RICH "The REGULAR GUY" MOUW re DIFFERENCE btw JESUS & SANTA CLAUS: (Dec 11,2006) "... I did not answer the question posted December 4, on how to explain one’s celebration of religious holidays to children in a interfaith marriage. But I did enjoy some of the commentaries that others posted. My favorite is Susan Thistlethwaite, president of Chicago Theological Seminary, at http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com. She tells a wonderful Christmas story, that I will simply repeat here with the counsel that it is worth some Advent reflection. Many years ago she was preaching a children’s sermon, and she asked the kids what the difference is between Jesus and Santa Claus. Her son, Billy, four years old at the time, piped up with an answer: “Jesus will forgive you, but Santa Claus never will!” http://www.netbloghost.com/mouw/?m=200612

MOUW, JESUS, & SANTA CLAUS (Dec 11,2006)  "... I did not answer the question posted December 4, on how to explain one’s celebration of religious holidays to children in a interfaith marriage. But I did enjoy some of the commentaries that others posted. My favorite is Susan Thistlethwaite, president of Chicago Theological Seminary, at http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com. She tells a wonderful Christmas story, that I will simply repeat here with the counsel that it is worth some Advent reflection. Many years ago she was preaching a children’s sermon, and she asked the kids what the difference is between Jesus and Santa Claus. Her son, Billy, four years old at the time, piped up with an answer: “Jesus will forgive you, but Santa Claus never will!”
http://www.netbloghost.com/mouw/?m=200612