reigning influence on world’s views. Scientific analysis has led to conclusions that provide an alternate justification for the origin of life, countering many widespread religious beliefs. Consequently, this results in a persistent dispute between the scientific community and these faithful believers.
Science has been growing in importance since the advent of the scientific method as the main method of research; but, as science becomes more important within our lives and stretches into more vague and extreme subjects, the opposition towards science becomes stronger and more resolute. One of the largest groups within this community of skeptics is the many religious groups that are present throughout the world. These groups tend to recoil when science produces information that may contradict the very specific ideas present within these religions. For example, many Americans believe Christianity and the Bible in a very literal sense (2006). To prove this notion, a survey done in 2004 showed that upwards of 60 percent of Americans responded with a belief in Biblical accounts of history such as Noah’s ark that went beyond a simple metaphorical belief (2006). This pattern pervades through many modern cultures; so, the effects and patterns of this opposition are of extreme importance because they show how people are responding to the omnipresence of science within our society and future. This pattern does seem to have a large discrepancy; many great scientists of the past and the present, such as Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, show religious tendencies (2010). So, since there is a discrepancy in this pattern, the purpose of this study is to look into this correlation of scientific skepticism to test its validity. So, the
Clement Clarke Moore’s narrative poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, also known as “The Night before Christmas”, was written in order to be read to his children on the night before Christmas. His poem unintentionally sought its way into publication and introduced America the conception and perceived image of Santa Claus (St. Nicholas) and established American family traditions with the retelling of its story. Throughout the world, the poem still is read and recited to children on Christmas Eve by parents as a tradition of the holiday season. Here, Moore tells the story of one family’s visit from St. Nick on Christmas Eve. The father, set as the speaker of the poem, is awaken by Santa and observes his arrival, reindeers, appearance, actions and departure.
What if I was to tell you that the jolly, friendly, and innocent wonderworker that is Santa Claus that we all know and love, didn't always make the ‘nice list?’ Siefker bridges the gap between truth and fiction by embedding the notion that Santa Claus has taken on some strange identifies over the past hundred years- each varying in name, personality, and drapery. In a daunting and unruly thesis, Siefker unfolds the evolution of Santa Claus and his exploited time as Robin Goodfellow; who is sometimes referred to as Puck, the Norse God of mischief (Wright). However irrational this truth may seem, it is noted that Santa Claus has derived from an accumulation of tales, the earliest of which begin in year 260 AD with the birth of Saint Nicholas
Assignment: Do you believe the Santa Claus myth is something parents should hand down to their children? Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your position. Be sure to support your opinion with specific points and examples. (You may use personal examples or examples from your reading, observations, or knowledge of subjects such as history and literature.)