

                          The Explanation
                            V. Veritas

Mommy -- tell me about Santa Claus.

Well, what do you want to know?  You've heard all about how he is a big elf who
lives at the North Pole and comes around every Christmas passing out toys to 
all the children who have been good.

Yes, but I've never seen the real Santa.  All I've seen are the ones in the 
shopping mall with fake whiskers.  I don't know anybody who has ever seen the 
real one.

Of course, Darling.  You can't really see Santa because he only comes when you 
are asleep.

Has anybody ever seen the real Santa Claus?

Oh, surely somebody has.  That's how we know so much about him.

Who?

I don't know.  Somebody, certainly.  There's all kinds of stories in books.  

If he's real, why doesn't he let anybody see him?

That's just the way elves are.  It's important for you to believe.  It's like 
being bad or good.  If you don't believe, you won't get any presents at 
Christmas.

How does he get to all the houses in the world at just the time when all the 
kids are sleeping?

He knows when you are sleeping.  He knows when you're awake.  He knows when 
you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.

How does that great big old man come down a chimney?

He's magical.  He just touches his nose and -- poof!  Down he comes.

Mommy, we don't have a chimney.  How does he get in?

I don't know.  Maybe he comes through the kitty door.

You told me when we were watching that magic show on tv that all magic was a 
fake and magicians just make things look magical.  Isn't that true?

Er, Well...

Where does Santa Claus live?

He lives at the North Pole.

Mommy, in school we learned about how they discovered the North Pole and they 
had pictures of the expedition and everything and Santa Claus wasn't in the 
pictures.

Oh?

Mommy, I don't believe there is a Santa Claus.  I think he's a fake, just like 
the magic.

Oh?  

No, I think he's like a fairy tale -- just a story for little kids.

Well, Sweetheart, it's a measure of your maturity that you can realize that. 
You see, there are things like fairy tales that are fun for little children, 
but eventually everyone outgrows them.  It's a sign that you are growing up 
when you no longer need Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.

But even kids know fairy tales are just stories.  Everybody tells kids that 
Santa Claus is real.  Isn't that a lie?

Er, no, not a lie really.  It's just -- you know -- a fictional story.  Sort of
a fun kind of a make-believe game. 

Why do little kids need fairy tales?

Well, they are just comforting stories that are fun to believe for a while.

If they are fun for kids, why don't grownups have fairy tales, too?

Grownups have learned enough about the real world to know that Santa Claus and 
fairies and magic and wishes aren't real.

Do grownups believe in things that aren't real?

No, most of them don't.

How do you know?

Well, because there are things called facts that grownups have learned to 
accept that tells them what is real and what isn't.  You see, we know there is 
no Santa because nobody has ever really seen him and the place where he lives 
at the North Pole is just made up.  The North Pole is there, but as you know, 
there is nobody really living there.  Since most kids have never seen the North
Pole, they can accept the story until they grow up enough to learn about the 
real North Pole.  The only reason kids can believe there is a Santa is because 
every Christmas they see all these presents left under the tree and they just 
know it must have been Santa who left them.

Ok, I understand.  Mommy -- tell me about God.

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