The Santa Claus argument against God

[Kingpoleon]

https://www.academia.edu/9434896/A_Debate_between_a_Theist_and_a_Santa_Clausist_Act_I_


.... This is the “philosopher” behind Crash Course’s philosophy videos, apparently. The obsession with Plantinga is fascinating, as is the complete avoidance of metaphysics, epistemology, and logical reasoning.

https://www.reddit.com/r/badphilosophy/comments/4hkp8s/theism_is_literally_santa_claus_brought_to_you_by/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

“The article is intended... to consider the possibility that theistic belief is no better than belief in Santa Claus.”

[TJ in Oregon]

Also can't read this pdf, but I have long had a very negative opinion of him for getting basically everything wrong about Aquinas's arguments.

[John Dule]

But in a Santaless world, there can't be any such thing as "naughty" or "nice." Morality would be totally subjective.

[Kingpoleon]

But in a Santaless world, there can't be any such thing as "naughty" or "nice." Morality would be totally subjective.

Sometimes I think you read Iris Murdoch & just decided she was wrong about everything.

With the notable exception of John Gray, most moral non-realists reject political ideologies altogether.

[John Dule]

But in a Santaless world, there can't be any such thing as "naughty" or "nice." Morality would be totally subjective.

Sometimes I think you read Iris Murdoch & just decided she was wrong about everything.

With the notable exception of John Gray, most moral non-realists reject political ideologies altogether.

It wouldn't be a Kingpoleon comment if it didn't include name-dropping random thinkers who have nothing to do with the subject at hand.

[Kingpoleon]

It wouldn't be a Kingpoleon comment if it didn't include name-dropping random thinkers who have nothing to do with the subject at hand.

As Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Any one who in discussion relies upon authority uses, not his understanding, but rather his memory.”

[Samof94]

When I was a child, the idea of a pro-social lie came to me only with difficulty.

It took me a long time to accept that Santa wasn't real, because even at an age when his absurdity should have been obvious, I could not accept that my parents would perpetrate such an egregious lie. My embarrassingly late clinging to the Santa delusion directly led into an embarrassingly young crisis of faith.

I couldn't download the PDF, so I don't know if that has anything to do with this paper.

It makes sense. If Santa’s not real and Zeus is not real, then why not the Christian deity too!

[Samof94]

It makes sense. If Santa’s not real and Zeus is not real, then why not the Christian deity too!

To a child, perhaps. Most adults have reasons for believing in God beyond "my parents wouldn't lie to me."

Why Christianity and not, let’s say Hinduism. If you were born in Bali, you’d probably be a Hindu? Seems equally valid to me.

[Samof94]

It makes sense. If Santa’s not real and Zeus is not real, then why not the Christian deity too!

To a child, perhaps. Most adults have reasons for believing in God beyond "my parents wouldn't lie to me."

Why Christianity and not, let’s say Hinduism. If you were born in Bali, you’d probably be a Hindu? Seems equally valid to me.

If you were born elsewhere, educated differently, and had a different relationship with media, your beliefs would very likely be different. Social learning is not a distinctive feature of religious worldviews. It's a universal characteristic of human experience.

I’d agree with you on that.