| When I was a young man, my parents told me | | | | Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were obviously |
| about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Every | | | | disappointments to me and most people that I've |
| Christmas, there would be presents underneath the | | | | talked to about their experiences, with their parents |
| tree from Santa Claus and on Easter I would get a | | | | and even their children. Why do we do this as |
| basket full of candy and eggs. However, when I was | | | | parents to our children, even though we didn't like it |
| 11 years old, my parents broke the devastating news | | | | when it was done to us. Hard to explain why we |
| to me, there was no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny. | | | | can't break certain habits and certain traditions. |
| As you can imagine, I cried for hours over the | | | | I love Christmas and the joy of giving. Even though I |
| frustration and disappointment. For one, I thought | | | | am no longer a Christian, I enjoy going over to my |
| that I wasn't going to get any more Christmas gifts, | | | | relatives homes and spending Christmas or Christmas |
| but my parents provided me with the needed | | | | Eve with them. Now for the bad news, if you were |
| psychological relief and told me that they were going | | | | raised to believe in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, |
| to provide Christmas gifts for me, until I died. Even | | | | Hinduism or any other large religious organization. Let |
| though I was upset, I was relieved and confused. | | | | me ask you this, do you think that it could be like |
| If my parents lied about this, could they have | | | | Santa Claus, do you think the religion you believe in |
| possibly lied about something else, anything else. | | | | so strongly could be a story that has gotten out of |
| Have you ever thought about this and is there a | | | | control over the centuries. |
| situation in your life today that could be an old habit | | | | I've spent a life time rethinking today's religions and |
| that never got corrected. Some theme that your | | | | can't find very many facts to prove any one religion |
| parents told you when you were a child that was a | | | | is superior over another. Do your own research and |
| lie and they never told you the truth. Maybe they | | | | find your own answers. Enlightenment could be as |
| never told you the truth because they don't even | | | | simple as gathering the right information. |
| know themselves that it's a lie. | | | | |