<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><br></div><div>Children who are old enough to read billboards posted by humanists need to be taught not to take them seriously but to cherish the belief systems taught them by their parents. This includes not only belief in Jesus but also belief in Santa Claus. So here is a plea I wrote almost 14 years ago. It is still valid.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">For many years millions of people have believed in Santa Claus. Today</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">millions more believe in him. Why do so many claim Santa as their personal</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">friend? Because they have found that the true way to know Santa is to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">believe in him. And the only way to receive his gifts is to become like</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">little children and have complete faith in him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Of course some people - agnostics, atheists, freethinkers, liberals, and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">secular humanists - claim that Santa Claus is a mythical being who was</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">invented by humans. But these scoffers and doubters will never destroy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">people's faith in him, for as long as people believe in free gifts they</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">will believe in Santa Claus.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Human gifts have to be made out of earthly materials; Santa creates his</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">gifts out of nothing. Human gifts have to be paid for; Santa gives us his</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">gifts for free. Some people think he needs to be reminded of what they</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">would like, but Santa already knows what we need. All we have to know is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">that Santa Claus is alive and loves us. All we have to do is to make a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">personal commitment to believe in him. So won't you, too, accept Santa's</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">offer of free gifts? Just kneel down, bow your head, close your eyes, and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">reverently say to yourself:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">"Dear Santa Claus. I truly believe in you and want you for my personal</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">friend. Let me humbly accept your gifts, not because I deserve them, but</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">because it is your will that I should receive them. Let me not doubt, but</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">increase my faith; for the harder I believe in you, the more real you</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">become. Amen."</span></div></body></html>