Lying to children

by jwfacts 50 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  sspo

  Let him live in fantasy world for a little while.

  There is no religion involved and eventually on their own, as they grow up, they realize those things are just make believe and i personally have not heard causing any harm to anyone.
• 

  EmptyInside

  I still had an imagination as a child,even though,I was raised a Witness and wasn't taught about Santa or the Easter bunny. I don't think it's necessary to believe those things. Although,I wouldn't say it would hurt a child either.

  I have friend who tried to tell her son about the tooth fairy,but he didn't go for it. So,it depends on the child.
• 

  Mum

  Personally, I was not brought up as a JW in my earliest years. The tooth fairy came. So did Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. It did me no harm (I think). It never occurred to me to question their existence, simple-minded and credulous as I was. (Another "fairy" visited my sister upon request. Sometimes that "fairy" gave her my stuff. I didn't say a word, because I was already not the favorite, and didn't want to make it worse.)

  In the fourth grade, our teacher told us that Santa Claus wasn't real. I told my younger sister. She's still angry with me that I told her.

  Telling kids the truth is a very subjective, troublesome conundrum. My son-in-law was asked by my granddaughter when she was very young, if it was wrong to tell a lie. He tried to explain why it is sometimes hurtful to tell the whole truth (e.g., if someone is stalking someone, and the stalker asks if you've seen that person), and lived to regret it.

  Once I was listening to Dr. Laura on the radio. A guy called in and said he, as the tooth fairy, mistakenly left a $20.00 bill under his son's pillow. He needed most of the money back, but didn't know how to ask for it. Dr. Laura advised him to get a gold pen and get someone with nice handwriting to write a note to the boy from the tooth fairy explaining that the tooth fairy had made a mistake and needed most of the money back for other kids who lost teeth.

  No one can answer this question for you, I'm sorry to say. It's a judgment call.
• 

  wasblind

  A childs life is full of fantasies , even ones that eventually come true when they are older

  Like tea parties, Baby dolls, toy cars, and dressin' up in moms heels

  And as for the fantasies that remained as such (Tooth fairy, Santa, Easter bunny ), detrimental harm is least likely to occur

  because unlike the things taught by the WTS no one is punished when they come to a realization

  that it was only an indulgence enjoyed by the parent and the child

  And many grow up to be well balanced adults who became Doctors, lawyers or even Brain surgeons
• 

  steve2

  Fairy stories are for all ages - except we label some more overtly as fairy stories than we do other stories which we transform into beliefs.

  We are so amused when children believe that the tooth fairy takes away their tooth - but become piously defensive when a man who walked on water and turned it into wine gets nailed to death and saves lives.

  Fairy story? Depends who you ask.
• 

  Aunt Fancy

  I did not grow up as a JW so I had the joy of celebrating and believing in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny. I can look back on those times with fondness and never felt like I was deceived like the JW's would like you to believe. I personally do not see any harm in allowing them to believe in fairy tales for a short period of time. Children watch movies and cartoons with make believe all of the time and it is just part of the childhood experience.
• 

  wasblind

  This brings to mind the sparlock video and how the mom chastised little caleb for what was simply a fantasy
• 

  ablebodiedman

  You are asking a very good question.

  My parents were no JWs.

  I remember while very young and being told in a school playground that Santa Claus was not real and that he did not bring the presents at Christmas.

  I insisted that he was real (after all that is what my parents had told me) and almost got into fisticuffs when two other children insisted that he was not real and that I was stupid for believing it.

  I got home and was very upset.

  Confronted my parents with the situation and was gently and carefully informed by them that the other kids (who I almost punched out ) were right!

  Santa Claus was not real!

  A hard lesson to learn.

  My own parents were liars and could not be trusted!

  They had used and abused my young niavete causing a great deal of humiliation.

  Any future attempt by them to acuse or reprimand myself about lying, now had little or no impact.

  I learned what hypocrisy was even before I found out that there is word for it.

  I came to the conclusion that everybody was lying to me.

  After even the teachers in school never attempted to explain that Santa Claus was not real!

  They played the same game that my parents played.

  and

  So began my very long and difficult journey to find the real truth.

  You would think it should be easy.

  abe
• 

  ABibleStudent

  Hi jwfacts, As a JW the WTBTS lied to you for the WTBTS's benefit. The tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, etc. are just labels that help a child to fantasize about possibilities. As long as you just use the label without embellishing what a tooth fairy looks like and just talk about what a tooth fairy does, what is wrong with you being the tooth fairy because it is costing you money and is not robbing your son of anything.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
• 

  Oubliette

  Personally, I'm not a big fan of lying.

  Choose your own beliefs, don't let someone else do it for you, not a religion or a greeting card company.